Art Class: Painting Stories, Framing Histories

Art Class isn’t just about making marks; it’s about making meaning. We’re here to frame the moments that inspire us, to sit with their complexity, and to let them speak through us in ways words can’t.

A Handful of Sand  

Let me take you back to a moment I think about quite often, the song keeps calling me into this scene, Gurindji man Vincent Lingiari stands with Prime Minister Gough Whitlam under a wide Australian sky. The air is thick with possibility, heavy with the weight of the land's stories, then Whitlam bends, grabs a handful of sand, and pours it into Lingiari’s outstretched palm. It’s the kind of moment that folds into songlines, an exchange that says,

“Here. Take back what’s always been yours.”

From that handful of sand, stories have flowed like rivers, carrying us back to the deep connections between people, place, and spirit.  

The song that keeps calling me back in

Sitting with Stories  

These are the kinds of stories we’ll sit with in Art Class. What does it mean to hold a moment like that in your hands? How do you capture the energy of something so big, so layered, and set it down in paint or pencil?  

How will you make space for the stories take shape on the page, one brushstroke at a time?

This isn’t about perfect lines or flawless technique. It’s about listening, trusting, and letting the energy guide your hands. 

The process for me also begins with sitting, sitting with the story, the colours it brings to mind, and the feeling it stirs in your chest.

Maybe it’s not about capturing the moment as it happened but listening to what it wants to tell you today?

In this class, our tips to help you get started are:  

1. Start messy. Lay down color like it’s a conversation, not a performance for others.  

2. Trust the flow. Let the brush or pencil lead, even when you’re not sure where it’s going.  

3. Reframe again and again. Art is about seeing the story from all angles, letting it shift and deepen with every layer.  

4. Your story, your frame. The stories we’re working with are big, yes, moments like this ripple through time. But they’re also personal. They’re about what moves you, what you carry, and what you’re ready to let spill onto the page.  

So, grab your paints, your pencils, or whatever tools you’ve got handy. Take a seat with us in the studio. Together, we’ll explore what happens when we let stories guide our hands, when we trust the process, and when we create something that’s always been there waiting to emerge into reality. 

The art class is below, it looks invisible but just click the play button, we're still refining our video skills - start messy!

Want more art classes? Let us know at info@beckdesignstudios.com

Happy creating you incredible artist!