Blue Mountains Plein Air Painting Retreat Information
Monday 1 - Thursday 4 December 2025
We meet on Monday 1st December at our retreat base, Allview Escapes in Blackheath at 1 pm. Allview is 415-419 Hat Hill Rd, Blackheath, NSW, 2785. Directions here
What’s included from 1 pm on Monday to 2.30 pm Thursday?
A magnificent location and luxurious facilities at Allview Escapes in Blackheath
Painting plein air painting tutorials and practice sessions in breathtaking mountain locations
Catered lunches from Monday to Thursday
Direct walking access from your room to spectacular bush tracks between Pulpit Rock and Govetts Leap
2 Painting boards or canvases
Private feedback sessions
2 Guided bushwalks
2 Guided meditation sessions
2 Yoga sessions
Delicious morning & afternoon teas each day
WHAT TO BRING
Food
Breakfast food
Snacks (optional as we provide lots of food)
Dinner food - closer to the retreat I will connect you with others to co-ordinate about food if desired
General Equipment
Yoga Mat (if you don’t have one, Corinne has some spares)
Journal
Pen and pencil
Walking shoes
Rain jacket
Hat
Folding chair
Small folding table
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Warm clothing
Backpack
Water bottle
Bubble wrap or old sheets to wrap your work for transportation. (If working in oil, please let me know and I will advise a packing method)
PLEIN AIR PAINTING MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
Please supplement these materials with your own as desired. These lists will provide you with a great starting point. A limited number of Art Kits and Easels are available for hire for the duration of the retreat. Click on the link below for details.
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PAINT
I recommend Atelier Interactive acrylic 80 ml tubes in the following colours. They are widely available, even at Officeworks and Spotlight - and their prices are often cheaper than art shops.
Titanium White
Carbon Black
Cadmium Yellow Light / Arylamide Yellow Light
Cadmium red medium
Alizarin Crimson
French Ultramarine
Cerulean Blue / Pthalo Blue
Permanent Sap Green
Magenta
Burnt Umber
Yellow Ochre / Burnt Sienna
If you prefer to buy a set (as in below), then supplement with the following:
Black
Magenta
Cerulean / Pthalo Blue
Permanent Sap Green
Yellow Ochre / Burnt Sienna
Set contains: Titanium White, Burnt Umber, Arylamide Yellow Light, Cobalt Blue Hue, Napthol Red Light, Crimson
MEDIUMS - optional
Retarder medium slows drying and is especially useful outdoors
Impasto thickens paint - if you want to work with textured paint
SUPPORTS
You can purchase packs of ply or canvas boards or stretched canvases in a range of sizes, for example, 4 of 12” x 16”, 3 of 10” x 12” etc. I found the shape of the landscape invited long rectangular formats, and if you have several of the same sizes, you could potentially butt them up next to each other if you wish to. Good quality paper is also fine.
BRUSHES
I recommend buying 5-8 hog's bristle brushes and more synthetic ones in different sizes and shapes. The styles of brush seen most commonly are:
Round: sometimes a pointed tip, long closely arranged bristles for detail.
Flat: for spreading paint quickly and evenly over a surface. They have longer hairs than Brights.
Bright: shorter than flats. Flat brushes with short stiff bristles, good for driving paint into the weave of a canvas in thinner paint applications, as well as thicker painting styles like impasto work.
Filbert: flat brushes with domed ends. They allow good coverage and the ability to perform some detail work - most useful shape.
Fan: for blending broad areas of paint.
Angle: like the filbert, these are versatile and can be applied in both general painting application as well as some detail work.
Mop: a larger format brush with a rounded edge for broad soft paint application, washes as well as for getting thinner glazes over existing drying layers of paint without damaging lower layers to protect the paintbrush
EQUIPMENT
Sketchbook - A4 or larger
7 - 10 Canvases/Boards/or Canvas Paper ( I will supply 2)
Easel (if you don’t have one, let Corinne know to bring an extra one)
Brushes - bring a range of sizes and types
Palette knives - 2 to 3
Palette - A plastic clear document holder or clip board makes a great portable palette
Paints
Retarder medium - optional
Water
Jar to clean brushes
Paper towel/rags
Coloured/graphite pencil
Bulldog Clips
Apron
Baby wipes
Plastic bag
Hat
Folding chair
Small folding table
Sunscreen
Stanley knife/pencil sharpener
Spray bottle
Any other art materials you want to work in
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PAINT
I recommend the following readily available sets of ART SPECTRUM 40 ml tubes (Windsor & Newton or Georgian are good substitutes):
Sets of 6 colours including: Spectrum Yellow, Spectrum Red, Spectrum Blue, Spectrum Viridian, Yellow Ochre, Titanium White
Sets of 9 colours including: Lemon Yellow, Spectrum Red, Spectrum Violet, Spectrum Blue, Spectrum Viridian, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, Raw Umber, Zinc White
If you would like to supplement either set add:
Black
Ultramarine Blue
Sap Green or Australian Leaf Green
MEDIUMS
The most versatile medium is Liquin. Not necessary to buy unless you want to try it.
SOLVENT
Bring Odourless Solvent and bring a spare jar to store dirty solvent for reuse
SUPPORTS
Bring a few sheets of canvas paper and a range of sizes of plywood or canvas boards or stretched canvases, for example, 3 of 12” x 16”, 2 of 10” x 12” etc. I found the shape of the landscape invited long rectangular formats, and if you have several of the same sizes, you could potentially butt them up next to each other if you wish to.
BRUSHES
BRING 7 - 10 hog's bristle brushes and a few synthetic ones in different sizes and shapes. The styles of brush seen most commonly are:
Round: sometimes a pointed tip, long closely arranged bristles for detail.
Flat: for spreading paint quickly and evenly over a surface. They have longer hairs than Brights.
Bright: shorter than flats. Flat brushes with short stiff bristles, good for driving paint into the weave of a canvas in thinner paint applications, as well as thicker painting styles like impasto work.
Filbert: flat brushes with domed ends. They allow good coverage and the ability to perform some detail work - I find this the most versatile brush.
Fan: for blending broad areas of paint.
Angle: like the filbert, these are versatile and can be applied in both general painting application as well as some detail work.
Mop: a larger format brush with a rounded edge for broad soft paint application, washes as well as for getting thinner glazes over existing drying layers of paint without damaging lower layers to protect the paintbrush
EQUIPMENT
Sketchbook - A4 or larger
Few sheets of canvas paper
7 - 10 Canvases or Boards ( I will supply 2)
Easel (if you don’t have one, let Corinne know you may be able to borrow one)
Brushes - bring a range of sizes and types
Palette knives - 2
Palette - A plastic clear document holder or clip board makes a great portable palette
Paints
Odourless Solvent and two glass jars with lids
Paper towel/rags
Coloured/graphite pencil
Bulldog Clips
Apron
Baby wipes
Plastic bag for keeping dirty rags
Hat
Folding chair
Small folding table
Sunscreen
Stanley knife/pencil sharpener
Any other art materials you may like to use…watercolours etc
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PAINT
Bare minimum:
• Spectrum Yellow - Art Spectrum brand (AS)
• Cadmium Red - Shminke brand (Sh)
• Ultramarine Blue (AS or Sh)
• Prussian Blue (AS or Sh)
Useful extras:
• Cerulean Blue (AS)
• Burnt Umber (Sh)
• Lemon Yellow (AS or Sh)
Other good brands - Rembrandt, Old Holland, Windsor and Newton, ( W&N have a cheaper student range of ‘Cottman’ watercolours as well as an artist-quality range.)
PAPER
100% Cotton paper - several single sheets or a pad of paper ( 10 sheets minimum) of the size you want - A4 or A3 depending on how quickly you work. We will also be doing some exercises for which you will need paper.
Good options: Arches 185 gsm or 300 gsm or Saunders Waterford 200 gsm
( Heavier weight paper is better, but 185 gsm is fine for small works up to A3)
Note - good 100% cotton paper is fairly expensive. You might be tempted to get wood pulp paper because it is cheaper. It is much harder to paint on. ( If it doesn’t say 100% cotton, it is most likely wood pulp.)
BRUSHES
3 sizes
Small - about size 3 round
Medium - size 8 - 10 round
Large - size 12 round or 3/4 “ inch flat brush
Mostly, students get synthetic brushes as they are more affordable.
HB pencil
Kneadable eraser ( putty rubber )
A palette of white plastic ( or cheap white plastic bowls ) to mix in.
Spray bottle
Mediums if you prefer
Easel (if you don’t have one, let Corinne know to bring an extra one)
Water
Jar to clean brushes
Paper towel/rags
Bulldog Clips
Apron
Baby wipes
Plastic bag for rubbish
Hat
Folding chair
Small folding table
Sunscreen
Stanley knife/pencil sharpener
Any other art materials you want to work in
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Art kits, including acrylic or oil paints, may be hired for $140 for the duration of the retreat. They need to be booked no later than 2 weeks before the retreat and there are a limited number.
Kit contains: oil or acrylic paints, brushes, palette knives, a palette, solvent, jar, paper towel/rags, coloured/graphite pencil, clips, apron, baby wipes, viewfinder
A limited number of easels may also be borrowed for use at the retreat.
Contact Corinne to organise
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What to bring if you have hired an ART KIT
Sketchbook - A4 or larger
7 - 10 Canvases, Boards, few sheets canvas paper ( I will supply 2)
Easel (unless you have requested one and it's confirmed)
Plastic bag
Hat
Folding chair
Small folding table
Sunscreen
Stanley knife/pencil sharpener
Spray bottle with water and optional retarder medium for acrylic painters
ACCOMMODATION
Allview Escapes, Blackheath
Allview Escapes is a secluded, hidden jewel of the Upper Mountains. Located only minutes from Blackheath, yet remote and with unsurpassed views, this is the perfect place for us to retreat - to paint, connect with nature, be re-energised. There are two separate houses on the property, both with 4 bedrooms. Malies house has 3 bathrooms, while Isabella has 2.
Malies House
1 KB - Katy
QB + SB Twins - Kate and Therese
QB + SB Twins - Robyn
1 DB - Angela
Isabella House
QB - Nicki
QB - Lynda
QB - Rena
QB - Maria