David Hockney – July 2026 – Wednesday

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Our evening session on a blazing hot day saw only 9 artists attend the session, but what we lacked in numbers we made up for with enthusiasm for David Hockney! Also painting with us was Christina’s friend, Sharon, who we hope enjoyed the session and will join us again.

The long life of David Hockney and his thousands of drawings and paintings gave us adequate reference material. Many pictures are works in progress and will be finished at home. Most members drew to this theme apart from the last picture.

We start with Jackie’s super painting. She drew a tree at Shorne Country Park with water soluble graphite pencils then painted the subject in the style of David Hockney, using a couple of reference pictures.

Good work, everyone, it was a very interesting subject and some of us will look further into Hockney’s life and works.

Our next session will be at The Friars, Aylesford on Saturday 25th July from 10am to 3pm.

Peta’s paintings

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At last weekend’s workshop Peta came along too and sat quietly by the big window to paint her own pictures.

She begins by intricately drawing the subjects then adding colourful watercolours for all the details.

Lovely work, Peta!

July 2026

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Wednesday 8th – 7-9pm – David Hockney

The recent death of one of the most significant and influential artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, British artist David Hockney, resulted in many articles about him online, in newspapers, magazines, on the news and several programmes on tv.

One article said that David grew up during WWII and post war years and he originally painted with oils, but found them and his birthplace, Bradford, very dreary. He moved to the US in his 20s and his world exploded with bright colours in permanent sunlight and his love of radiant acrylics and California began. In his later years he returned to Yorkshire and embraced photography and painting digitally on his iPad.

Many of the group have seen his paintings in galleries and exhibitions.

– Use any of David’s paintings as a reference and recreate it.

– Use any painting as reference and design your own picture but in his style.

– If you prefer portraits then draw or paint David at any time of his life.

– Use your iPad or tablet to paint digitally.

Here is his official website with many paintings and info… www.hockney.com/home

Wiki page… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hockney

Saturday 25th July – 10am to 3pm – The Friars, Aylesford

We don’t meet at the hall two Saturdays a year in the summer. This year we will try one different place to meet not too far from Chalk and see if there’s a good response.

Many of you have probably visited the priory to attend a service or walk around the grounds, but this time come and enjoy the peaceful surroundings to draw and paint what you see.

The Friars is free to visit with a suggested car parking donation of £2. There’s a tea room and shop, toilets, a large pond, the great courtyard, the main shrine with lots of seating, a rosary walk and rooms to go in if they’re not in use. You’re asked to be quiet at the shrine and rosary walk as they are places for prayer and contemplation and there will be a mass at noon. There may be pilgrims visiting so please be aware of them.

There are benches all around the grounds but take a folding chair if you want to sit elsewhere and there are a few places to shelter if it rains.

We need to inform the office how many artists will be visiting, so please email Tracy asap if you’d like to put your name down.

If you can’t make it all day, come for a couple of hours, or if you don’t drive, bribe your other half to take you for part of the session while they have a walk around and have a coffee in the tea room!

The Friars website… www.thefriars.org.uk/home

Map of the grounds… www.thefriars.org.uk/Plan+your+visit/Map+of+the+Grounds

There will be a theatre production in a field there in the afternoon, but as we’re arriving in the morning there should be plenty of parking for us.

Acrylic landscape workshop with Joe Norris – June 2026 – Saturday

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Nineteen members met on a very hot Saturday for an acrylic workshop with trees run by artist and tutor Joe Norris. Workshops in the last few years have been soft pastels, watercolours, and inks, so for those of us not used to acrylics it was great to use them again under tuition. Joe was a very patient tutor, informative on the acrylic colours we used gave us many tips during the day which will be useful for further paintings.

Joe brought along paintings of landscapes with trees that he has painted previously for us to see his style and use of colours.

Here’s his website for further info and contact details if you’d like him to visit another art group… https://joenorrisart.co.uk

We painted one picture before lunch and one afterwards. We started by painting our acrylic paper and boards with raw or burnt sienna then not drawing the image but diving straight in with a mix of indigo and yellow to define the shapes of the trees within the landscape. Joe walked around to give advice as we added lighter greens to our paintings and then the grass area. Most of us hadn’t heard of ‘sky holes’, painted on trees to give reference to the sky, but we tried this technique using white and alizarin crimson or red. We also used palette knives and old credit cards to add texture to the foreground.

Here’s the art group working hard, nicely cooled by the air con. Thank you for the photos, Joe.

We all used the same reference image but every painting created had its own unique feel. Some of us didn’t have time to paint the bluebells but we will paint them at home using a mixture of white, purple and blue.

For the second picture we used the same paint colours to paint trees with a path meandering through them. This time the light was ‘contre-jour’ meaning ‘against daylight’, with the camera/artist facing the primary light source with the sun shining through the trees in front of us. After painting the trees and path we dabbed on white and yellow paint for the sun with a fingertip and then used dampened kitchen roll to lightly spread the paint across the painting for the light effect.

Again it was interesting that we all used the same reference photo but every painting was different. Some could have been painted early morning, midday or in the evening and some were of very mysterious woods.

At the end of the session we put our paintings along one wall and Joe gave us helpful critiques of how we had painted during the day.

We thoroughly enjoyed this workshop with Joe as he patiently taught us with his knowledge. Thank you for coming, Joe, we hope to have you back again!

Well done everyone, you worked very hard for hours and took home two almost-finished paintings.

Look out for the next newsletter on 1st July. Our next session is on Wednesday 8th July from 7-9pm.

Reflections – June 2026 – Wednesday

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Thirteen members met in the evening to draw and paint their interpretation of the word ‘reflections’, in a real or imagined way.

Some pictures are finished and others are works in progress to be completed at home. It’s interesting how one word can lead to so many different interpretations. Well done to Brenda who brought in a mirror and drew a self portrait.

Two members created pictures to their own subject.

Good work everyone!

Our next session will be on Saturday 27th June, 10am to 3pm, and will be an acrylic workshop with Joe Norris. There are a couple of spaces left so please email Tracy asap if you want a place.

June 2026

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Isn’t 2026 rushing past? Hard to believe it’s June already as it seems we were painting snowy pictures not that long ago!

Here’s info about the sessions this month. As usual, if you want to ‘do your own thing’ at the meetings that’s absolutely fine.

Wednesday 10th 7-9pm – Reflections

Use any medium to draw or paint reflections that are real or imaginary. Tackle this subject in a realistic or abstract way.

  • Real refections in water like a lake or puddle, in a wall or hand mirror, in shiny metal objects (look at your face on curved objects like the back of a spoon.)
  • Reflections upon your life.
  • Metaphysical reflections – contemplating the fundamental nature of reality, existence and consciousness.

Saturday 27th 10am-3pm – Acrylic landscape with trees workshop with Joe Norris

Joe was born and brought up in Kent, now lives in Surrey and is a new tutor for the group. He works with several mediums and is on Facebook and Instagram as ‘Joe Norris Art’.

Joe’s website… www.joenorrisart.co.uk

Entry on Art Profile with more examples of his artwork… www.artprofile.co.uk/blog/joenorris

We aim to do at least 2 paintings each and possibly 3!

You will need to bring – acrylic paints, brushes, palette, water pot/s, sketching things, table cover, 3 acrylic paper sheets or 3 prepared boards (Joe hasn’t specified a size.)

Joe will email images to Tracy soon for you to print out at home but he will bring a few copies for people who don’t have a printer.

The cost will be £20 each to cover Joe’s fee, the hall hire fee already covered by your subs. He is booked for 5 hours from 10am to 3pm so that’s only £4 an hour for his tutoring.

Please turn up promptly to start at 10am so we don’t waste any time.

If you arrive late (we appreciate parking can be difficult sometimes) please find a free seat quickly and unpack quietly.

Check the date first to see if you are available. 

If you are free and want to attend then EMAIL Tracy on her usual email address, or text or send an individual WhatsApp to message her, but not the group’s WhatsApp or phones will be pinging away.

*** PLEASE DO NOT USE the comments box on the blog as messages can take days to get through! ***

Joe’s maximum number for a workshop is 20.

If we reach that number then a waiting list will be introduced. Some people do drop out so you have a chance of attending the workshop.

Once Tracy has confirmed your place please pay the £20 by bank transfer (preferred) to the usual account, or cash. If you pay first it won’t guarantee your place, they will be allocated in the order that messages are received.

Please don’t book a place then realise the day before that you won’t be able to come. Unfortunately in the past we’ve had members cancel on the day or just not turning up. This is awkward as others could have come from the waiting list. If you can’t attend please let Tracy know in good time. 

As you have already paid for the hall in your subs we aim to make the hall accessible for everyone on the day, even if you’re not taking part in the workshop. We’ll have the workshop set up towards the big window end of the hall and a couple of tables at the kitchen end of the hall available if you wish to come and ‘do your own thing’ on the day, but please work quietly. Thank you :o)

Saturday 23rd May. Inks and Watercolour

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It was a really hot day 14 members turned up and we took advantage of the Air conditioning system to good effect.

The theme for the day was Inks and Watercolours and just like the workshop in April a few members produced more than one painting and others combined the theme for the Wednesday meeting.

Some members created a freeform design

We also would like to welcome Angela who came to check us out and decided to join the group. she used the image from the ink workshop

Vicki’s grandson also came along and produced a great piece of work. I hope that he enjoyed being with us all

Well done everyone

Our next meeting is on Wednesday 10th June from 7pm till 9pm

Sir David Attenborough – May 2026 – Wednesday

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Fifteen members met on Wednesday evening with the suggested subject being Sir David Attenborough as he reached his 100 birthday last week. An event about his life was filmed at the Royal Albert Hall, London on his birthday and was broadcast on BBC1. If you missed it, it’s called ‘David Attenborough’s 100 years on Planet Earth’ and is currently on BBC iPlayer through your tv or online. Well worth watching.

Many portraits were started and one picture was inspired by David’s animal kingdom interest around the world. Mediums used were graphite pencils, coloured pencils, Quink ink, watercolours, acrylics and pastels. Some are finished but most are works in progress and will be finished at home .

Some artists drew and painted to their own theme, starting or continuing with their work. The first photo is of Sandra’s beautiful landscape using pastel pencils on Pastelmat paper with amazing attention to detail. Super work!

Well done everyone, it was a very productive evening.

The next session is on Saturday 23rd May from 10am to 3pm, see the post from 1st May for more info.

The follow was seen on Instagram. Given David’s long life and his decades of documentaries, is it a possibility? ;o)