Our passionate team of tutors bring together students who may have never before felt creatively fulfilled, and show them the possibilities in a supportive environment. Enjoying the results and sharing them over coffee with like minded people has given wings to many.
Erin Hill – Founder & principle tutor
Founder of ErinHill Sketching Art Schools & Holidays. Exhibiting Artist. Urban Sketcher.
Sketch tutoring is my passion.
I’ve sketched all my life. From my background as Art Director in major Ad Agencies, graphic design, fine art and illustration, I’ve pared down the essentials to create the ErinHill Travel Sketching System which we use in all our Schools.
Of course I always painted, drawn and illustrated as well. But sketching is where I’ve come back to. When ErinHill Studio opened in 2011, we began with a small class of people keen to learn to sketch. Many of those students continued every term and as classes grew, have become tutors with the school. As more students discover us, we train new tutors to share our particular brand of travel sketching.
Students need a clear and positive way of learning and the foundation skills of ErinHill Travel Sketching do just that. In a short time people are sketching something around them and feeling delighted. Hardly believing that they’re sketching in their first lesson.
We have a lively group of people from all walks of life who can’t wait to get to their class each week, all bonded by their love of sketching and travelling. We are further connected with our website and Facebook sites showing and sharing the progress every class makes every week.
Toni Konijn – Senior tutor at Manly
Producer of Cherish Books. Photographer. Artist & Painter. Traveller and Sketcher.
Sketching touches me in a way that nothing else does. Sketching forces me to stop and look at the world around me. To focus and to breathe. To get out of my head and into my body. To observe in more detail the world around me.
In a previous life I worked in the rough and tumble world of marketing and advertising…Falling in love with sketching is the best antidote ever for a busy life. Sketching came to me after years of exploring textiles, sculpture, painting, and photography. There is something about the simplicity of travel sketching that caught my attention. When I sketch the world seems to stop and I find my calm. Playing with line and colour makes me happy. I don’t sketch for anyone but me, I’m in the flow, simply recording impressions. For me, the act of creating a sketch is a form of meditation. I’ve also noticed how my sketching skills translate into other areas of my life. I think more creatively, problem solve in new ways and see situations from new perspectives.
Tutoring at EHS and facilitating the travel sketching process is so much fun! I love seeing students learning to see the world around them in new ways, learning to translate their everyday observations into sketches that come to reflect their own unique style. My tutoring style is student-centred. I aim to guide students to express their own creativity, sketching in an environment where students feel supported and confidence soars. No judgement, no scores, art for art sake.
I look forward to sharing a travel sketching class with you.
Kathy Wesson – Senior tutor at Manly
Traveller. Adventurer. Watercolorist. Mixed Media.
I’m South African by birth, and in my twenties I headed solo to Europe, determined not to be seen as a ‘tourist’ but rather as an observer. So, no camera, only a sketchbook. I eventually succumbed to a fast shutter, because I missed too many buses, (and I hadn’t yet learned the quick impression Erin Hill Travel Sketching method obviously) but that first sketch book remains one of my most prized possessions, capturing so many “firsts” First time on a plane, the view from my hotel room in Luxembourg, the ferry terminal at Ostende, the top of Cologne Cathedral, my first view of the Dover Cliffs, to name a few.
Gaye Pitt – Tutor at Manly
Lover of old buildings and ancient sites. (Especially European). Ceramics tutor. Teacher of Secondary Visual arts. Exhibiting artist. Appliqué Quilt and woven recycled fabric artist. Bachelor of Education Visual Arts.
My family are Manly locals and I grew up roaming the foreshore of North Harbour . Due to having a family early I started overseas travel late !
I have lived in regional NSW in the Bathurst , Coffs , Shoalhaven , Port and Lake Macquarie regions and sketched and photographed many locations.
I work primarily in pen with Gouache and Aquarelle on a small scale depicting interiors … and landscape with trees.
My other loves are travelling, horses, cats, people…. and family.
I have loved joining EHS as it has reignited my passion for sketching on the go and has enabled a sense of community with other enjoyers of food , travel and art. I look forward to new friendships and sharing the accessible techniques of EHS to sketch anywhere … and revealing the mysteries of colour .
Tammy Bergman – Tutor at Rose Bay
Teacher of Textile & Design, Advanced Certificate Fashion Retail, Associate Diploma Colour & Design. Meditation Facilitator.
I am passionate about learning and education, specifically art. I have completed an extensive range of courses, since qualifying as a high school teacher leading me to teach in Textile and Design and Food Science.
My time living in London with my husband opened my eyes to the importance of Art History and the works of different Artists. I combed London, France, Italy and Holland taking in every tour exploring the artists and absorbing the History of Art.
We immigrated to Australia where I continued to teach and look after my family. I also ran classes in Cake Decorating and Chocolate Making. My interest in creating edible art sculptures led me to further study where I received an Advanced Certificate in Fashion Retail (TAFE). I loved this journey of creating and still wanted to continue. I covered many different short Art Courses in different mediums, favouring Watercolour.
I continued with TAFE and completed an Advanced Certificate of Commercial Needlecraft. I began exhibiting my work and taking commissions, both privately and commercially.
I pursued my interest in Design to complete an Associate Diploma of Colour and Design.
After many years of producing art, I was drawn back to the calm peaceful feeling of meditation and took time out for myself and gained my Meditation Facilitators Certificate (Nature Care College).
After meeting Erin and learning her method of sketching, it all fell into place. Being in the moment, observing and drawing what you see. Its simple and uncomplicated. There is no judgement, your work is your own.
I love sharing my knowledge with students. My goal is to know that each student feels empowered with their sketching skills as well as confident within themselves. Each person is unique, and I see these beautiful qualities in all the students.
“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do” (Rumi)
I look forward to each class and love connecting with the students on this exciting journey with Erin Hill Sketching.
Donna Draper and Pamela Black – Manly Intro Sketching Tutors
We are delighted to have both Donna and Pamela join our team of outstanding Travel Sketch tutors and bring with them their passion for sketching the world around them. Sketching is a way of life for these two tutors.
Both have been long time students with ErinHill Sketching, have travelled with our International Sketch Tours and part of the Sunday Sketching ‘Taste of Sketching’ Workshops we offer.
Pamela and Donna have learned the step by step process to pass on those vital foundation skills to their new students, and are graduates of our intensive Tutor Training program.
Each have their own style of interpreting their world, and students will also learn to discover and love their own style of sketching while learning to see the world in a new way, all in their sketchbooks, tucked somewhere in a bag and easily available to sketch any time, day or night.
Together Donna and Pamela work as a very empathetic and caring team to bring you from an exciting start through to a keen and dedicated sketcher of life wherever it happens to be.
Anna Barnes – Blue Mountains Director & Tutor
B.A. Fine Arts & Social Anthropology ( South East Asia Studies). Masters Design Science. 25yrs as a Chef in specialty cuisines and cultural menus.
I am the director of ErinHill Sketching Blue Mountains.
Weekly Sketch classes, Monthly Sketch&Lunch, Day Trips and Sketch&Walk Adventures.
I’ve always been fascinated with travel, particularly with South East Asia, and one of my favourite countries, Vietnam. Having lived there for a time, I’m very familiar with many of the towns and villages, the customs, the culture, language and history. When taking guests to these authentic and non touristy areas I like to introduce them to the families and locals who have become friends over the years. We invite you to join us on our Vietnam Sketch Holiday in December 2107. Email to book.
I’m also a Travel Sketcher. I spend time capturing the scenes around me and people going about their day. This is where taking students on our EHS Travel Sketch Holidays comes into its own. We will take you to sketching locations most visitors would never discover. We’ll shop, taste, and dine and laugh and sketch.
I’m passionate about life in the NSW Blue Mountains. I adore the mountains, valleys, fauna and flora, the colour and the marvellous local cuisine. I look forward to sharing my sketching adventures with you.
My background is Fine Arts and History and I just adore both of these along with Literature and Languages. So I rolled these all up in a ball and created French Fusion Travel where I could indulge all these passions. As part of my business I speak French and have been running tours to France for the last 15 years. I organise Travel Sketching tours with Erin to different parts of the globe and assist her in tutoring while on tour. I love teaching and entertaining and helping each student reach their inner potential through sketching.
It is a constant marvel how enjoyable it is for everyone participating. If you couple that with learning to and improving your sketching whilst on holiday in a paradise – what more could you want?
Jeanette Jones – Melbourne Director and Tutor
Traveller. Painter. Travel Sketcher.
Tony McNeight – Auckland Director and Tutor
Graphic & Corporate Designer. Book Illustrator.
As a kid I grew up in Devonport discovering every grassy knoll every lane way and secret places. When I left school I went into the world of advertising, in between travelling the world on an adventure of creative discovery. I’ve worked alongside some of the best people in the industry and been award accordingly.
I’m now on a mission to follow my love of Travel Sketching. Whenever travelling I always take my small sketch book and kit and sketch an impression of the ‘moment’ quickly on paper. This is a hugely satisfying way to engage with your subject as well as capturing something creatively personal.
So often at a young age people have been told they ‘cant draw’ or, ‘are not good enough’. They have believed this all their lives (which is totally untrue.) For these folk our Travel Sketch classes will produce amazing personal results.
A kiwi colleague (another person who grew up in Devonport) Erin Hill began a highly successful Sketch School in Sydney some years ago. Erin has travelled extensively. Sketches and takes Travel Sketch Holidays to the Greek Islands, Italy, France Fiji and the US. Something I would like to offer once we are established here.
Erin and I have opened ErinHill Sketching NZ, with classes at the Kerr Street Art centre at the bottom of Mt Vic from early Feb 2016. I am the director and head tutor. Its an exciting venture for me as it follows my passion for sketching and teaching – the Erin Hill way –
Having just bought a house back in Devonport this is the perfect way to immerse myself back into a community that has always had a special place in my heart.
Annette Morris – Director South of France and Tutor
Web & Graphic Designer. Exhibiting Artist. Urban Sketcher.
Originally from England, Annette has been living in the south of France since 2008. An experienced web designer and marketing consultant, Annette has always had a love of colour and creativity. Annette fell in love with EHS travel sketching after spending time with Erin on the banks of the beautiful Canal du Midi.
Passionate about the French culture and countryside, Annette’s classes will take you to some lesser known towns and villages of Languedoc. You will visit unusual locations full of history and character; plus discovering local foods and wines will be high on the menu too.
Events with Annette will include sketch stops in characterful cafes, castles and wineries, plus the chance to enjoy plenty of laughs and some fabulous French cuisine along the way!
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