As an artist, Gillian Grove specialises in drawing, but with her business Artable, she’s painted a picture; one that depicts anyone can do art, given the right tools and teacher.
In 2009, while in its infancy, Artable was one of the few places offering art classes.
Fast forward 13 years, the business has partnered with numerous spaces and currently works out of studios on the Gold Coast, Sydney, Newcastle, Melbourne and Hobart.
What started as an arts and craft program organically grew into a thriving artistic enterprise inspiring and nurturing creative minds through classes, workshops and retreats.
“Before Artable, art had always been my passion and my hobby, but not my work,” says Gillian.
“When we first started with the classes in Kingscliff, there were a couple art schools in the south-east, but nothing that connected creatives.”
After it was evident there were a few raw-talent artists within the class, Gillian was spurred to start running proper drawing classes.
“Suddenly these art students flourished and with word of mouth, it became really popular,” she says.
“Then I got the opportunity to move into a commercial space and once we moved, the work exploded.”
It didn’t take long for Gillian to add more classes to the roster, and as the concept organically grew, she began reaching out to artists in the local community to help teach.
“I needed more help and more teachers, and soon I had artists that could teach acrylics, watercolour, oil and more,” she says.
After the first studio ran at its peak with 150 students a week, Artable opened a Gold Coast-based studio, catering to an additional 200 students.
“We suddenly had these two giant businesses, and we kept seeking skilled artists and the students were eager to continue learning new techniques,” says Gillian.
“When we saw an artist doing something incredible in the media, we’d reach out and offer to fly them up to teach their speciality, and this gave way to the workshops.”
Following an art retreat in France taught by a renowned US artist, Gillian soon saw this was a viable business opportunity.
“I got back, and my regular Saturday morning clan expressed that they would love to do something like that, which gave way to the first Artable retreat, which was also in France,” says Gillian.
After the retreats grew in popularity, Artable focused on building this side of the business and now offers retreats in France, Greece, Switzerland, Tasmania and Africa.
“My heart has always been in the retreat experience,” says Gillian.
“You can go away to somewhere incredibly beautiful with some of the world’s best artists and learn to paint for the first time while eating at tapas bars, seeing the sites and enjoying sailing trips.
“It’s a truly epic experience where people really connect with their creative side.
“You don’t have to be a great artist to attend a retreat, you just have to be creative and want to learn.
“When you take someone and put them in a stunning and inspiration place, all their creativity comes naturally and it’s easy to learn.”
Artable’s ethos is that everyone can learn how to draw and paint, and Gillian has ensured the business has this down to a fine art.
“People don’t realise that art is a skill you can learn, you just need the right teaching and tools, and it’s important to get this early,” she says.
“When building the business, it was essential for me to get the right teachers and provide a great first art experience.”
From time to time, Gillian still teaches a beginner workshop, and while she enjoys watching the blank canvas or paper come to life, she also enjoys the artistic transformation within students.
“Almost every person who attends the beginner workshops has some level of anxiety about their skill and whether or not they are good enough,” says Gillian.
“I think it comes from this old belief that you have to have a special talent or gift in order to be creative and I spent a lot of our foundational years trying to break that down for people.
“You can see people transform during a class and there’s this shock surprise that they’ve discovered this artistic side that enables them to create something beautiful.
For budding artists who want to reconnect with their creative flair, Gillian recommends Artable’s one-day workshops.
“You just have to work out where you fit and what sort of art style you’re after,” she says.
“We’re feeding the wider community with a way to be creative to connect with other people, and we can also help you identify the art style that fits your personality.
“There’s no right or wrong in art, it’s about finding the right fit and that’s the beauty of it – there’s a place for everyone at Artable.”
