For our second outdoor session of the summer fifteen members met at Chalk Church for a few hours. The weather was very pleasant with a sunny blue sky and a few clouds. We drew and painted under the trees and with a steady breeze some members wore cardigans and light jackets as it was lovely and cool in the shade.
We enjoyed each other’s company and chatted away for hours. With the recent heatwaves the grass was brown in the gardens and orchard and the pond water low, but with enough water for pond-dwelling creatures. Thank you for donations of nearly £50 for church funds :o)
Most artists sketched the view in front of them and two members painted to their own theme.
Good work everyone, it was a very enjoyable day with good company!
Look out for next month’s sessions published on 1st September with all the details for hanging evening on Friday 25th and Open Day on Saturday 26th September.
The next session is back at Chalk Parish Hall on Wednesday 9th September from 7-9pm.
On a very warm evening 9 members attended after a slightly later start. We all took advantage of some Solar Eclipse glasses to watch, from a perfect vantage point, the partial eclipse of the sun. It was super to share that moment together.
The subject for the evening was Cacti
Some members chose to ‘do their own thing’
Thank you to everyone who pitched in to help set up and clear away the tables and chairs. Also thanks to the members who were unable to attend but let me know beforehand, it enabled us to put out the correct number of tables.
Well done all.
Our next meeting is on the 22nd August in the grounds of Chalk Church between 10am and 3pm but if you just want to come along for just a few hours that is fine. There will be tea, coffee, soft drinks and biscuits as usual. We usually have a collection to give to the Church as a little thank you for the use of the grounds and facilities. We will still meet even if it is raining as there is ample cover on site.
Gravesend Art Group are holding their annual exhibition from Tuesday 1st to Sunday 6th September at the St.George’s Arts Centre, St. George’s Shopping Centre, Gravesend. See flyer for times and their website details.
When we visited The Friars at Aylesford, Vikki took a photo of one of the gardeners as she worked in the Rosary Way. Vikki’s finished the watercolour and it’s been painted in great detail with a beautiful use of colour. Good work!
Tracy took lots of photos on the day and also on a previous visit when the wisteria was vibrant in the great court. A tree growing in the gardens behind the shrine also caught her eye. After sketching the subjects Tracy added coloured pencils and will probably paint the door and wisteria in watercolour.
Here’s what we’ll be working on in August, but come along to draw and paint to your own subject if you’d prefer.
Wednesday 12th – 7-9pm – Cacti
The weather is hotter than usual at the moment and so dry with parched grass and dehydrated flowers everywhere. Thinking of plants that thrive in hot conditions, cacti are the most obvious. There are 1750 species, so lots to choose from.
Draw or paint cactuses in pots or in their native habitat of the Americas. Paint them in a botanical way, loosely or in silhouette with a sunset behind them.
Saturday 22nd – from 10am-3pm – ‘Do your own thing’ at Chalk Church
We return to Chalk, this time to St.Mary’s Church in Chalk. Please arrive from 10am and no earlier as the gates have to be unlocked by the churchwarden.
The church, ‘Monet’ bridge over the pond and the gardens are popular subjects to paint, but you don’t have to.
Many of us have painted these many times, so instead start any project for our Open Day(only next month on Saturday 26th September!), continue a cactus picture or finish a view at The Friars at Aylesford from last month.
It’s a day to enjoy painting en plein air but if it’s raining we still meet at the church as there’s an indoor room in the barn with tables and chairs for us to use, though we may have to move boxes around, and a sheltered area outside the barn with benches. If it’s really sunny there are plenty of trees with shade to sit under.
There’s a large, free car park, toilet, and tea, coffee and biscuits as usual.
Please bring along a folding chair or stool if you intend to paint outside in the gardens and a packed lunch too.
If you can only make the morning or afternoon, please come along and join us for a couple of hours. We pack up a little before 3pm as the church warden locks the gates then.
The church doesn’t charge us to use the barn or gardens, so any donations to the Church Fund on the day are appreciated, thank you :o)
No need to let Tracy know you are coming, just turn up on the day. Hope you can come to the session!
If you’re new to the art group, here’s a map of where Chalk Church is in relation to Chalk Parish Hall.
