Fiji Art Lab

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Fiji Art Lab

Suva-based Art Studio with a focus in creative experimentation. Adult and kids art classes launching in 2026.

13/04/2026

Why I recommend keeping a sketchbook ✍🏽

Or if you’re me, several sketchbooks! A sketchbook is just a journal for your art. You don’t have to show it to anyone and it can be a safe space to make ‘bad art.’ 📚

It is not about producing masterpieces. It’s about showing up for yourself and allowing yourself to channel both progress and peace through a regular drawing practice. 🧘🏽‍♀️

A sketchbook is a good place to practice warm up exercises (shapes, contour drawings) or daily explorations and challenges. ✨

Practicing is essential to building your creative muscles like observation and your hand/eye connection. 👋🏽👁️

I recommend carrying your sketchbook wherever possible. Inspiration is everywhere and carrying a sketchbook gives you an awesome alternative to scrolling on your device. 👌🏽

I share more tips and exercises for building a regular art practice in our classes. More to come soon 😉

10/04/2026

This post isn’t just for parents, but also for grandparents, aunties, uncles, and anyone blessed with the gift of a child’s presence and artwork 💖

Displaying a child’s art…

✨ Opens up connection. By regularly displaying a child’s artwork, you’ll witness their creative journey, notice blossoming techniques and interests and have the opportunity to engage in conversations about what’s exciting and meaningful to them.

✨ Builds confidence. Creative expression offers an opportunity for kids to find their voice and individuality. By displaying their art, you’re celebrating that while showing them that they have encouragement and support.

✨ Cultivates creativity as a value. By fully celebrating their own art, kids learn to notice and appreciate art they encounter in the world. This is the foundation for a lifelong journey of valuing beauty, imagination and expression.

🌈 To get started, offer up an empty space (fridge, wall, or shelf space) and let your children in your life curate it 🖼️

19/03/2026

Painting progress this week 🎨✨

Our student started a painting of a house before joining weekly painting classes. In the past weeks she’s adjusted colour and proportions based on our lessons. This week we reworked the composition to include local plant life using recent observations, chalk and a cutout from her sketchbook studies. 🙌🏽

Sometimes the block you feel in art making is a sign your piece needs new skills and a different approach. Working with an experienced teacher can help guide you to take your piece to the next level. ✨

Do you have a work in progress that has you feeling stuck or inspired? Classes or 1:1 coaching with us could be just what you need 👌🏽💚

12/03/2026

Yesterday’s Eric Carle inspired collage session 💕🐛

Collage is a sensory rich activity that nurtures many skills through the process. We had a beautiful time flowing with these. Each artwork turned out so unique, gorgeous and full of personality 😍👌🏽

Eric Carle described his collage process as, “My pictures are collages. I didn’t invent the collage. Artists like Picasso and Matisse and Leo Lionni and Ezra Jack Keats made collages. Many children have done collages at home or in their classrooms. In fact, some children have said to me, ‘Oh, I can do that.’ I consider that the highest compliment”. ♥️

07/03/2026

Around the Art Lab lately ✨
Witnessing and guiding the process of students work brings me so much joy 🥰🙏🏽

25/02/2026

At first glance, painting may seem like a hobby that is simple and relaxing to those who have an aptitude for it. However, it’s very teachable and offers abundant benefits. 🎨

In our acrylic painting classes we work on:
✨ observation skills
✨ drawing techniques
✨ colour theory and colour mixing
✨ painting techniques
✨ supplies overview and local purchasing recommendations
✨ painting in the context of art history and contemporary art

Once beginning regular painting practice, you’ll find painting offers strength in your emotional expression, self discovery, fine motor skills, memory, and creative problem solving skills.

In private and small group lessons, you can customize your goals.

Current open slots are for private and small group lessons:
✨ Thursdays 9am-12pm
✨ Weekends TBD

DM if interested

07/02/2026

A few life lessons I’ve learned through 20+ years of painting 🎨

The benefits of a regular art practice extend well beyond what we create on the canvas. Art making gives us access to calmer nervous systems, higher frustration tolerance and a deeper connection to nature and her rhythms. 🌊🌿🌙

I’m a painter who dabbles in all things arts and craft, and I find the following applies to all art making and life in general.

✨ Trust the process! Every piece of art goes through phases and stages that are “ugly.” The key is to keep going and allow progress.

✨ Who I become in the process is more important than the final result. Art making helps me access more patience, mindfulness and flexibility in all of life.

✨ Nature is full of beauty and inspiration. Creating or just simply observing in nature spaces offers abundant lessons in light, color, perspective and composition.

✨ Action creates momentum. Sometimes you just need to start and allow the process to unfold imperfectly as you go.

✨ Authenticity is key. When I create work that is rooted in my own values and perspectives, I attract aligned people and opportunities.

✨ Problem solving is an essential part of the creative process. Painting offers a space to hone both creative and analytical skills.

✨ Failure is necessary and temporary, and it offers abundant lessons for growth.

✨ Sometimes we make choices we don’t love. That’s just information that can guide us to what we do love.

✨ It is essential to step back and examine the bigger picture.

And it’s never too late to begin! I offer classes painting lessons to people of all ages. Only requirement is a willingness to learn 👩🏽‍🎨

24/01/2026

We finished off last week with more colour theory, gouache painting and oil pastels! 🌈🎨🌺

We learned about the science of colour, experimented with different techniques and found lots of inspiration in nature 🌺🦈☀️

Vinaka vakalevu to everyone who came out to the drawing and colour classes these last two weeks! It was incredible to connect and share with with artists of all ages. Looking forward to sharing future classes! ✍🏽🎨✨

21/01/2026

Yesterday we made pieces that combined several techniques 🌈🌊✨

➿ Contour drawing
💧Wet on wet watercolor painting
🖌️Wet on dry watercolor painting
🎨 Complementary colours
🖍️ Watercolor resist magic
〰️ Fun and intuitive patterns

We absolutely love how gorgeous and unique each piece is! And such a joyful journey with the artists to get there. Swipe to slide two for a magical reaction in the process, 🥰

Our class decided we should combine sharks and flowers today. 🦈🌺✨

DM to join our final colour classes today and tomorrow!

19/01/2026

Did you know you can build a beautiful palette using just 3 primary colours and white? ❤️💛💙🤍

Today we explored doing just that with oil pastels and gouache paints. This is a feel good practice that builds the confidence and intuition to choose and use colour in any artwork 🎨👌🏽

Grateful for the creatives who brought good vibes and mixed gorgeous colour wheels today 😍🫶🏽✨

We’ll be working on different colour practices throughout the week. There’s still time to book Wednesday- Friday 🌈✨

DM for more information!

Address

Tamavua
Suva
00000

Website

http://www.aliseeastgate.com/

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