You don't need a car for this one. Tiana Goosen Studio is the resident artist studio here at Green Gables, run by artist and art educator Tiana Goosen.
Tiana holds a master's in studio art from the Florence Academy of Art in Italy (2024) and specialises in oil painting and drawing. The studio's motto is "Anyone can paint!", and its classes suit a range of ages and skill levels.
If you'd like something made for you, commissions are open for custom paintings and drawings by the resident artist.
Staying with us? You can book lessons during your stay, so an art class can slot in between the beach and the Winelands.
Getting there from Green Gables
You're already here. The studio is on site at Green Gables, so a lesson fits between a morning on the beach and an afternoon in the Winelands.
Weekly art classes
The studio runs regular weekly classes, with something for every age. There are guided oil painting classes led by Tiana and by fellow professional artist Ankia Joubert. They are beginner-friendly and take you step by step from a blank canvas to a finished painting, while still stretching artists who want intermediate and advanced training.
Teenagers have their own classes, so it's a good option for families with older children who'd like to try something new on holiday.
What is atelier training?
Atelier (pronounced "ah-TEL-ee-yay") is French for "workshop" or "artist's studio". Today the word is used for a revival of 19th-century academic art training: students start by copying master drawings, move on to drawing plaster casts of classical sculpture, and work up to drawing and painting the figure from life, along with landscape, still life and portraiture.
Tiana trained in this classical tradition through her master's with the Florence Academy of Art, and she is one of the founding members of Cornerstone Art Atelier. Its aim is to make international-standard atelier training available to South African artists of all ages who are interested in classical representational art and old-master techniques, through workshops and courses.
Booking a lesson during your stay
Classes, atelier sessions and workshops run to the studio's own schedule, so it's best to get in touch before you arrive. Let the studio know your dates and your experience, whether you're a complete beginner or already paint.
The studio also shares news about upcoming workshops and events through an admin-only WhatsApp group, which you can join from its website.
For a commission, contact the studio well ahead of your stay, so there's time to discuss the piece.
Make a day of it
For more art in the area, Stellenbosch has galleries and sculpture gardens, including the Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden, and the museum at La Motte in Franschhoek shows work by JH Pierneef.
