Fifteen artists attended the Wednesday evening session, including Denise’s granddaughter, Sophie, who painted with us to see if she’d would like to join the group.
Most members began their portrait drawings and paintings in readiness for our annual competition, to be held at the next session.
Other members drew, painted and cut paper to their own themes.
Our next session will be on Saturday 28th March from 10am to 3pm.
The hall was abuzz with chatter and laughter on Saturday with 26 members attending the session. The suggested subject of People in Winter was popular and everyone worked industriously on their pictures.
Some members were inspired by the Winter Olympic Games in Milan/Cortina in Italy. If you enjoyed watching the events, don’t forget to watch the Paralympic Games which start on Friday 6th March
Some paintings are finished and others are works in progress. There are so many interpretations of the subject, it’s interesting to see all the themes.
Some artists drew and painted their own themes. Sandra’s stoat is beautifully drawn in many colours and looks a cheeky chappy.
Paintings from previous sessions on Animals in Winter and the Chinese New Year of the Fire Horse were worked on and some completed.
Fantastic artwork, everyone, you did so well this month!
Our next session is on Wednesday 11th March from 7-9pm when we start drawing and painting for our annual competition.
Peta has finished two more of her amazing pictures. The first, of bellringers in Southwark, London, is painted with ink and shows intricate details and has great depth of field.
The second, of a turnip stall in Borough Market, also Southwark, with the vegetables looking real. One could reach out and touch the feathery mushroom caps on and smell the herbs.
Fantastic paintings, Peta, well done!
Fourteen members met on Wednesday evening and one artist worked at home. The Chinese New Year of the Fire Horse begins next week and happens only once every 60 years.
The subject was popular and it was challenging to draw and paint not only a horse, but fire too. We used coloured pencils, pastel pencils, watercolours and acrylics to achieve the depth of colour needed for the flames. Most are works in progress. When finished, please bring them along to the next session.
Other artists drew and painted their own themes, which we are always interested to see. Special mention to Patrick who used coloured pencils to draw a scene from the life of Pocahontas.
Lovely work everyone!
Our next session is on Saturday 28th February from 10am to 3pm.
A couple of months ago Kay asked us to send her images of paintings and drawings done at Rochester Cathedral. A few members emailed their artwork and one painting was chosen for the front cover of the brochure for Rochester Cathedral Trust’s annual dinner.
Susan’s beautiful, softly coloured watercolour of Rochester Cathedral was chosen.
The painting looks fantastic as the front cover and she has been given a brochure to keep.
Here’s the whole brochure if you want to see all of it. Susan is named on page 10.
Here’s Rochester Cathedral’s website if you want to visit… https://www.rochestercathedral.org
Susan has also finished her painting of Jane Austen, from a watercolour done by Jane’s sister Cassandra.
Super paintings as usual, Susan, well done!
Tracy took part in Inktober 2025 by drawing an image every day using a 4-coloured ball point pen. By dividing up 2 pages of a sketchbook each box was only 5cm x 7cm. Each small picture took less than 5 minutes, including a quick sketch in pencil.
Every day was suggested by a list of prompts. Tracy’s favourite days were the 4th – ‘murky’, the 20th – ‘rivals’ and the 26th – ‘puzzling’. The 30th – ‘vacant’ was the easiest!
Tracy also finished her ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ picture, now called ‘Zentangle Girl with a Holographic Earring’. Drawn using a black waterproof pen, a Faber Castell Polychromos coloured pencil in Cold Grey III and some holographic nail varnish.
Our annual Open Day is fast approaching. Come along and see our beautiful paintings and have a natter!
Eleven members met on Wednesday evening to draw and paint together over a cuppa and biscuits. The suggested subject was the 200th anniversary of the first passenger railway journey on the Stockton and Darlington Railway, with artists invited to paint historical or any age locomotives up to modern times.
Some paintings have been photographed with the reference image, to see how the artist was inspired.
Some members created pictures to their own theme or continued artworks from previous sessions.
The next session is on Saturday 25th October from 10am to 3pm. Check the newsletter from 1st October for the subject idea.
In addition to our usual two sessions this month, why not give Inktober 2025 a go?
Started in 2009 Inktober is now a worldwide event for artists to draw a picture in ink daily (you can use pencil underneath) and share their work or just for the pleasure of being creative every day.
Use a sketchbook for your images or any surface. If you don’t have much time, use a Post-it note pad for a small picture every day.
Website here… https://inktober.com
Please send Tracy photos of your images if you try the challenge.
Our annual Open Day is next month on Saturday 22nd November, so hopefully you’re finishing your pictures and getting them mounted and framed ready to be exhibited. Max 6 framed pictures per artist, unlimited mounted pictures in the browsers. Hanging evening is Friday 21st November from 7-9pm. Please note those dates in your diaries/calendars/phones!
Wednesday 8th 7-9pm – Railway 200
It’s the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. George Stephenson’s steam-powered locomotive, Locomotion I, pulled the first ever passenger carrying train on a public railway 26 miles between Sheldon, Darlington and Stockton. Hundreds of passengers were aboard and since then railways and train travel have changed the world.
Hark back to pictures from that era of these early trains, or maybe you grew up loving to watch steam trains. You may prefer sleek, modern trains or have been on holiday on trains in countries and continents far away. Choose any era of train travel to draw and paint your picture in any medium.
The 200 year anniversary website… https://railway200.co.uk
more info… https://www.hra.uk.com/railway-200-home
Remember the BBC2 programme Great Railway Journeys of the World, first broadcast in 1980? More recently Michael Portillo’s Great British Railway Journeys and his subsequent trips to the USA, Europe, India, Australia, Asia and Canada have been broadcast.
Saturday 25th 10am to 3pm – Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675)
Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer painted only 34 artworks in his 43 years, but they have grown in popularity in the 350 years since his death. He painted one house and one landscape, all the rest being people in domestic settings lit by a window to one side giving a direct light source on to the subject. Most famous is Vermeer’s ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’, painted in 1665.
Choose to draw or paint a picture in one of three ways using any medium…
2. ‘…with a Pearl Earring”. If you like portraits draw or paint any person, family or famous, past or present, as a head and shoulders portrait but wearing the luscious pearl earring.
3. Draw or paint a domestic setting with a person lit only from one side, thus giving dramatic lighting to the scene.
Wiki info… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Vermeer
List of paintings… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_paintings_by_Johannes_Vermeer
Click on ‘Discover Vermeer”… https://www.vermeerdelft.nl/en
Tracy Chevalier’s book published in 1999 called ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ is a good read and the film of the same name from 2003 stars Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson.
Chalk Art Group 