OUR TUTORS

Jill has over twenty years experience teaching Art, Visual Communication, Ceramics, and ESOL in Secondary Schools in Victoria and five years working as an artist in Mexico. She has taught hand building and wheel forming at Beaumaris Art Group since 2014 and brings to her classes a wealth of experience and a love of creative experimentation.

Jill has exhibited extensively and has been the recipient of numerous awards for her ceramic works. Jill teaches Handbuilding on Mondays at BAG. 

From a young age, Lara always expressed her creativity through painting, drawing and ceramics. She went on to complete a Masters degree in Fine Art, specialising in ceramics. Following university, Lara qualified as an Art teacher and taught Art at a primary school in South Africa. Although she specialises in ceramics, she also has a love for painting and drawing. Lara enjoys teaching and sharing her knowledge with people, especially children.Lara currently teaches Children's Ceramics at BAG. 

Born in Beaumaris, Anne's  artistic influences began early with her father, Charles Bricknell being a founding member of the Beaumaris Art Group and architect of the original BAG studio. Anne was a member of the Group during her early years but art was put on the back burner during university years and early career.  

In 2002, Anne began studying watercolour painting and was strongly influenced by the inspirational tutelage of the late Valda Cuming, a long time member of the Beaumaris Art Group. As a tutor in Watercolour Painting, Anne emphasizes the need for her students to develop their own personal style. Anne teaches watercolour on Monday evenings, Fridays and Saturdays. 

Christina Darras is an interdisciplinary artist of Athenian Greek origin. Her practice is very diverse, encompassing drawing, painting, crochet, embroidery, printmaking, jewellery and more.  She has studied drawing and painting at Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France and printmaking at Central St Martins College of Art and Design in London, UK.

Christina has sold her jewellery to Harvey Nichols London, Barney’s New York, and Collette in Paris. In Melbourne, she has collaborated with Crafts Victoria, Boom Gallery, Wangaratta Regional Gallery, Kiitos Living by Design, and Kingston Arts. Christina is currently teaching Printmaking and Art Theory to Adults as well as Teens' Painting and Drawing. 

Robert Delves is a Melbourne-based sculptor who has been practising for over thirty years across a wide range of media. Robert holds Fine Art degrees from both RMIT and the Victorian College of the Arts. His intimate sculptural works explore the complexities of the human condition and our relationship to the world around us—both physical and emotional.

He was the recipient of the Heidi Sculpture Award in 2012, and the Dame Elizabeth Murdoch Sculpture Award in 2013. His work is held in corporate and private collections across Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, the UK, and the United States. Robert teaches Drawing and Sculpture at BAG on Wednesdays and Saturdays. 

Beata’s inspirations are the ever-changing human emotions and the effect they have on the body. “I have a deep interest in anatomy and the function of the body as well as the mind-body connection. I also love creating pots, bowls and other functional objects and exploring and experimenting with new pottery techniques.”.

Beata's sculptures are hand built from clay using coiling, then painstakingly textured by hand. Classically trained at the Academy of Fine Arts, Wroclaw, Poland, she completed five years of study in Ceramic and Design. Beata teaches Painting & Drawing Foundations for both Adults and Kids at BAG. 

Natalie is a South African artist living in Australia for the past ten years.  Natalie works primarily in mixed media on paper with a special focus on plants, still life and figures.  Her interest lies in depicting the shapes and forms of nature coupled with lyrical lines and textural areas of paint, to create a conversation between colour, light and shape.  Natalie is also an art teacher and much of her work is developed as she explores new techniques to teach her students. Natalie is currently teaching Mixed Media at BAG. 

Su is a highly qualified tutor with decades of experience teaching art to adults and children.  Her paintings are represented in private and corporate collection in Australia, America, Singapore, Great Britain and Switzerland. In her classes, Su demonstrations a rich variety of drawing and painting techniques, media and colour studies. Her classes encourage experimentation and play, particularly with palette and texture. Su is currently teaching Contemporary Mixed Media at BAG. 

Ilona Kiss is a Swiss born artist working mainly in painting and drawing. She studied in Austria and worked in Germany and the UK before moving to Melbourne in 2020. Living and working across different countries has strongly influenced her practice.

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Her work explores ambiguity, memory and the shifting space between sleeping and waking, shaped in part by the visual overload of film and social media. Drawing on her background in theatre design, she creates images with a strong sense of atmosphere and quiet, unfolding narrative.

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Ilona holds an MA in Fine Art and a PGCE in Secondary Education from Manchester Metropolitan University and a Magister Artium in Theatre Design from the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. She has exhibited widely in the UK, rest of Europe and Australia. Alongside her studio practice, she currently teaches a variety of art classes at Beaumaris Art Group.

What started as a hobby, has now become a full-time occupation for Jacqui. She is inspired by the art, chemistry and alchemy of ceramics : the transformation of earth, fire, and water into something fragile and enduring. She loves the unpredictability, the richness of materials, techniques and creative possibilities of clay. 

With training in Australia, Denmark and Italy, Jacqui believes handmade ceramic vessels are deeply intimate objects that nourish, sustain and bear witness to life's most personal moments. Jacqui teaches Beginners and Intermediate Wheel Throwing at BAG. 

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Growing up in the small rural town of Scerni, Italy, I have fond memories of making mud pies in our yard. Clay was always destined to play a significant role in my life.
 

 In 1974, I completed a four-year, full-time Diploma in Ceramic Design at the South Australian School of Art. I had already begun teaching part-time two years earlier, and in 1975 I started my full-time pottery career at the Jam Factory Arts Centre in Adelaide.

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For the next 30 years, I devoted myself to this craft, working in shared communal studios alongside other ceramicists and potters. I produced functional and decorative wares for craft shops as well as private commissions. 

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Teaching has remained a constant throughout my career. From 2012, I spent 16 years running the pottery program at Brighton Recreation Centre, and I am thrilled to be teaching here at The Beaumaris Arts Group. Happy Mud Slinging!​​

Poppi O’Connor is a professional and practicing artist who has over 35 years teaching experience in the fundamentals of art and design. Her skills range from classical anatomical drawing to en plein air pastel work. Poppi has significant expertise in using and teaching about using various materials and techniques with a strong understanding of the science and mechanics involved in these.

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Her contribution to and involvement in local art communities and events is extensive. Poppi also has a strong background in art education and curriculum development. Poppi is an executive member of Art Education Victoria (AEV) and is also a member of Art Education Australia (AEA). She has inspired many students and assisted them in achieving successful careers in fine art and other art related fields. Poppi teaches Drawing and Life Drawing at BAG. 

 Federica is an artist and ceramics teacher, passionately dedicated to the world of clay and its endless possibilities. Born in Italy, where she completed her studies specializing in decorative techniques on clay, this served as a solid foundation for her craft. Once she moved to Australia, the  vibrant surroundings and diverse culture sparked new inspiration, encouraging her to explore the intricacies of clay art on a deeper level. As a ceramic teacher, she finds immense joy in connecting with her students and encourages them to find their own language in clay. She teaches adults, teens and children at BAG. 

Clay is in Toni's blood. Her mother was a potter, so she grew up with clay and the thrill of making, firing and using handmade ceramics. After decades of working in other mediums she has returned home to clay. As a keen swimmer and snorkeler, her work often references our connection to the world beneath the ocean’s surface.

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She believes the  elemental, fluid nature of clay: earth and water plus fire, offer endless opportunities for experimentation and communication.Toni teachers Beginners and Intermediate Wheel Throwing at BAG. 

Born in Africa, Linda spent her childhood drawing and painting alongside her father, an architect. In her teenage years she began exploring the fundamental skills of pottery. Today, Linda explores the interactions between glazes, enjoying the surprises that occur, creating a melding of colours and textures. She is a passionate, patient teacher of classes and workshops in Wheel Throwing at BAG, tutoring everyone from absolute beginners to intermediate and advanced students. 

Belinda Stone is a Melbourne-based abstract artist inspired by her global travels, wide open spaces and the calming rhythms of nature. After years working as a physiotherapist around the world, she returned home in search of a more balanced and grounded life. Belinda has artworks across Australia and internationally, with works shown in Singapore, New York, and even a French castle.

Her paintings are featured in both private collections and public retailers. Belinda teaches abstract painting classes and workshops at BAG, sharing her knowledge and love of the creative process with others.

Marek was born in Poland. He is a self taught artist who has been painting for most of his life and is a working professional artist exhibiting nationally and internationally with painting in private collections in Australia, Great Britain, United States, Germany, Singapore, Switzerland, and Poland. During the Sydney Olympic  Games in  2000 AMP chose to Feature Marek's paintings in their television advertising campaign.

Marek works mainly with acrylic as he finds it to be the perfect tool to express what he believes to be the most fascinating aspect of art, colour.

Marek teaches Painting at Beaumaris Art Group.