DEBBIE CROTHERS

Teaching has always been one of Debbie’s passions and sharing her love and enthusiasm for polymer clay comes naturally.

Debbie loves to experiment with polymer clay; it seems an endless, exciting journey and generally doesn’t plan out her work. Most of it seems to fall into place, or evolves from one project to the next. The evolution of a polymer design for her, is an outcome of the continuation of play and experimentation.

Though not formally trained, Debbie has been creating with polymer clay and teaching for about the last 18 years. She’s has taught extensively throughout Australia and has taught at many international polymer clay events.

Debbie now creates and writes tutorials for her own website as well as numerous polymer clay publications, e-learning sites and books.

ELLIOTT FOX

PIC AND DETAILS COMING SOON

CAROLINE JEPPESEN

Caroline Jeppesen is a Canberra-based artist and art teacher. Caroline works mainly in oils, but teaches a range of mediums.

 "I love that I can share my passion with others. Now more than ever, people are wanting to spend time on activities that nourish their mind and tap into a creative side. Art is a truly human endeavour, it brings people together, encourages connection, and brings joy. 

In my own work, I find great calm in reflecting the beauty of our world: the magic of a sunset or a delicate flower."

HILARY MACKAY

I have a history of drawing and painting and have been influenced by some very talented art mentors since childhood.  My first art exhibition was in 1963 when I entered a Red Cross competition in outback Derby, Western Australia.  Since then, I have mostly painted to please myself and experimented in many crafts and art mediums, reading extensively and building up a library while being a Public Servant and having a family.  

As the family grew, I was able to attend some ANU Art School adult extension classes, weekend workshops and I ran one off classes at several local schools.  

 To try my hand at teaching I accepted a request to be a guest art tutor for the students at the Jerrabomberra Art Group in 2003.  The one visit extended to several years working in all mediums and overflowed into accepting students to my home studio.  From there I was accepted as a watercolour tutor for CIT Solutions at their Southside Campus for five years.  

I obviously enjoyed this very much because I went looking for more work and found a home in 2007 at the Artists Shed in Queanbeyan that is now located in Fyshwick with the original artist, Margaret Hadfield. I tutored adult and children’s classes and begun adult and children’s classes in my home studio in various media.  I attended workshops with other artists, run workshops and visits to the ANG for my students and holiday workshops with the ACT Library body, other Schools and private tutoring as requested.

 I have participated in three exhibitions at the Artists Shed Queanbeyan, selling acrylic abstracts, watercolours and oils and a solo exhibition in the Bungendore Fine Arts Gallery, and a large solo exhibition for Marymead in Nov 2017.  I have completed a wide variety of commissions through the Artists Shed on many varied surfaces.  My largest stain glass paintings are located in the Queanbeyan Hospital reflection room and have many other local public glass works jointly working with Canberra Glass Artist, Tina Van Raay, and a portrait work in a local public building. I have had two illustrated books published, one in response to a third world children’s literature program and the second “Intrepid Nepal” sold locally to assist children’s education in Nepal.

 There is not one medium that I would choose over another, I am just having too much fun learning so much from teaching students with ages varying from 4 to late 80’s with no subject that is not explored. 

 I like to think that my teaching style is tailored to individual students and their preferred interests, learning techniques and methods along with the option of imparting as much art theory as desired. 

ANNE PAGE

PIC AND DETAILS COMING SOON

BOBBI M. OLIVER

  Bobbi immigrated to Australia from the USA in 1999.She has been an active potter/sculptorsince 1969, also casting bronze and working in other mixed media. Since moving to Australia Bobbi continued to work in clay establishing a pottery in the Hunter region of NSW, for more than 10 years. While working full time she concentrated on working in polymer clay and air dry clays. She has since returned to working in porcelain and stoneware clays for last 12 years. All her pieces are original, no pre-made moulds or pre made armatures are used. She travels NSW selling her creations at Expos, Art Markets and other Arts events, she offers workshops at home a few times per year.

Her qualifications include an Associated Arts Degree in Fine Art from Mendocino Junior College Ukiah, California 1988. Bachelors of Arts Degree from Humboldt State University, Arcata, California in Studio Art with an emphasis in Sculpture in 1992. She has been a Member of the Maitland Regional Artists Society, Tuggerah Lakes Potters Association, Gumnut Dollies, Newcastle, Hunter Arts Network, Art At Work Exhibitions.

Pictured- porcelain figure with gold leaf, fabric, mixed media, Paverpol.

SUE BUTLER

Art has always been a huge part of my life since childhood and has at times in my life provided me with an income. As a young woman in Sydney I’d pack my milk crate full of Fimo jewellery, strap a fold up bike to one side and a collapsible stand to the other, attach the whole lot to the back of my ex-posties motor bike with octopus straps and make my precarious way to Paddington markets. Quite the sight!

Over the years I have experimented with a multitude of mediums and art styles from life drawing to sculpture, printing, painting and collage. I am a certified Paverpol and Contemporary Clay instructor.

I love the versatility and strength of apoxy air dry clay. More expensive than a lot of others but the weather proof nature and strength make it far superior to others.

BRONWYN STUART

Throughout her life Bronny has enjoyed a cross section of crafts including dressmaking and clothing design with a keen interest in free machine embroidery, crochet, and knitting. Other crafts she has dabbled in include paper weaving, silk painting and collage.

A chance meeting at a workshop with an old boarding school buddy, Lex Sorrentino, introduced her to Paverpol and a way to incorporate many of her acquired skills into her creative work. Bronny is the proud owner of Paverpol Australia, supplying sculptors and artists across Australia with Paverpol products to create their own masterpieces. She is a certified Paverpol Instructor and Trainer and enjoys teaching creative Paverpol sculpturing at the Contemporary Craft Retreat. Using a versatile fabric hardener like Paverpol enables her to incorporate a variety of mediums like Artstone, Paversand, Plaster of Paris, and air drying clay into her teaching and sculpting.

Early in 2024 she was awarded the prestigious prize of “Champion of Champions’ at the Canberra Show Craft Expo after becoming Champion of the 3D Figures section with a unique air dry clay sculpture of a leafy sea dragon.

Pam Annesley 

– Mixed Media Artist & Jewellery Designer
Pam Annesley is a versatile mixed media artist and jewellery designer
with a passion for innovation and creativity. Based in Two Rocks, just
north of Perth, she draws inspiration from the coastal landscape,
incorporating elements of nature into her work. Her expertise spans
painting, printing, collage, and sculpture, with a particular focus on
silver and polymer clay jewellery.
With a background as a high school art teacher and TAFE College Art
Lecturer, Pam has dedicated years to fostering creativity in others.
She shares her extensive knowledge through hands-on workshops, and
studio classes, encouraging students to explore new techniques and
materials.
Pam’s work has been published in various art and craft publications,
highlighting her expertise in mixed media and jewellery design.
Whether crafting intricate jewellery or dimensional polymer clay
artworks, she brings a distinctive approach to each piece. Passionate
about culture and the arts, she inspires students to experiment with
new materials, push creative boundaries, and embrace their artistic
journey with confidence and curiosity.

LEX SORRENTINO

This dynamic and exciting contemporary clay artist continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in the contemporary clay world. Senior CCIP and Paverpol Instructor/ Trainer, based in Canberra. 

Lex has 29 years of Polymer Clay Sculpting experience and holds weekly classes and workshops in Polymer Sculpting and Caning, Silver Metal Clay and Air Dy Clay sculpting. She also holds regular workshops in Paverpol Garden Sculpture.

She recently started working with and teaching a liquefied form of Makin's Air Dry Clay dipped in fabric with spectacular results.(The Makin's Clay Company have purchased a few of these sculptures.)

 She has won numerous awards for her Polymer Clay work including winning the Australian Doll As Art Judges Choice Award - twice. 

Being self- taught,  the minimal training leaves her free to approach clay sculpting with no preconceptions as to how it ought to be used. Ignorance can be genuinely constructive, particularly in a medium as adaptable as clay.

Her tutorials and amazing work have featured in multiple publications including the Australian Doll and Bear News and Dolls Bears and Collectables, Australian Beading Magazine and the USA Publication Polymer Café, Mixed Media & Steampunk, plus Passion for Polymer magazine.
 Lex is one of 3 Aussies published in the Prestigious Polymer Journeys Book 2019 and came second in the International Polymer Clay Association Global Exhibition 3D section 2022.

  In 2023 she came First in 2D Works in the IPCA Global Exhibition and Second in 3D works.

LARA LE REVEUR. ( Having a break in 2026)

Lara Le Reveur is a multi-disciplinary artist. Or she just has a stubborn child locked away in there somewhere. Her art practice spans across her entire lives. Traces of her can be found in the courtyard of her childhood home, in the DNA of her children and on the road down the street where she fell off her bike in the winter of 2019. She worked commercially with porcelain and ceramics for many years. Her current practice contains the blood, sweat and tears borne of circumstance (not always bad ones) and some are deliberately put there by design. This does not make her an artist. As a child, Lara - like most young children who grew up in Australia - was encouraged to sing songs, make melodies and create marks with things, and half a century later she continues to pursue the infinite possibilities that a simple mark, sound or motion presents, and takes much delight in investigating how harmony can be achieved through combinations of these three expressions. She draws inspiration from travel, identity and cultural practices seeking balance, ideals in an imperfect world, and gaming technology. She holds a diploma in Jewellery design and three different metal clay teacher certifications. She has shared her crafting knowledge extensively throughout Australia and South East Asia, and recently spent 5 1 ⁄ 2 years on sabbatical in northern Germany. As she can not afford to study a fine arts degree, she uses too many different materials and experiments and creates beads, dolls, jewellery, paintings, sculptures and books. Now that she is back in Australia, she is developing her private teaching practice and has rejoined The Gallery Mt Macedon. Her current activities are painting based on the flow state and intuitive gestures, using them to create both 2D and 3D subjects, including jewellery (using paper, contemporary metals, craft and found materials from her travels across Europe) and learning historical martial arts.