Live - Still Life Painting in Watercolour 

Join Us - In Tropical North Queensland for this magic Workshop!

@ The Tanks Arts Centre - Cairns Botanical Gardens -

Sunday 21st September 2025 - 10am to 2.30pm

46 Collins Ave, Cairns, QLD, Australia 4870

A live Still-life painting watercolour workshop，the subject will be about local flowers and fruits - collected from Cairns and ready to inspire!

A step by step instruction Demonstration to enable the participants to finish a floral by the end of the day.

The workshop is planned as follows:

Introduction by Artist Richard Tiejun Chao:  Richard will provide a brief introduction to material and the knowledge on colour.

Step One: Drawing

1. An brief introduction to using a reference, composition and sketch
2. A quick demonstration
3. Participants practice

 Step Two: Basic Tone

1. An brief introduction to background and basic tone
2. A quick demonstration
3. Participants practice

Step Three: Details

1. An brief introduction to how to deal with the transparency and texture of a flower
2. A quick demonstration
3. Participants practice

Step Four: Adjusting

1. An brief introduction to finalising by balancing tone and value
2. A quick demonstration
3. Participants practice

Materials To Bring

• At least 2 x Half sheet 56 x 38cm - 300g cotton watercolour paper, medium/rough preferred;
• several round brushes - 6 to 10 size (or Chinese brushes) and
• 3 x flat brushes one in each size of large, medium and small
• A jar/bucket to wash your brush in
• kitchen towel;
• a pencil and eraser,
• and a backing board to support/tape your paper to

Watercolor Paint List - Richard will be using most of these colours - but please also bring the colours you have:

• Lemon Yellow Deep
• Winsor Yellow
• Yellow Ochre
• Cadmium Orange
• Cadmium Scarlet
• Cadmium Red Deep
• Opera Rose
• Scarlet Lake
• Cadmium Red Deep
• Permanent Rose
• Winsor Violet (Dioxazine)
• Quinacridone Magenta
• Cobalt Blue
• French Ultramarine
• Winsor Green (Blue Shade)
• Hooker's Green
• Burnt Umber
• Vandyke Brown
• Payne's Gray
• Mars Black

Richard Tiejun Chao - Profile

For these Workshops for our Australian Watercolour Muster Biennale - 2025 we are seeing a different side to Richard Tiejun Chao and his art - a softer, yet still strong and stunning in representation - Richard's Floral Works and Still Life Installations - this is a Workshop not to be missed!

Richard Tiejun Chao is a world-renowned watercolorist living in Sydney, Australia.

Born into an artistic family he has accomplished 11-year systematic professional study on oil painting and obtained Master’s Degree of Art.

Taking a contemporary perspective, he depicts his interpretation on the human world in his realistic paintings.

An explorative artist as he is, Richard tries out the possibilities of watercolor as a medium with huge size paintings.

His models are people from every corners of the world with diverse and unique customs and cultures, as well as religions, which amaze him; while the common feature among these people from all walks of life, their sufferings and happiness, impresses him.

His expertise and painting endeavours have won him awards and reputation world wide.

In the last few years, he’s been winners or finalists in over 50 prizes and his art works have been exhibited in group and solo exhibitions in over 5 continents.

Meanwhile, his artworks are featured in the international leading journals. His paintings are collected by museums, galleries and private collectors. Richard travels around the world to international art exhibitions and art festivals. He is also invited to jury contests, give demonstrations, workshops and lectures in Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Richard has been a member of our Australian Watercolour Muster since 2018 and he was our first Australian Artist to Represent us as a country - with the introductory Demonstration at the Aera Club - Fabriano Italy in 20218 - along with his Artwork being selected since that time as one of our Representative Artists for Australia - to FabrianoInAcquarello - Italy!

 Refund Policy |

You can book your Workshop with confidence - knowing that we will refund the Workshop Fee - less $AUD10.00 Booking fee to cover bank and admin charges - provided we are notified in writing via our CONTACT FORM - dated one week prior to the commencement of the Australian Watercolour Muster Biennale - 2025 i.e. 10th September 2025.

Cancellations after this date will be refunded at 50% of the Booking Fee, at the discretion of the Curator of the Australian Watercolour Muster - Wyn Vogel - depending on the critical circumstances and again notified in writing via our CONTACT FORM - with your phone number and details of the Workshop / Event you are wishing to cancel. A booking fee of $AUD10.00 will be applied to these late cancellations. 

There will be no refund if the Student doesn't advise of their inability to attend at least 24hours prior to the Workshop date and/or doesn't arrive at the Workshop!