ANDY DOLPHIN
FEATURE ARTIST ANDY DOLPHIN (MT BARKER, WESTERN AUSTRALIA)
Andy’s journey into fine art began over two decades ago, though his passion for art stretches back to childhood. With a professional background in sign writing, graphic art and commercial illustration, he now focuses on oil and watercolour painting, as well as outdoor sketching. Inspired by rural landscapes, forests, small towns and seascapes, his work captures the beauty of sunlight and the dramatic interplay of light and shadow.
In 2021, Andy held his inaugural solo exhibition in Albany (Aust) with terrific results. Subsequent solo exhibitions have also proved popular.
Andy has been an enthusiastic participant and award winner at Plein Air Down Under since 2020. He joined the event’s teaching faculty in 2022. His many accolades include the Grand Prize at the 2023 WA Society of Arts Annual Awards and several awards at Plein Air Down Under in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025.
His passion for plein air painting continues to grow and has earned him invitations to teach a variety of workshops, including residencies at Wireless Hill and Beverley plus regular teaching spots at Plein Air Down Under and Albany Summer School. Andy has also presented several workshops in Pinjarra through the Murray Arts and Crafts Society.
In 2025, Andy was invited to present a drawing workshop at the inaugural Capital Plein Air in Canberra. He also won two awards at the event.
In November 2025, Andy met with Michael and Karyn Harding and was appointed as an ambassador for Michael Harding watercolours.
MasterClass Information
Masterclass # 1
Watercolour, en plein air
Peel Region, Western Australia. Exact location to be advised.
Andy will demonstrate his bold watercolour technique with emphasis on simplifying the scene using tone and composition to create a successful painting on location. Dependent on conditions, students will either follow along with Andy or watch then choose their own scene and paint with Andy’s guidance. We will look at how Andy built a lightweight watercolour easel from an inexpensive retail box easel and look at his minimal setup of tools and limited palette of watercolours.
Oil painters who have shied away from watercolour may find this workshop especially useful as Andy was very much an oil painter, for more than 20 years, before adopting watercolour in 2022. As such, he is in a great position to speak of the differences in behavior and approach.
This workshop is ideal for those with some watercolour experience looking to take their practice outdoors but also to artists comfortable with other media and looking to add watercolours to their repertoire.
Two Days $360
Wednesday 23 & Thursday 24 September 2026
Morning tea provided, BYO lunch
Masterclass #2
Procreate for Plein Air Painters (studio)
Do you have Procreate on your iPad but wonder how you might use it in your traditional-media art practice? So many people download it, play with it for a few weeks then give up, unsure why or how to use it.
In this workshop, Andy will take you through his process of using Procreate and Apple Pencil on the iPad to reassess plein air sketches and paintings that “missed the mark”. Introducing students to the incredible power hidden beneath Procreate’s deceptively simple interface, Andy will show how to use the selection and adjustments tools to match and alter colour and tone over the original painting and how to best work with layers while playing with possible adjustments to composition and cropping. Sometimes, a few minutes in Procreate is all it takes to get a painting headed in the right direction before repainting it in the studio.
Mandurah Performing Arts Centre
One day $175
Tuesday 29 September 2026
Morning tea provided, BYO lunch
