REVIEW: Gabbi Lancaster’s ‘The Art Of Flow’ Online Art Workshops

Arts & Entertainment Scene

Staff Writer
March 25, 2022

Image: Gabbi Lancaster.

BY RENEE LOU DALLOW

Gabbi Lancaster is a unique artist with a penchant for dreamlike art works based on nature. Her art is an inspiration for those needing a break from the turmoil of the world in which we live. Lancaster’s Art Of Flow course is all about encouraging people, whether they be beginners or professional artists, to free themselves up to experience a different kind of reality. Who takes the time to notice budding flowers anymore, or the light of the moon on a lake, the ripple of water over sand pebbles, the raindrops glistening on the branches of trees after a short summer shower of rain? This is the kind of reality that Lancaster wants to share. To create the soft magic of nature and dreams on canvas requires skills and these skills take time to master. For this reason, Gabbi has decided to run a series of workshops online, beginning with a one off on eucalyptus leaves.

In this workshop participants learned that there are more than 80 types of eucalyptus leaves and that there is a technique called “negative space”, which is the space between objects placed on the canvas. Also the technique of “Stromboling” which is a way of preparing the background. As Lancaster explained, “negative space is vital. Our brain say’s, ‘that’s a leaf’ but it’s the space between that creates the painting. When we draw negative spaces with chalk we create that dreamy quality which allows us to flick the switch in our brains.”

Art Of Flow

During the workshop Lancaster also read out a poem, The Invitation To Friendship With Nature by John O’Donohue. The last line of the poem sums up perfectly what it is that Gabbi Lancaster aims to achieve.

“The beauty of nature is often the wisest balm, for it gently relieves and releases the caged mind.”

The eucalyptus workshop was the lead up to a series of workshops called, The Five Day Creative Adventure. Lancaster already has quite a substantial following as her sensitive and encouraging style of teaching is so easy that the art really does just flow.