Meet Our Teachers

  • A mature woman with short gray hair and glasses, laughing heartily at an outdoor cafe. She's wearing a vibrant yellow sweater and a patterned scarf, with a menu on the table in front of her.

    Linda Buffey

    Teacher

    Linda Buffey is an artist based in Melbourne. She has been an artist since her school days, and her passion for art has never wavered. Linda is a mental health professional and is the proud owner of Preston Art Studio. Linda rekindled her love of art through her photography of nature, before getting back into oil painting.

    Linda's contemporary style often uses the grisaille style painting technique, which uses a monochromatic palette in greys. Linda's art classes are truly unique and captivating, and her fun nature livens up every class.

  • A woman with long dark hair and bangs, wearing a black jacket, stands in front of a sidewalk cafe with metal chairs and tables. Behind her is a city street scene with cars and buildings, and a tree with bare branches. The image has a sepia tone.

    Kez Hughes

    Teacher

    Kez Hughes is an artist and teacher from Melbourne. She graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts and Music in 2005 with a Bachelor of Fine Art Painting. Her work focuses on the art community around her, making realist paintings that document exhibitions of her contemporaries. These pieces explore issues of authenticity, subjectivity and cultural and social economies.

    Kez has been teaching art for many years, lecturing at the Ian Potter Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation at Melbourne University and the Victorian College of Arts and Music. She also runs private art classes, giving her students the opportunity to learn from a passionate and experienced artist. Kez is dedicated to expanding her knowledge and fostering appreciation of the arts in her community.

    https://www.kezhughes.com/
    Instagram

  • A young woman with dark wavy hair, wearing a gray pinstriped blazer, seated in a room with large windows and a hint of greenery outside. She has a focused expression and looks directly at the camera.

    Foni Salvatore

    Teacher

    Foni is an emerging artist living in Melbourne. A passionate visual artist experimenting in various mediums and is skilled in oil paint and digital art. She is an artist who wants to communicate her ideas and contribute to the community.

    Foni has obtained her Bachelor of Design Arts at LCI Melbourne and is a volunteer at Caves Gallery and Conners Conners Gallery. She was a 2021 RESIDENCE artist at Footscray Community Arts with a solo show and a finalist at The Southern Buoy Studios 2022. Foni is currently a finalist at the Footscray Art Prize 2023. Foni is available to teach beginner-friendly oil painting classes.

    https://www.foniart.com/
    Instagram

  • An older man with a white beard and balding head, wearing a black V-neck sweater, standing in front of a wall adorned with sketches of human figures.

    Darien Pullen

    Darien has been an exhibiting and commission artist for over 40 years.

    Trained initially in painting, his work spans sculpture, painting, drawing and printmaking, mostly based on the human figure.

    He has taught for 30 years at various institutions, focusing primarily on observational drawing.