Hoiho • The World’s Rarest Penguin
Full-Day Watercolour Workshop
with Kasia Hebda
Fall in love with watercolours. Join Kasia in Dunedin for a full-day masterclass that finally makes this notoriously tricky medium make sense.
A watercolour masterclass.
You’ll paint one of Aotearoa’s most endangered birds, the yellow-eyed penguin, set among a coastal botanical display.
Create a finished painting of the hoiho, while supporting conservation awareness.
This isn’t just a “paint a pretty picture” class. It’s a true masterclass with an expert, designed to help you finally work with watercolours without frustration, using a structured process for making paintings like a professional.
No previous experience needed. Come as you are.
Paint like a Pro.
During this foundational workshop you will build a practical understanding of watercolour technique, colour mixing and layering.
Take advantage of Kasia’s expert knowledge and guidance.
We welcome both beginners and artists wanting to deepen their core skills.
You’ll leave with a structured, repeatable watercolour process you can keep using at home, and most likely itching to start your next painting.
No drawing skills required. Kasia will guide you through every step.
There’s a lunch break – please bring your lunch 🙂
What you’ll learn
- Materials, setup, and the confidence to make that first mark on a blank page
- A repeatable process for planning and executing a painting, working from a reference image
- Colour theory, mixing, and building an underpainting that sets you up for success
- Layering for depth, preserving light, and imitating texture
- Developing character in your work, and finding your own style
By the end of the day, you’ll have a painting you’re proud to share.
What to expect
- A finished painting of hoiho to take home
- Expert artist guidance in a supportive setting
- All materials provided – you just need to come
- Encouraging space to learn at your own pace
- Tea, coffee and cake
Who it’s for
- Beginners wanting a solid foundation
- Creatives returning to painting after a break
- Artists wanting to sharpen their core skills
- Anyone who wants to paint but never learned to draw
- Nature and bird-focused creatives
- Anyone convinced they don’t have a creative bone in their body
From past classes
Student work
About Kasia
Kasia is a professional art conservator and artist with over 20 years of experience. Classically trained in fine arts with a focus on oil painting, she picked up watercolours one day and hated them. Giving up isn’t in her nature, so she practiced, researched, and practiced some more, until she’d mastered this challenging medium.
Now she shares that knowledge and passion in her creative studio in Queenstown, so you don’t have to go through the frustration alone. Every workshop is different, and Kasia’s focus is always on helping you find your own style.
Painting is visual problem solving – and I love solving problems. Sometimes you just need to stay with them for a little bit longer.
Kasia works across fine art and design, creating murals and illustrations. Outside the studio, she’s usually out hiking with her husband and dog, Muppet. She’s an avid bird nerd, with a particular soft spot for ducks.
The details
When
Friday 21 August 2026
10 AM – 4 PM
Where
Otago Arts Society / Hope Gallery
Level 1, Dunedin Railway Station
22 Anzac Avenue, Dunedin 9016
Price
$250 per person
All materials included
Recent research found there are fewer than 150 breeding pairs of hoiho left on the New Zealand mainland and Stewart Island.
5%
Five percent of profits from this workshop will go to the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust, supporting conservation work to protect the hoiho and its habitat.
yellow-eyedpenguin.org.nzFrequently Asked Questions
Do I need any experience?
None at all. The day is built so a first-timer can follow it
comfortably, and Kasia will meet you where you are on the day.
No drawing skills required.
What should I bring?
Your lunch, and that’s about it. All high-quality materials are provided and you’ll take your finished work home. You’re welcome to bring your own tools if you prefer them. Wear something you don’t mind getting paint on.
Is there a lunch break?
Yes. There’s a proper break in the middle of the day, so bring something to eat. Tea and cake are provided.
Can I come on my own?
Absolutely. Plenty of people book solo. The group is small and friendly, and you’ll be busy making something you’re proud of.
What’s the cancellation policy?
Refund up to 14 days before the event.
More workshops with Kasia
If this date doesn’t suit, here’s what else is coming up. Swipe to see more.
NZ Birds · 5-Week Watercolour Course
Wānaka · NZ Birds · Full-Day Workshop
NZ Landscapes · 6-Week Acrylic Course
QAS Life Drawing Classes
Paint & Nibble! · Aurora · Painting Night
Silvereye · Watercolour Workshop
Portrait Painting · 5-Week Acrylic Course
Hoiho · Watercolour Workshop
