BArts is a registered non-profit artist society in Barberton that teaches practicing creators to forge their own artistic mediums. Rather than relying on commercial packaging and factory supplies, our participants learn to sieve local clay, beat fibrous bark, and mull mineral pigments straight from the Makhonjwa range.
Every workshop restores tactile independence to artists, connecting the weight of the finished artwork directly to the ancient earth beneath our feet.
What you will learn to make
Explore the foundational elements of physical art-making sourced directly from local earth and natural offcuts.
Clay
Paper
Canvas
Charcoal
Dig, sieve, and wedge local clay deposits to hand-build and fire enduring ceramic pieces.
Beat reed, mulberry bark, and cotton rag to pull custom sheets straight from the vat.
Build sturdy timber frames and stretch unprimed cotton or linen using traditional gesso sizing.
Burn local willow, wattle, and gum sticks into rich, expressive drawing charcoal.
Immersive material retreats
Clay from the Ground Up
A 2-day hands-on workshop focused on finding, digging, sieving, and wedging local clay, concluding with hand-building and firing. Dates [DATE TBC].
Earth Pigments & Paint
Collect local ochres and earth hues, mull them with traditional binders into rich watercolour, tempera, and oil paint. Dates [DATE TBC].
The Full Kit Retreat
A comprehensive 3 to 5-day immersion where you make every material from raw clay to stretched canvas and finish a complete artwork. Dates [DATE TBC].
We work where the oldest exposed rock formations on Earth shape the landscape, providing artists with genuine geological connection and uncompromised natural light.