Online Chinoiserie Watercolour Workshop (6 February 2027)

Online Chinoiserie Watercolour Workshop with Gabby Malpas
9–1pm AEST (Brisbane) / 10–1pm AEDST (Sydney) Saturday 6 February 2027

Learn from Gabby Malpas live online as we take a deep dive into the world of Chinoiserie and learn how to evoke this style in contemporary work through watercolour.

Chinoiserie developed in the 18th century as a western interpretation of traditional Chinese motifs, myths and ornamentation through art, ceramics, textiles, furniture and architecture. It is an aesthetic rooted in a fascination with the exotic “other” that celebrates nature's abundance, ornate detail, and elegant restraint in equal measure. Through repeated shapes and refined composition, Chinoiserie creates visual harmony and a sense of timeless sophistication that continues to captivate artists and decorators today.

Chinoiserie styles are a natural fascination for Gabby Malpas as a Chinese adoptee who grew up with white parents in New Zealand. Gabby explores her Chinese heritage through the lens of classic Chinoiserie in her exquisite watercolour and porcelain artworks, which vary in size from miniature to large format. She has developed her style over 40 years in her art practice, which she now does full-time, and is generous in sharing her techniques with developing artists to use in their own work. 

We’ll begin this workshop with a talk from Gabby to help you understand the Chinoiserie style in more detail. Gabby will provide an overview of the materials that she uses, and the basic steps she follows when she starts a new work, including whether or not to stretch paper, and how she plans out her work. Depending on the group’s interests, Gabby can demonstrate how to stretch paper or composing a design for small or large works.

Next, it’s time to get our brushes wet and Gabby will demonstrate how to create some of the Chinoiserie elements that she uses in her work, which you can choose as a group, but could include Chrysanthemums, dragons or cloud motifs. You’ll have an opportunity to practice these design elements before we move into creating a larger (A3) artwork.

Your larger work will be your own Chinoiserie design, but you might like to incorporate the motifs you’ve already practised. You will start by planning your design and composition, which can be entirely your own choice, or you can use one of Gabby’s paintings as inspiration. We will also have a selection of plants that have been plucked from Plant Empire's nursery that you can use as your muse. We’ll look at each other’s designs for feedback and admiration before we get stuck into executing them in full. Your final artwork might be your first in the Chinoiserie style, but you’ll have the appreciate and skills required to incorporate these elements and develop your style further in your own work.

Materials

As most participants joining this workshop will have an existing art practice, we encourage you to bring your own painting materials to this workshop. We’re supplying Gabby’s personal equipment list for your reference, but please don’t go out and buy these items if you don’t already have them as using your existing watercolour tools and materials will be fine.

• Brushes. Gabby favours fine paintbrushes like Robert Wade teklon Neef series (size 3) which is a really good and affordable option, or else she buys bulk packs of really fine (about size 0) from online discount sites like Temu or Aliexpress.
• Paints. Gabby’s preferred watercolour paints are Windsor and Newtown Cotman (which is their student brand), Daniel Smith, Da Vinci, or Lukas. Gabby warns to be careful around using cheap watercolour sets which are cheap for a reason as they often have very dull colours that are not vibrant and may fade, as well as not having a great texture.
• Palettes. For this session you don't need a huge one: Gabby would use one bought online from Riot Art & Craft or Eckersley, or even a plastic one from a two dollar shop.
• Pencil. Gabby packs a 2B pencil and a Staedtler eraser for her work.
• Paper. Gabby loves Arches as it is strong enough to cope with a lot of liquid and a bit of scrubbing if you need to remove a misplaced mark.
• Water. Gabby uses any old vessel for water, and usually has two on the go: one has clean water for diluting colours, and one is used to clean brushes, which she changes regularly.

Gabby wants to see your stuff! We encourage you to bring an idea (photo, drawing or mental image) to the workshop that you’d like to paint. Gabby will help you to work out where to start, and how to break the image down bit by bit. If your idea is ambitious, you may not finish it during the workshop, but you will feel confident enough to carry on with it at home. You are also welcome to bring in a work in progress or a finished work that you were disappointed with and Gabby will help to advise you on if it can be fixed. Usually with a group, some great ideas flow through.

Who Should Attend?

All levels of experience are welcome for this workshop. This workshop is targeted for intermediate and advanced students with some experience with painting with watercolours, but beginners who are willing to jump in the deep end are most welcome.

How to Join?

You will receive a link from Plant Empire via email in the week prior to the workshop with instructions on how to login to the workshop webinar online. This is a live event with no recording. To ensure the best experience for attendees, places will be strictly limited for this event, so register early to ensure you have a seat in the workshop. 

About Gabby Malpas

As a Chinese adoptee raised by white parents in New Zealand, Gabby considers and challenges the western tradition of Chinoiserie with her own narrative in paintings and ceramics. The resulting works are beautiful and delicate with stories that draw the viewer in for a closer look. This is a calculated contrast to the sometimes confronting messages within her work. A proud maximalist, Gabby currently resides in Alexandria, Sydney.

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Cost

$300 / $270 (Frequent workshoppers)

Frequent workshopper discount: Sign up for 2 or more Plant Empire workshops, or register 2 or more people for the same workshop, to receive 10% off the total registration price (discount will appear at checkout).

Reminders

You have full control over how (and how often) you receive reminders for our events. You will receive one email confirmation from us when you purchase your workshop registration; but we won't send any further email reminders, so please ensure that you have the workshop details in your diary. You can also use the "add to calendar" function in our events calendar to add workshops to your digital calendar and customise your reminder preferences.

Cancellation Policy

Please choose carefully before registering for this workshop as we do not offer refunds on event bookings. If you need to cancel your place up to 24 hours before the workshop, we will provide you with a voucher that you can use to attend a future workshop or any other purchase at Plant Empire. We regret that we are unable to provide vouchers for cancellations made within 24 hours of the workshop.

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