A painting workshop down by the Avoca River is not unusual but a marriage proposal in the middle of it was a first for Avoca Painting School.
What a romantic message to find at the Meeting of the Waters. 
Rod continued to paint as the celebrations went on around him. 
There was a collective sigh of relief when the fiance-to-be said yes to her prospective husband. 
Rod is grinning like the Cheshire Cat now that his demo is complete. 
The rain came and went throughout the day and the students got a useful lesson in pushing on through adverse conditions to achieve their goal. 
Rod Coyne’s demo was painted on a purple ground. Plenty of that colour still showed through in the end, giving the picture vibrancy on what was a bit of a grey day.
“Just as I started my painting demo last Saturday, a romantic community of family and friends started decorating the Meeting of the Waters for a surprise marriage proposal. It seemed to be a highly organized and covert operation. I asked would we not be interfering with their matrimonial plans. After all I would be painting, demonstrating and commentating to a group of ten students just a few meters from their big event. They assured us that, in point of fact, the Avoca Painting School would provide the perfect cover for the big surprise.
And, sure enough, a little later, with a drone above and telescopic lenses poking out of the bushes, our romantic hero goes down on one knee before his betrothed-to-be. Her reply is affirmative and followed by a big round of applause from Rod and his students 