Specialty itineraries designed to enhance your creativity
Experience
Colour, Food, Textiles, Architecture, Markets, Living Culture & the Arts
Slow Travel with your host Anna Barnes
artist, chef & anthropologist
Western Sydney Travel Sketching Classes
Art Food Culture
Unleash Your Artistic Adventure! Dive into travel sketching and capture the soul of Western Sydney.
Sketch Beyond the Surface: Discover the rich tapestry of local cultures through food, festivals, and everyday life.
Connect Through Creativity: Share stories and experiences with fellow sketchers, building lasting friendships.
Taste the Culture, Sketch the Moment: Immerse yourself in authentic flavors and translate them into vibrant sketches.
Anna Barnes, Your Cultural Compass: Learn to see the world with new eyes and capture the essence of each location.
From Market to Masterpiece: Explore bustling markets, savor local delicacies, and transform them into unique works of art.
Craft Your Visual Story: Create a personal sketchbook that reflects your journey and connections with the community.
Explore Western Sydney's Hidden Gems! Sketch your way through buzzing markets and unique cafes.
Join a Global Community, Connect Locally: Share your sketches online and build bridges with artists worldwide, while grounding your art in your local experience. Join Anna’s private Facebook and WhatsApp groups.
Celebrate Diversity Through Art: Each sketch becomes a celebration of Western Sydney's unique cultural blend.
More than just drawing, it's about belonging: Find your place through creative expression.
Western Sydney Travel Sketch Classes
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Introduction & Sketching Basics
Composition and Page Design
Colour wheel, palettes, swatches and play
Simple Perspective Techniques
Nature & Environment
People and Street Scapes
More Perspective
Vignettes & Story Telling
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Beginner Classes are held in Cabramatta cafes, restaurants and food markets. We will venture out to different suburbs in Western Sydney as the term progresses.
We sketch on location both in the urban environment as well as in restaurants and cafes.
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2025:
Term 1 - February 12th - April 2nd
Term 2 - May 7th - June 25th
Term 3 - July 30th - Sept 17th
Term 4 - October 29th 0 December 17th
8 week terms
Wednesdays 10am-1pm
Casual attendance available for returning students, please contact Anna
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8 week term $400
6 week term $300
10% discount for returning students when signing up for a full term.
Casual Class $50 (only for returning students)
*There is an expectation that you will spend an average of around $10-15 extra for a beverage and lunch each week. This allows us to sketch inside cafes and restaurants
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To join in any of our classes, please fill out the booking form below.
Anna Barnes
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2004 MDSc (Master of Design Science, Digital Media) - The University of Sydney.
2004 Dean's Honour Award - The University of Sydney.
1997 Executive Chef "Best Specialty Restaurant" winner Sydney.
1996 2nd Chef “Best Specialty Restaurant” winner.
1989-1999 Chef (Sydney Restaurants-specialty cuisines).
1992 BA (Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts and Social Anthropology- The University of Sydney)
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-Navigating the challenges of sketching in a new country.
-Pack a practical and portable sketch kit.
-Quickly set up and sketch scenes in various settings.
-Approach strangers and sketch them in their environment.
-Choose the perfect spot in a local café or market to sketch.
-Capture the essence of rural landscapes, such as rice fields.
-Feel confident sketching anywhere, anytime.
-Sketch in busy markets without disrupting the flow of business.
-Understand what you see by capturing the shapes and movements in your sketchbook.
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your favourite sketchbook
a small travel palette with a few watercolour 1/2 pans (yellow, red and blue minimum)
a few watercolour (aquarelle) pencils
a black waterproof pigment pen
a size 4 or 6 paintbrush (or water brush)
small water container with screw top lid
Please avoid cheap office supply shop brands. Especially Montmartre, Jasart, and Born brands. If you are unsure, see the more detailed list with links HERE
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Meet the founder of Art Food Culture
I am Anna Barnes founder of Anna’s Art, Food & Culture Experiences. I am an artist, chef and anthropologist. I am also a long-time traveller to Vietnam.
I design and host Creative Experiences in Vietnam. I aim to help people connect, transform, recover, and thrive through art, food, and cultural experiences. My love and passion for Vietnam, the people, the culture and the food has brought me to a deep desire to share it with you. I believe that with the right guides, your experiences are enhanced, and you feel confident to take that corner, sit in that eatery, and strike up that connection with that grandma who invites you in for tea. You come away having had the time of your life!
My goal is to share with you the incredible beauty of the culture beyond the service and hospitality industries, beyond simply looking at pretty scenery, and beyond eating the easily accessible foods of the high ranking tourist restaurants.
We go on creative and sensory journeys, coming together in small groups in safe & exciting locations, provoking life long curiosity and connections.
I design slow travel experiences with the emphasis being connecting with local people, nature, food, art, music, stories and the history of the places we go. We learn to travel sketch or keep a travel journal and are curious eaters and foodies. We go out of our comfort zone a little to go off the beaten track and experience grassroots culture.
We remain sustainable for local communities, the local environment, ourselves and our creative lives.
