Masterclass with Erica Seccombe

This intensive one-day workshop invites participants to slow the image down through drawing. Using vibrant pigment coloured inks on paper, participants will explore how observational drawing can transform fleeting media images into thoughtful, expressive works that reveal new layers of meaning.

Drawing from contemporary photographs of protest, public spectacle and everyday life, the workshop examines how colour, gesture and mark-making can shift an image beyond documentation. Rather than copying photographs, participants will learn strategies for editing, simplifying and reinterpreting visual information through expressive drawing.

Throughout the day, technical demonstrations are interwoven with discussions about image culture, humour, symbolism and the role of drawing as a form of critical observation. The workshop is suitable for artists, designers and anyone interested in developing a more reflective approach to contemporary visual culture.

Materials and images provided.

About the artist:

Erica is an interdisciplinary artist, printmaker and educator whose practice brings together drawing, printmaking, moving image and computational technologies. She is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Art History and Art Theory at the ANU School of Art & Design. Trained in drawing and printmaking, she has over three decades of experience teaching observational drawing, helping participants develop confidence through careful looking, experimentation and creative play. Alongside her studio practice, Erica designs and facilitates public drawing workshops as part of major community consultation projects for hospitals, public spaces and cultural institutions. Her workshops use drawing as a creative tool for conversation, encouraging people of all ages and abilities to share stories, ideas and local knowledge through accessible, enjoyable making. These collaborative processes have informed significant public artworks across Australia and demonstrate the power of drawing to build connection, generate dialogue and shape meaningful places. 

Image credit: Erica Seccombe | Operation Inflation (detail) | 2026 | pigment based inks on acid-free cotton rag | 155 x 155cm. Sunshine Coast National Art Prize 2026 finalist.

Location	Date and Time	Cost	Register
Caloundra Regional Gallery	Sat 12 Sept, 10am-4pm	Non-Members $150 Members $140	Get ticket