Tutors
Gabrielle Thomas
Tutor of Art
Gabrielle balances tutoring with her role as Manager of the Southland Art Society’s City Gallery. With qualifications in Freelance Illustrating and Computer Graphics and Design she brings diverse skills to her art classes. Her experience and knowledge in pencil drawing, acrylics and oils is of particular note.
Karen Pringle
Tutor of Acrylic Painting
Karen studied art at Waitaki
Girls’ High School, then attended Teachers Training College in Dunedin majoring
in Art. She was a primary school teacher for 7 years in Invercargill. She now
works as a professional artist and tutor with her first exhibition in 1999. A
three time finalist in the Telecom Art Awards Karen was the winner of the award
for the Southland region in 2000. In 2002 she was winner of the Open award at
the Southland Trust Art Society awards. Karen is represented in a number of
private collections in New Zealand.
Bev
Wilson
Tutor of Dressmaking
Bev has worked all her working life in the field of Dressmaking.
She completed her apprenticeship in Dunedin, and worked for
several companies there. In 1986 she began her own clothing
manufacturing business in Invercargill, specialising in clothing
for the mature woman. She travelled around the South Island
selling her range of clothing which she designed, cut and sewed
herself.
Bev has tutored at several organisations including
the Southern Institute of Technology, Stitch ‘n Knit and
Southland Education.
Latisha Tonkin
Jewellery Tutor
Latisha demonstrates creativity through various forms including
Art, Patchwork and Jewellery making.
She has worked as Sales demonstrator and Manager for Elna NZ
offering workshops on various sewing techniques around New
Zealand. With qualifications as diverse as Landscape Technology
and experience as a self-employed artist Latisha brings a range
of skills to this organisation.
Deb Brammer
Creative Writing Secrets
Deb has written for Christian publications since 1979. She has also
published four fiction books with Bob Jones University Press, a Bible
study book and more than 125 articles and short stories.
She finds time amongst this to conduct various kinds of church ministry, spending 16 years in Taiwan prior to coming to Invercargill.
Marie
Osborne
Tutor of Paper Tole
Marie has had a very long association with Southland Education
(formerly WEA). She attended art classes with tutors Jean Trim
and Andy Lemin and has a diverse range of interests in the field
of Art and Craft.
She began tutoring at WEA in 1993 and has provided a continuous
long service to this organisation.
Kate Morrison
Kidzart Co-ordinator
Kate is a graduate of Victoria University, completing a Bachelor of Arts
in English Literature and Religious Studies. With her main priority as
caring for her four children, Kate became more involved in the Arts
since moving to Invercargill with her husband in 1994.
Kate has had work accepted for the Andersons’ Park Spring exhibition,
displayed in various art societies around New Zealand, in the Hope and
Sons exhibition in Dunedin, the New Zealand Academy of Fine Art in
Wellington and in private collections in England and the United States.
In November 2006 she won the Southland Art Society’s People Choice Award
at the Provincial Pride exhibition.
Karen Workman
Tutor of Felting
Karen studied Visual Arts at SIT in 2004 to find if she liked anything
better than fibre, but no… her love is for fibre-related art. Her
teaching background gives her the skills to pass this knowledge on.
From teaching knitting in Mongolia in 2001, to teaching at Invercargill
WEA starting in 2003, a wealth of inspiration has been gathered
from the best felters around. She has been inspired about colour
from Kaffe Fassett’s workshop and a Colour Correspondence Course just
completed.
The whole process excites Karen. She dyes the fibres imagining how
they will look when felted, and then watches as the students interpret
them their way. It’s all a fantastic process!