I have lots of art plans and projects in place for 2026.

I will, of course, continue to sketch everyday. I have also booked in some exciting events.

Yesterday I set up a display of my sketchbooks in my local East Melbourne Library. The theme is travel sketching and the pages are open at some relevant sketches.

This is associated with my Travel Sketching with Watercolour Pencil classes that I will be running from the library rooms over the next few months. It had been a long time since I held this class and I have missed sharing my passion for travel sketching. It is a two hour class in person and is repeated in February & March. There is an option to BYO gear or purchase a sketchkit. No experience necessary, just curiosity and enthusiasm,

See more details and BOOK HERE

classes

The Johnston Collection

The Johnston Collection is an exhibition house of exquisite British and European fine and decorative arts in a historic East Melbourne townhouse. They have guided tours, amazing lectures, and events. I have presented a number Watercolour Pencil sketching classes in 2024 and continued in 2025.

This is a unique opportunity to learn to sketch ‘on location’ at The Johnston Collection. Become familiar with watercolour pencils and how to use them. Then test your new skills as you explore the ground floor rooms of The Johnston Collection’s exhibition house, Fairhall.  Have a look at their Special Events to book and see what else is on offer. Anyone can book for my event, you don’t have to be a Member.

Summer Sketching with Alissa Duke Sunday 8 Feb 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

All classes will be on the Classes and Events tab on my website.

Clunes Booktown Festival

On Christmas Eve I received an email that I had been accepted as a stallholder at the Annual Clunes Booktown Festival. It was the best Christmas present !

Mark 21 & 22 March in your calendar and read more about the Festival here. I have shelves of books ready to be drawn in that I have been collecting from opshops throughout the year. These books were under $5 or about to be discarded. I will also bring also any that are currently on my ETSY site.

Australian Seashores: a guide for the beach-lover, the naturalist, the shore fisherman, and the student by William J Dakin published by Angus and Robertson (1953) 372p

Melbourne Rare Book Week

I will continue to be the official sketcher on location at Melbourne Rare Book Week and Rare Book Fair this year. I have been involved with this amazing event since 2015 and my involvement and friendships have grown each year. The date has not yet been announced. It is usually the last half of July.

Commission

I have been working on a private commission over the past few weekend and adding the final touches today, to be delivered next week.

There are many other exciting plans in the pipeline that I will share if they eventuate.

Happy sketching