"Paint The Town Red" is a collaboration between two artists and teachers, John and Leigh Dobson. They are Launceston locals and established their unique art school in 2019.
Their mission is to provide a welcoming space where art is accessible to everyone regardless of skill or background. They break down the barriers to creativity by cultivating vibrant, inclusive opportunities for every individual to explore and experience the joy of making art.
aBOUT US
Meet the Team
Leigh
Leigh is the co-founder of PTTR and was a teacher for over 20 years. She loves painting and teaching others how to enjoy creating their own masterpieces. Leigh's goal, with each painting, is to instil a sense of joy and portray the beauty of the world. She work fast and enjoy being immersed in the process to create evocative landscapes and stylised still life. Referencing photos and sketches Leigh uses marking making and unconventional colour combinations to explore her own emotional response to the scene. She enjoys creating an intriguing image that draws you in and has harmonious colours
John
John is our expert with everything pottery and cofounder of PTTR. He has many years art teaching experience and an undergraduate degree at the University of the Sunshine Coast specialising in photography and graphic design. He has a friendly, easy going manner and has a wonderful way of explaining pottery techniques that gives you instant success. John's pottery work takes inspiration from the Australian landscape, particularly our wild and ancient places. He creates uncomplicated forms for everyday use, letting the natural beauty of the clay shine through. John sees his work as an ongoing dialogue with the natural world. By replicating geological processes of water, pressure and heat, John guides the forms and textures of the work, but also allow space for the unpredictable to happen, just as it does in nature.
Mel
Mel has been a valued member of the PTTR team since 2020. Her friendly smile will always point you in the right direction for a delicious drink or expertly taking you through a paint session. She can do it all and we love that.
Mikaela
Mikaela joined the team in 2026 as our amazing TA for the term long Children's art classes. She is also a very talent artist and we are so excited to have her expertise and approachable and friendly manner at PTTR. Mikaela's art practice focuses on detailed architectural illustration, using fine liner and watercolour to document buildings and architecture. She is drawn to both historic and contemporary structures, capturing their character through precise line work and subtle tonal washes. Working primarily from her own photographs and close observation, she approachs each building as both a technical study and a portrait of place. With a background in architecture and design, Mikaela is interested in how buildings shape identity and memory within a community. Her current body of work documents residences and significant structures throughout Launceston, forming part of an evolving visual archive of the region’s built environment.
Callum
Callum is an allrounder all star who started with us in 2020. His favourite role is as the TA in our Children's art classes, where he is invaluable and has helped so many young artists. He can also make a mean cocktail and delivers clay and paint workshops in his friendly approachable manner. His own clay work is also mind blowing!!
Rhys
Rhys joined the team in 2024 and makes the best daquiris behind the PTTR bar. A creative gem, he is currently studying a design degree, working at LYTE as an Assistant Director with their junior companies and a fabulous budding photographer and artist. Rhys’ photography explores identity as a constructed performance, using vibrant colour and whimsical, second-hand costumes to challenge conventional portraiture. The bright, high-key lighting creates a pop-art aesthetic, highlighting the playful tension between the subject's natural personality and their fabricated persona. This series aims to celebrate individuality and the joy of self-expression while questioning rigid social expectations of appearance. Each portrait serves as a celebration of eccentricity, inviting viewers to embrace authenticity in a conformist world.
