Angela M recently completed an online watercolour workshop of a donkey by Matthew Palmer. She wasn’t initially happy with the donkey’s colour being too light in watercolour, so she darkened the colours. The result is a very cute donkey.

Angela then used coloured pencils for a second donkey, the photo from Pixabay. The picture took six hours over three days as her hand needed to rest in between sessions.

Well done, Angela, for your sweet donkeys!

Our Open Day is next month on Saturday 25th November and if you will be exhibiting any framed paintings on the walls please don’t forget that we’ll be hanging them on the evening of Friday 24th November from 7pm.

Hopefully you’re finishing off paintings now and getting them mounted and/or framed, all ready to show them off!

Here are the ideas for this month, but you’re always welcome to come along and ‘do your own thing’.

Wednesday 11th – 7-9pm – Fungi

There are some interestingly named fungi called Devil’s Fingers, Fly Agaric, Jelly Ear, Collared Earthstar, Shaggy Inkcap, Stinkhorn, Candlesnuff, Dead Man’s Fingers, Slime Mould, Witch’s Butter and Yellow Brain, to name a few.

Draw or paint unusual fungi or buy some mushrooms from your local supermarket and create a picture by carefully looking at the cap, gills and stem.

Paint a lifelike picture or get imaginative and put faerie folk amongst the fungi or create Zentangle inspired art in fungi shapes.

Use any medium but get creative.

Saturday 28th October – 10am-3pm – Inktober

Inktober during October was first created in 2009 by American artist Jake Parker as a challenge to improve his inking skills and develop positive drawing habits.

On the official Inktober website there are 31 daily prompts that you use ink to create. You don’t have to do them all, just the ones you want to. Or do one every 3 or 5 days, or at weekends only. If you join in please bring your pictures to the session to be photographed, or send your photos to Tracy for inclusion on the blog.

Here’s the website for more info… www.inktober.com

Here are all the daily prompts on the website…

If you’re on Facebook you can follow the ‘Inktober’ page and/or ‘Jake Parker’ the original artist.

There are also 31 prompts for inking Zentangles, each led by an accredited Zentangle artist. Click on this link to follow the prompted tangle…

https://bit.ly/InktoberTangles2023prompts

Whilst black ink is mostly used for these ideas, bring coloured inks to the session too so we can be really colourful and creative.

Experiment with vibrant Brusho powders if you have them, or colour some paper, tear it up and glue down to create a collage. Any subject but if you’re stuck for an idea, bring along some colourful Autumn leaves or interesting pumpkins.

It was a busy session with 23 members attending so the hall was abuzz with chatter as we caught up with each other. It was super to see Doreen back on her feet and joining us again.

The suggested idea of hay bales in a landscape was expanded to include tractors and combine harvesters, fruit and vegetables, autumnal colours and the cutest little harvest mouse you’ve ever seen! When so many come to along to paint it’s great to see all the artwork produced. Some paintings are finished and some works in progress, to be finished at home or at another session.

Some members drew and painted to their own theme. There’s a view of Brimham Rocks in Yorkshire, fields in Lancashire, birds, a sketch of a collage about covid, set in an Egyptian tomb, colourful gardens in a stately home and portraits from western films.

It was a most enjoyable session, thank you all for coming along :o)

Our next session is on Wednesday 11th October from 7-9pm.

There were eleven members who came along for the first evening of Autumn including our new member Ann Carter

The main theme was Statues. Here are the images including 4 from Tracy who unable to attend gave me previously.

Some members did their own thing

Many of the the above are ‘work in progress’ so do please send your images of finished work or other projects to either Steve or Tracy.

Well done all

Our next meeting at Chalk Village Hall is on Saturday the 23rd September from 10 am till 3 pm

Tracy has been creative trying her hand at embroidery, having not done any since school over 40 years ago and not being very good at it back then. A lady on Etsy embroiders wedding photos, but when quoted £300 for a picture, Tracy decided to try it herself.

Photos of her daughter Elinor’s wedding to Rory were taken by professional photographer Matt Cook. Tracy chose a colour photo of Elinor and Rory, converted it to black and white on her iPad then printed out an 8″ x 10″ black and white photo at Boots.

Several colours of embroidery silks to match the colourful bouquet were bought from Hobbycraft and John Lewis, along with a sharp, pointed tool to make holes in the photographic paper. Tracy watched embroidery stitches videos on YouTube then started to embroider slowly. Twelve hours later, but only sewing for up to 2 hours at a time, the picture was completed, then mounted and framed. The back of the photo looks interesting too, with the coloured silks radiating outwards, held down by sticky tape. The stitches used were French knots, bullion knots, woven wheels, back stitch, lazy daisy, long stitch and fishbone stitch.

The happy couple love the picture and it’s now in pride of place in their lounge.

The third instalment of subs is due this month to take us up to the end of 2023. Please pay the £25 by bank transfer, cheque or cash, details of which Steve has emailed before. No cash by post please, only at a session or hand delivered to Steve’s address. If you paid the full £75 in January you don’t need to pay any more subs this year.

Here are ideas for this month, but you’re always welcome to come and paint anything you want to, whilst having a walk around and natter of course!

Wednesday 13th 7-9pm – Statues

Using any medium draw or paint a statue. A local one, one in the UK or anywhere in the world. It could be a person or people you admire, or if there isn’t one already then design your own.

There are many real animal sculptures like the lions in Trafalgar Square, the elephants in Bishops Square in London, or any equestrian statue. Or there are mythical creatures like the dragon boundary markers into the City of London.

Saturday 23rd 10am-3pm – Landscape with hay bales

Wherever you go in the UK there will be fields looking very scenic with haystacks or hay bales, either rectangular or round. Use any medium to draw an iconic scene with hay bales and include a combine harvester or tractor if you prefer drawing or painting machinery.

If you don’t fancy a landscape then paint people picking hops, apples or anything harvested, the choice is yours.

Twenty one members visited Rochester Cathedral to sit and draw at the Fenland black oak table, a piece of fossilised wood over 5000 years old. It was a deep, brownish-black colour and highly polished, placed in the central nave of the cathedral. The section we used was covered in waterproof material, so thankfully we didn’t have to worry about making a mess on it, which would have been disastrous!

We all had a fantastic day sketching and colouring with dry media as painting wasn’t allowed at the table, and having a good natter of course. Luckily we weren’t outside as at one point the heavens literally opened, with torrential rain causing flooding in the streets outside. Adult and child visitors to the cathedral came to look at our pictures and to have a chat, which was lovely. It was a very memorable day for the art group and thank you to everyone who gave a donation to cathedral funds, we raised £123.

Read about the Fenland black oak table here…www.rochestercathedral.org/fenland-black-oak-table

Most members sketched the view to the front or side of them, whilst others photographed parts of the cathedral inside and out, then used the photos on their phones or iPads as reference.

Some members created pictures to their own theme.

In the aisles either side of the nave was an exhibition called ‘Threads Through Creation’, twelve huge embroidered panels depicting the story of the creation and the Garden of Eden. They’re by Jacqui Parkinson and will be at the cathedral until next Sunday, 3rd September. We all had a look and were very impressed by the size, colour and detail of all the panels.

More info here…www.rochestercathedral.org/articles/2023/6/5/creating-the-world-in-eight-million-stitches

Here’s a few more photos of inside the cathedral and outside in the garth (garden).

Thank you to everyone who came along, it was a special day to be involved with.

The next session is on Wednesday 13th September at Chalk Parish Hall from 7-9pm.

Beatrix Potter’s little story books are still popular today, even 80 years after her death. Beautifully illustrated with detailed, delicate watercolours, they transport you into a world of animals, good and rather naughty, and their adventures.

9 members came on the evening and one lady who will hopefully become a new member. Tracy brought in all 23 little books, to help members with pictures to use for sketching and painting.

Here are all our pictures, either sketches or in watercolour or acrylic, including 2 stones Sue painted for her grandchildren to find in a nature trail in her garden…what a brilliant idea! Most pictures are on the Beatrix Potter animal theme, with one of Beatrix herself, one of Hill Top Farm, in Near Sawrey in the Lake District, and one picture inspired by Alice in Wonderland.

Well done everyone, you were very creative!

Our next session will be on Saturday 26th August from 10am-3pm inside Rochester Cathedral. Final details will be sent in an email nearer the time.

Wednesday 9th – 7-9pm – Beatrix Potter

Beatrix Potter’s delightful books have enchanted children and adults alike since her first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, was published in 1902. Use her artwork to inspire your drawing or painting of a little animal, or if you have a pet, use them as your character. If that idea isn’t for you, paint her home, Hill Top Farm, in Near Sawrey in the Lake District, or one of the many other farms which she bought and gifted to the National Trust on her death in 1943.

Lots more info here… www.beatrixpottersociety.org.uk

Saturday 26th – from 10am-3pm – at the Fenland black oak table inside Rochester Cathedral

We return to Rochester Cathedral as Kay has gained permission for us to sit at the Fenland black oak table inside the cathedral. It’s currently in the central nave and hopefully still will be when we visit.

It will be a ‘dry’ session as no painting or water for brushes is allowed, for obvious reasons!

Bring a sketchbook or whatever you want to draw on and use normal graphite pencils, coloured pencils, water soluble pencils or Inktense pencils or blocks (to then paint at home). There are other dry mediums to use to get creative so bring them along too. The idea is that we sit at the table all day to sketch our surroundings, so please don’t wander off for ages because if we all did that there would be no one left at the table! If you want a different view then swap chairs with someone.

Please don’t arrive too early because the cathedral doesn’t open until 10am. The café in the crypt should be open on the day but bring a packed lunch if you prefer. I’m not sure if we can eat and drink at the table so expect an email a few days before the session with final details.

We’re not being charged to use the table but there will be a collection for cathedral funds during the day.

Twenty one members have put their names down for the day which is a fabulous number. If you want to come along, or now can’t make the day, please email Tracy asap. It looks to be a unique and interesting session for our art group.

Details of the table are here… www.rochestercathedral.org/fenland-black-oak-table

A year ago the church grounds were so parched the grass was yellow and the ground dusty, but this year the grounds were very green from all the rain we’ve been having! Thirteen members visited Chalk Church last Saturday with the weather looking unsettled, but it was dry for the first 3.5 hours. Once the rain began we adjourned to draw and paint either at tables inside the barn or sat on the benches under the covered area. As usual it was a busy session being creative and chatty. We donated just over £52 for the church fund.

Some members chose to paint the replaced ‘Monet’ bridge or draw plants found in the grounds.

Other members chose their own subject or finish pictures from previous sessions of the Coronation of King Charles III or Zentangles.

The next session will be back at the hall on Wednesday 9th August 7-9pm, then on Saturday 26th August will be inside Rochester Cathedral. Please email Tracy if you’re interested in a place at the Cathedral.