Weekly Art Classes Commence August
Have you always wanted to attend regular Art Classes?
Join a fun and relaxed environment to create artwork for your home, office or just for pleasure.
The majority of my students are absolute beginners; I am constantly astounded at the high quality of artwork that is completed by them in the classes.
The studio is a rewarding place for you to spend some time and is the perfect place to come and learn some exciting new techniques or freshen up your ideas.
At Arts Unlocked we offer a complete experience. My studio is your playground. Take hand to canvas and transform hesitant brushstrokes into art under guidance.
You will be amazed at how creative you really are. Classes in Watercolour, Acrylic, Oil available.
A weekly class will cost $30.00 and is payable on commencement of each class.
Classes will be held each Tuesday for a 6 week block. Classes will commence Tuesday the 19th of August.
Morning classes will be start at 9am through til 12 noon
Evening classes will start Tuesday the 19th of August
at 6pm til 9pm.
Students are required to supply their own preferred working medium; equipment (Easels, brushes, canvases, paper etc… a suggested list of requirements for each medium is available on request)
Tea and Coffee supplied please bring your own morning tea and or supper
Bookings are essential as we will be limiting the class size.
Classes will be held at Gallery 23 – 23 Burnett St Sadliers Crossing 4305. Bookings 0410269530
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Resene Paints & Paint Place support
Concrete & Paint Make Art Exhibition
Karen Oberg’s recent solo exhibition “Concrete & Paint Make Art” was sponsored by Resene Paints and their Ipswich outlet The Paint Place. Mounted at Gallery 23 the exhibition featured the extraordinary range of mixed media works Karen has created using the techniques she teaches in her one day courses. The exhibition was launched with a special preview and was then open to the public on the weekend of April 26 & 27 with almost a quarter of the works on offer selling in that period. It can now be viewed by appointment by calling Karen on 0410 269530 until May 19.
For information about Resene products click here. For information about Paint Place click here
For the full story on the exhibition and more info about Galley 23
Archibald Prize Entry Unveiled
Tuesday February 5th 2008
Ipswich artist Karen Oberg has unveiled her entry into the prestigious 2008 Archibald Prize in front of a large media contingent today at her soon to be opened Gallery 23 at Sadliers Crossing in Ipswich. This is the first time Karen has entered a portrait for Australia’s most famous art award. Producing the larger than life 2.7 metre high portrait depicting the equally larger than life character of six times Australian Drag Racing Champion, Victor Bray was a twelve month process. Victor was a special guest to unveil the painting with Ipswich City Council Mayor Paul Pisasale.
To see images of the unveiling click here.
To view television coverage of the launch click here.
The annual Archibald Prize for portraiture is one of Australia's oldest and best-
Victor Bray has an unusual background for a motor racing icon. After studying at Gatton Agricultural Collage he became the third generation to work the Bray family farm at Narangba north of Brisbane. The Bray family has become well known nationally as producing amongst highest quality premium tomatoes in the country.
Growing up as a farm boy, all things mechanical and the need to repair them were a part of daily life for Victor. Working on machinery with his late grand father and father stirred a deep fascination with engineering which came to the fore through his interest in motor sport.
While obviously a talented driver, it has been Bray’s research and development skills that have seen him lead the world with a number of major design breakthroughs in the engineering of his race cars. His record includes six Australian Championships and having held the world record as the fastest drag racing sedan on the planet with a speed of 395 kph.
Despite his many successes on the race track, Victor still rates his greatest ever achievement as Bray family tomatoes winning the Royal National Association’s 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize four years in a row as the country’s best.
Despite the intense competition for the Archibald Prize Karen Oberg says the satisfaction of completing such a large work of a larger than life character had been her immediate goal. To paint on such a grand scale not only takes total commitment to your art practice but a level of fitness to climb a 2 meter ladder for each brush stroke applied to the canvas.
Karen commented “To be entered into Australia’s most prestigious art prize is unbelievable. I’m just happy enough that the portrait is completed and that Victor loves it so what ever happens in Sydney happens. I am not too concerned about the judging, though you have to be in it to have a chance. I am delighted that Victor trusted me to paint him. Transferring his spirit onto canvas was an experience that will stay with me for life. Knowing Victor for many years has been an advantage. It was easier to know the person behind the face, not just the Champion Drag Racer that the public see but also the man of the land so proud of his family heritage. I was determined to portray both sides of his spirit, the outstanding engineer and the horticultural geneticist. ”
When first shown the completed painting the portrait’s subject said he was rendered speechless. “It’s so amazing to be confronted with how someone else sees you. I really didn’t know what to say which is unusual for me considering Karen even painted me with my mouth open because I’m always saying something. When you look at the portrait there’s so much going on in the face and eyes that I even started to wonder what that person up on the canvas was thinking. You see a photo or video, that’s just your shell but this painting has soul. It scares me a little,” said Victor.
After the unveiling the painting will be crated up for its long trip Sydney. Victor
Bray himself is ensuring the safe arrival of the entry in Sydney by transporting
the painting in his huge race-
The city of Ipswich has had Archibald Prize success before with Davida Allen winning the prize in 1986.
Gallery 23 is Karen Oberg’s working studio and will open to the public for the first
time on the weekend of February 23-
Artist Statement
“The new direction my life has taken over the last twelve months has had no road signs, but it has lead me on a wonderful path of self discovery and fulfillment. 2008 marks the opening of my working Studio and Gallery to the public. Though only open at limited times it enables me to have contact with people interested in my works and for me to experience this interaction through my work.
The paintings presented in the opening exhibition are selected from numerous series of work which showcase my diverse and varied subject interest. More specifically, they depict where and what I am inspired by. As my art practice continues I am still developing as an artist and this exhibition shows my interest and involvement in multiple disciplines including moving between the two dimensional surfaces of painting to the three dimensional areas of textiles, sculpture, jewellery and decorative crafts. I consider my self very fortunate to be following my dreams.
This year I have particularly enjoyed the experience of painting a portrait for the Archibald Prize. This is my first entry into this award. At no time through this process have I felt pressure knowing that the portrait was destined for the largest portraiture prize in Australia. Victor Bray was an obvious choice as a subject. I have known Victor for many years as Australia’s most famous Drag Racer and a friend. Victor is a complex individual and I have in this portrait shown a couple of important facets of his life.
A few deliberate areas of the painting show Victor’s strengths and loves. His right hand is deliberately painted softer to reflect his nurturing side with his love of farming and family. In contrast the left hand is painted strong and angular with one of the tools of his trade depicting his powerful drive to break performance barriers and defeat his opposition on the race track. His face show’s he is deep in thought as always. He is captured mid speech, Victor’s usual state. While he is shown seated on a huge “Slick” drag racing tyre, it is painted to fade into the background as the portrait is about the person not the props. Victor is dressed in the way I see him 90% of the time, casually in work gear ready for the workshop. The portrait is intended to show Victor as the intelligent, thoughtful, determined and most of all, loving family man I know him to be.
The portrait has been painted using traditional oils as well as using “Castrol Edge” racing oil as a medium. I had originally considered also incorporating tyre rubber scrapped from Willowbank Raceway along with bitumen in the work but settled on the pure form of oil to complete the painting.
I consider this work one of my most significant artistic achievements to date. I found to paint on such a grand scale is not the easy. It has taken great stamina to repeatedly climb the two metre ladder each time I made a mark on the canvas.”
Karen Oberg
Enrolments now open for a number of classes
Gift Vouchers are available so why not surprise someone you love with a truly unique gift. Our gift vouchers can be used for any available course within 12 months.
Normal advance booking required.
Click here for more information and dates for classes
or call Karen Oberg 0410 269530
or email us for an enrollment form at
To see examples of previous participants work click on photo