Learn to paint with Linton artist

IMPRESSIONISTIC landscape painter Martyn Haggerty is seeking Golden Plains Shire residents who would be interested to join a new art group.

An artist and former painting teacher in community centres, the Linton retiree plans to launch the free Friday morning sessions this month and to run them during school terms.

Anyone who would like some painting tips from Haggerty, or to simply paint in the company of likeminded people, is encouraged to get involved in the informal two-hour gatherings.

“I’ll paint and people can watch, bring a notebook, ask questions, and get to know about technique, what materials to use, and buy,” he said.

“Or they can just paint and get the encouragement of being with other people.

“It can be like a masterclass in the sense that I’ll do a painting each time, but eventually if the same people come, they’ll have seen me paint a complete painting.”

An offset printer by trade, Haggerty became a TAFE teacher of printing, and then went onto teach painting in community centres for 10 years.

He has been painting since he was a young man, and his works generally depict scenes of the region like Linton’s Avenue of Honour, and Edinburgh Reserve.

“I work from photographs that I mostly take myself,” he said. “I paint in acrylics first as an underpainting, and then follow up with oils on top.

“I paint in the acrylics because it dries almost right away and you can keep doing the painting. With the traditional oil method, it takes days to dry.”

For those who have always wanted to have a go at painting, Haggerty said his new art group will be an opportunity to do that with no competition.

“There’s no showing off, it’s just a relaxed atmosphere and you get to meet people,” he said.

Haggerty has booked the Linton Community Hub’s craft room on Fridays from 10am to 12pm, and has a goal to utilise other facilities like the Haddon Community Centre and Snake Valley Community Hall.

Call 0467 804 673 for more information. Haggerty is a member of the Linton, Snake Valley, and Smythesdale-Scarsdale community Facebook groups and will post updates on those sites.