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.
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.
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…
Create ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ in your own style and colours.
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.
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.
On our trip to Rochester Cathedral last month Chris W started drawing the main wooden doors. At home she painted the doors in watercolours and used pen to define the decorative metalwork. All the more amazing is that the initial drawing was done by eye with no measuring.
The last payment of subs due for 2025 is due by the end of the month so look out for an email from Steve how to pay. If you don’t get an email from him then you have already paid for the whole year and don’t need to do anything, just keep coming along to the sessions :o)
We’ve not had any still life subjects for a long time so let’s concentrate on that theme for this month.
Wednesday 10th – 7-9pm – Fruit and vegetable still life
As farmers harvest their field crops it’s almost time to celebrate harvest festival. Bring fruit and/or veg to draw and paint in detail. Look at the individual shapes they are and different colours, then cut some open to see the interesting patterns inside. The lighting in the hall is unfortunately very dim, so please remember to bring along a lamp to light your items to see them better!
Saturday 27th September – 10am-3pm – Still Life with objects
Continue with your fruit and veg still life or bring other objects from home and set up a still life in front of you. There are single tables in the store cupboard if you want to place one in front of your painting table to set up a still life with boxes or draped material as a background.
Hobbies – Gardening – flowers, a trug, gardening implements. Walking – a map, compass, walking boots, rucksack. Art – a paint palette, paintbrushes, jar of water, pencil case. Cooking – recipe books, utensils, weighing scales. Driving – a map, gloves, car keys. Photography – a camera, flashgun, tripod, camera bag. Music – musical instruments, sheet music.
About you – bring interesting items from home – jewellery, books, childhood toys, dolls and teddies, a relative’s fob watch, ornaments, vases with or without flowers, your favourite foods, a wine bottle and glasses, plants, statues, a teapot, cups and saucers, shiny objects that reflect other things, glass objects that you can see through, a globe, candles, shells etc.
Group similar objects together or bring a random collection.
Whilst you can draw and paint these items individually, it’s more challenging to set up a still life and create a picture with the objects in relation to each other, looking at the relative shapes, shadows and opposite or analogous colours to think about. Use any media or several in one mixed media picture.
Thank you to Kay who gained permission for the art group to meet in the King’s Orchard, the private gardens behind Rochester Cathedral. Ten members enjoyed sitting in the gardens drawing and painting the rear view of the cathedral and the stump of a 250 year old sycamore was interesting with insects flying around and into the tiny holes in its trunk. The day was due to be dry but overcast so we were pleased that the sun came out for most of the day and it was lovely and warm. We had a whip round and the cathedral will gain £72.50 including Gift Aid.
A few pictures are finished and others are works in progress to be completed at home. We used pencils, coloured pencils, watercolour pencils, felt tip pens and watercolours. A beautifully drawn squirrel and a hairless cat called Potato join the pictures.
Here are a few views in and around Rochester Cathedral. In the nave is a Short Scion floatplane originally built in 1937 and mini golf with a bridge theme in the garth is free to play. Both are there for another week if you want to visit.
Thank you for a most enjoyable day with arty friends for a good natter whilst drawing and painting en plein air.
The next session is back at the hall on Wednesday 10th September from 7-9pm.
Here’s what we’ll be up to in August, but as usual you can draw or paint anything you want to.
Wednesday 13th – 7-9pm – Paint on a Postcard
It’s now the summer holidays when many of us go away then send a postcard home of where we are visiting. Picture postcards were first sent in Germany in the 1880s but the UK used postcards just to write on until in the early 1900s black and white photographs were printed on one side of a postcard, with the writing and the address on the other.
Whilst sorting through her late mum’s items, Susan came across some postcards of Mount Fuji which have been painted in rich colours. Aren’t they beautiful?
What a great idea for a session. Lots of old black and white postcards of UK scenes have been bought from eBay, with the idea that we paint on them and give them a new, colourful, lease of life. Acrylic paints used thickly work best, though you can use them thinly and still see the photo below.Coloured inks work and coloured pencils, though don’t press too hard or you’ll dent the surface. Watercolour doesn’t work on the shiny postcards but might on the rougher-surfaced postcards and Posca pens don’t work well either, unless you want really bright colours. Gouache and pen markers might work but haven’t been tried yet.
Use colours that would be in the scene or use different colours for a more mysterious or abstract effect. A few postcard have already been lightly tinted and the subtle effect is very pleasing.
Some of the postcards have been used and still have stamps on from the 1920s, 30s and 40s, with words saying having a lovely time, the weather has been good, or it’s been raining. No different to what we write nowadays!
Here’s an article found by Susan about the Japanese postcards. It’s an interesting read…
Saturday 23rd FROM 10am-3pm – Rochester Cathedral’s private gardens
We will be meeting in the King’s Orchard, the private gardens behind Rochester Cathedral, for this month’s outdoor session. We first visited these gardens three years ago and Kay has kindly gained permission for us to sit and enjoy the gardens again whilst either drawing and painting the view or painting our own ideas.
There are a couple of benches but not enough for everyone so you’ll need to bring a folding chair to sit on and your own water to rinse your brushes in. Bring lunch too, but hopefully the cafe in the crypt will be open on the day if you fancy eating there. Travel light with your art equipment, don’t bring everything or you’ll be stuck with a heavy bag on the day. If you use acrylics be aware there will be nowhere to rinse equipment, so bring a carrier bag to take home your unwashed palette and paintbrushes. Watercolours, pastels, coloured pencils, sketching pencils or ink pens would be a better choice.
The toilets are a few minutes walk away round and through the Cathedral and into the garth (gardens) where they’re on the far side.
Please email Tracy asap if you would like to attend or not, as we need to know names for the lanyards that must be worn at all times.
Further details about dropping off your art equipment and parking information will be sent by email nearer the time.
Start praying for good weather, but if it rains we will still meet but inside. If this happens we can’t use any water, so bring pens, pencils etc as ‘dry’ mediums to use.
The Cathedral are not charging us to use the gardens so we will be having a collection on the day.
On Saturday 10 members visited Chalk Church for our annual outing there and enjoyed drawing and painting together in the gardens around the pond and Monet bridge. It was cloudy but dry so the artists stayed outside during the day.
Most members painted the view in front of them but others chose to continue with their artwork from previous sessions or their own theme. Several mediums were used to great effect.
Everyone one had an enjoyable and productive day, well done!
Next month’s newsletter is due on 1st August with the next session on Wednesday 13th August 7-9pm back at the hall in Chalk as usual.
A date for your diary is Saturday 23rd August when we will be returning to the private gardens behind Rochester Cathedral. There are 5 Saturdays in August this year but we meet on the 4th Saturday, which is also bank holiday weekend. Tracy will be taking names soon so please check your calendar and ‘save the date’.
Dot’s portrait of Tina Turner for the different ethnicity theme is ‘Simply the Best’. In soft pastels the portrait captures Tina in full singing mode, vibrant and full of character. Well done, Dot!
Chris W has finished an amazing portrait of Sir Winston Churchill. It’s in pastels and she has captured his skin colour tones in such a beautiful way. Well done, Chris, super artwork!
Chalk Art Group 