Tag: life drawing session

The most colourful time of year!

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Yes, it’s October, and time to take advantage of all the bright cheerful days to get out and paint the fabulous autumn colours. Alternatively, take your muted palette out on a grey day and get the seasons of mists down on paper, canvas, or surface of your choice.

And here’s what the group is doing this month.

loose landscape
Loose landscape, from the June workshop

We have a life drawing session on 5th October (see below) to oust the drop in session from its usual lead spot! The Drop-in will be on Wednesday 8th October at the Community Large Hall . If you’re not that comfortable painting autumn in public spaces, I could remind you that just outside the hall there are plenty of large trees, hedgerows, plus some interesting cottages just a few steps away. Buddy up and keep each other company! But just do your own thing until 1 pm. Details

Our workshop on Saturday 11th is fully booked, but hopefully the skies will be bright both inside and out for George Popesco’s ‘Watercolour Sky-scape Challenge’, at the Dovetail Centre Hall details

George Popesco’s artwork

Our Life Drawing afternoon sees some changes this month. It is now taking place fortnightly at the Dovetail Centre MR3. Roy has been busy reallocating places since he has fitted in two more sittings in October and November, but they are all fully booked. Smaller groups, smaller and warmer room, but more of them. If you haven’t confirmed your reallocated place(s) with Roy, please email him. Details

The third Monday of the month (20th) sees our Sketching Group out and about. Sadly September’s meet was cancelled at the last moment due to the scheduled torrential rain. Fingers crossed the rain keeps itself away from Mondays for the rest of the winter.

Podi Lawrence – Shadows

And the fourth Wednesday of the month (but not the last!), 22nd October, will be our first Zoom Demo of the winter season. Podi Lawrence will be showing us the tricks of painting shadows. This is something I love doing, especially working out the angles for leaves against walls…  Details of the zoom log-in will be emailed a few days before. I suggest you log on early in case you need to download and install the latest version if, like me, you haven’t used Zoom since last March 🙂

Autumn Exhibition

Don’t forget to get your artwork ready for the Autumn Exhibition 8-9 November at the Dovetail Centre Hall!

(featured image by Evelyn Macpherson: Winter Sunset over Worthing Beach)

The Summer’s Over…

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… and we can get back to painting rain, storms, puddles and all the other things we haven’t seen for a while!

We also finished our Summer Exhibition and HOS25 studio. Thank you to everyone who exhibited or took part in the studio section – it was really rocking at times! Also welcome to all those who are now following this website, and hopefully your enquiry about membership has already been dealt with.

Here’s a selection of memories from August, which is followed by the usual monthly update.

… and here comes September

It does not often happen, but we start with a free week! Grab your art kit and get out between showers for a quick sketch – the theme for the month is action/sport.

The first event of the month is on Wednesday 10th, the Drop-In Session at the Community Large Hall on Hursley Road (members only)- Details

On Saturday 13th, Jill Iliffe will be doing a workshop, for which we have some places remaining. Contact Bev if you would like to join in (this may be available to non-members who have already contacted us about membership) The workshop is called ‘Kingfisher in Oils/Acrylics’ and it will be at the Dovetail Centre Hall. Details

Our Sketching Group will be out and about on Monday 16th. Hope for good weather, or at least a nice place with shelter!

Sunday 21st see our monthly Life Drawing resume in the Dovetail Centre.  We have been using the hall, but I think it may be moving to Meeting Room 3 (where we had the HOS studio) where the heating is alleged to be more reliable. The life drawing booking sheet went out in early summer, so if you missed it, you’ll have to join a waiting list. Watch out for the new year’s sign up list, which will be out soon. Details

Finally, we finish the month with our last Live Demo of the year, on Wednesday 24th, when Rebecca Hurst will be demonstrating Something Large (all will be revealed!) in the Methodist church, where there is a lovely video feed set-up so you can see the details wherever you sit. (visitors welcome, for a small charge) Details

Where did June go? Notes for July…

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June whizzed past me, fortunately mostly full of good weather, gardening and family activities. So what’s in store for July, art-wise?

Goldfinch/ Church
Goldfinch (c) Chris Church

Saturday 5th sees a Coloured Pencil Workshop with Chris Church. Intriguingly, those on the participants list have also been encouraged to include certain watercolour brushes in their kit. There is more to pencil work than pencils, obviously.– Details

On Wednesday 9th we have our monthly Drop-In Session at the Community Large Hall on Hursley Road. A chance to finish off the pencil drawings, or perhaps try out the acrylic techniques (I want to try sgraffito), or splash some colour about, as inspired by Jamel Akib. – Details

If you forgot to send back the application for life drawing sessions for the rest of the calendar year, it’s too late. Although, things happen, and Peter Maule tends to keep a reserve list for when spare places arise. Sunday 20th is our next Life Drawing session (at the Dovetail Centre Hall 2-4pm). Details

Monday 21st will see our Sketching Group out and about again. It seems to have morphed from Open Air or Outdoor sketching group to En Plein Air (which is just the French phrase), but still. And don’t forget there are monthly themes and weekly prompts for you if you prefer to sketch at other times and places, and would like a stimulus.

Our Live Demo at the Methodist church this month is on the 23rd, with Julie King demonstrating ‘Flowing Flowers in Watercolour’ – Details

And watch out for news of how to get a space for our Hampshire Open Studio at the Dovetail Centre, dates 16-25 August.

NEW – AND IMPORTANT

On Tuesday 29th will belatedly host our AGM complete with reports of last years activities and finances. Most importantly, we will launch our Postcard garden for this year and have a bit of a social event. At the Dovetail Cafe, starting promptly at 7.30pm.

May is packed – hopefully with continued good weather

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This lovely weather is hopefully bringing the crowds to our Spring Exhibition at the Hillier Gardens. This ends on Tuesday afternoon, so get your friends along for the last weekend and don’t forget to collect your exhibits after 4pm on Tuesday – details

Wednesday 14 May sees our next Drop-In Session at the Community Large Hall on Hursley Road Details. These are currently FREE, so get along to work on your next masterpiece.

Saturday 10 May is a Workshop with Katherine Anteney. There were a few spaces left at the middle of April, check with Bev if you’d like to join this Linocut Workshop. Details

Our next Life Drawing session is at the Dovetail Centre Hall on Sunday 18 May from 2-4. Contact Peter if you need to drop out or want to be placed on the waitlist.

The Outdoor Sketching Group will be hoping for decent weather on Monday19 May, but they seem to cope with anything the weather gods send their way. You can also join in the sketching challenge at any time. Many of those I see are more artworks than sketches, but anything goes!

We round off the month’s menu with a Live Demo on Wednesday 28 May. Jenny Muncaster will be demonstrating Acrylic and mixed media.  Details

Hope you find something there to pique your interest.

Time to relax over Easter?

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Yes, let’s all relax over Easter. There’s nothing much to do other than enjoy spring sunshine with family, and eat Easter eggs.

Well, it might be like that. Unless you’re involved in any, or all, of these events.

April’s packed programme

It’s no April fool. The first formal (or informal) event is our Drop-In Session on Wednesday 9th at the Community Large Hall on Hursley Road, as usual. Details. Have you done your postcard yet? Are your artworks for the exhibition finished? Escape from whatever’s going on at home (like a kitchen renovation) and paint in peace here.

Sunday 13th sees our Life Drawing session at the Dovetail Centre Hall from 2-4pm Details. Apparently it was on the cold side earlier in the year, and the problem was solved – by turning the new heating up a notch or two!

Then comes Easter – and there is no sketching group meet on Easter Monday. But they’ll be back before the month end.

Wednesday 23rd from 9.45 to 10.30 is hand-in time at Hillier Gardens for our Spring Exhibition. Make sure your framing and labelling are according to schedule! Good luck to the setting up team – we know you’ll do a super job.

Hand-in 2022

Live Demonstration

And not to let anybody rest, 23rd April is also our first Live Demonstration of our new year. Sue Kerrigan-Harris will be demonstrating ‘Animal Portraits using Pastels’ and her examples on her website look amazing. Non-members are also welcome at the Methodist Church at the Dovetail Centrefor a £5 charge on the door. (see Details)

The next day, Thursday 24th our Spring Exhibition opens at 10 am at the Hillier Gardens. It closes daily at 5pm, there are various places for refreshment around the gardens, and if only visiting our exhibition and the adjacent cafe, there is no entry fee. But as you’re there, why not pay the entry and visit the lovely gardens too. Bring your friends. Do some sketching! The exhibition runs until Tuesday 6th May  details

While that’s going on, people will be stewarding, and artists will be doing ‘artist of the day’. Anyone still without a kitchen may be availing themselves of Hillier’s excellent food. And on Monday 28th the Sketching Group will be having a delayed meet-up (not at the gardens).

There is also a sketching group monthly theme and weekly prompts, so watch out for more information in the newsletters.

The Time of March

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Yes, it’s March again. We seem set for a few nice days (once the frost has gone) so make the most of this week… who knows what storms are on the horizon.

What is definitely on the horizon are some painting and social activities.

Active art

Soraya French

The workshop (fully booked) on Saturday 8th is with Soraya French who will be working with Acrylic Inks. I look forward to seeing what comes out of this – it should be particularly vibrant.

Our Drop-In Session on Wednesday 12th (for members only) is celebrating something with a cake, and free! Roy says he’s going to do his postcard, so if anyone else wants a spur to actually do their postcard (mine got as far as reference photos, then I had to put the stuff away again) turn up at the Community Large Hall on Hursley Road around 10 ish. Times are flexible – you can just drop in!

Sunday 16th is another Life Drawing afternoon at the Dovetail Centre Hall (you’ll notice the rebranding since their open day in February). If you haven’t been inside since the new year, I can vouch for the extremely nice new layout. 

On Monday 17th March our Sketching Group will be descending on Winchester. They had a cold day in Romsey last month, but still produced magnificent work.

Social Evening

Our social evening takes place on THURSDAY 27 March in the Dovetail Cafe from 7.30 pm. This is combining a new members introduction, a general social, an Exhibition ‘clinic’ to answer your questions about submission, and bring & buy sale. So check what you need to do to submit artwork to exhibitions, and what semi-useful stuff you’d like to hand on to someone else, and come ready to chat to old and new friends. You can also hand in your ‘Flora’ postcard if you’re ready (closing date for that is the AGM) – Details

Spring Exhibition 24th April – 6th May

Thank you to all the members who responded to the exhibition questionnaire – we have plenty of people wishing exhibit, and to be artists of the day, and volunteers to look after handing in, handing out and stewarding. If you need any help with framing, come along to the social evening (27 Mar) to discuss or even get hands-on help from the experts!

We’ll shortly be getting posters together, so when they’re ready, please give them to your friends and neighbours so they come along.

Workshops

The form for applying for the early summer (May June July) workshops came round by email last week. Don’t forget to complete it if you want a chance of a place at any of them.

February brings Roses

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Well, I hope it brings roses for you. What the Group brings this month is lots of lovely activities.

Active Art

ron moody

On Saturday 8th February, Ron Moody will be taking a workshop at the Methodist Church Hall, with a pen/ink outline drawing to be followed by watercolour wash techniques.  Details

Wednesday 12th is our regular Drop-In Session at the Community Large Hall. If, like me, you got some new drawing materials, you may be tempted to get yourself away from the distractions of home, and start using them! Details

Sunday 16th sees another Life Drawing afternoon at the Church Hall 2-4pm. If you saw Paul Berryman’s zoom demonstration last month, you can brush up those same techniques using a live model, rather than working from a photo. Details

And on Monday 17th, our intrepid Sketching Group will be visiting Romsey. If It’s a nice day I might join them as there are some wonderful nooks and crannies in Romsey!

From the comfort of home

Wednesday 26th is this month’s Zoom Demo. Kaili Fu will be discussing and demonstrating Chinese brush art, which is bound to be interesting.  Details

Everyday Sketching Challenge

Lisa has set up a February sketching challenge. She will be emailing participants a prompt for a 5 minute sketch each day in February and people can share their outputs in a private group. Check the January newsletters for more details and the link to the sign up page.

Don’t forget your Postcards

Your postcard theme this year is ‘Flora’. Any medium, any interpretation, on a postcard sized piece of card. Must be with Roy in time for the AGM in May… but try not to leave it till the last minute!

Early Warning – Spring Exhibition

This year’s Spring Exhibition is at Hillier Gardens, from 24 April to 6th May 2025. The ‘higher’ standards apply to framing for exhibitions at Hilliers, so spruce up or stand by with your work and make sure you’re meeting the submissions requirements, which will be circulated shortly.

Welcome to 2025

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Happy new year – although the Group’s year starts in April, so the calendar currently ends in March.

The year seems to be having a blustery start, what with fireworks displays cancelled and all sorts of festivities curtailed. I confess that I have no trouble with the lack of fireworks. Silent ones would be fine. I may even have a go at painting some in the coming weeks!

fireworks
Image by Christel SAGNIEZ from Pixabay

Possibly at our Drop-In Session, which is on Wednesday 8 January at the Community Large Hall on Hursley Road. I received a set of new drawing pencils for Christmas, so I may even join in to get started with them.

If you have pre-booked, then on Saturday 11 January Jake Winkle will be taking a workshop on light & movement in watercolour. We look forward to seeing what participants make of this!

Saturday 18th January sees our new year’s Social Lunch at the King’s Court Masonic Centre. This was a highly enjoyable event last year, but you had to book for it in December, so if you haven’t, make sure you do next time!

We hope the weather will be kind and the new heating in the church hall will be operational on Sunday 19 January for our first Life Drawing session of the new year in the Church Hall.

The sketching group is meeting on Monday 20th: meet up details are in the next newsletter. These don’t appear on the website as it is for members only. Contact Lisa Marshall with any questions about it (you can use the contact form on here to reach her if you don’t have her email).

And provided your computer doesn’t need you to upgrade your Zoom app yet again, make sure you are at your computers and tablets and phones on Wednesday 22 January for a Zoom Demo from Paul Berryman. This time he’s doing a portrait from a photograph in Charcoal/Pastel. Sign in details will be circulated to members about a week beforehand.

Looks like that’s another opportunity for me to use my Christmas present.

Merry Christmas – yes it’s here again!

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We wrap up the year with a Christmas Social at the Dovetail Cafe this Wednesday 4th December between 7.30 and 9.30. As with previous years, we invite seasonal paintings… see full details.

The Drop-in session will be going ahead as usual on 11th December at the Community Hall on Hursley Road. If you’re still working on your piece for the Christmas social… I’m sorry, you’ll have to keep it for next year!

You have until Sunday 8th to apply for places at the Life Drawing sessions for the next quarter, so make sure you find the email, or the link in a newsletter, if you still need to sign up.

And applications for places at our New Year Lunch in January are already closed.

Members who are also Hillier Gardens members may have spotted that our Spring Exhibition is there for the early May Bank Holiday. Full details next year!

So all that’s left for December is to remind you to have a very happy Christmas, or other seasonal celebration. Why not make a New Year’s Resolution that involves art in some way shape or form? I know I’m getting some lovely new drawing pencils for Christmas (because they’ve already been delivered), so my resolution is to use them!

And finally thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to bring us a fantastic programme during the year, but most of all, thank you for your interest (and hopefully participation). There’s no point doing it all without you!

November, season of art and sketching!

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The clocks may have gone back to sensible daytime hours (yes, I know you prefer light evenings) but it isn’t stopping our art.

Autumn Exhibition

Sat/Sun 9/10 November 2024 – Church Hall

Yes, it is far too late to enter now, but your help is still needed for stewarding, and most importantly getting everyone you know along to have a look. There will be artists doing their thing if you think the kids might be too bored just looking at things stuck on walls.

Other Activities

Wed 13 Nov 2024 – Drop-In Session – Community Large Hall – Details

Members are always welcome to drop in and get on with your own activities if you’d like company, or a warmer room than your own (not guaranteed). Bring your own equipment, and a mug, and something to protect the floor and furniture from paint splashes (and £5 towards to cost of the hall).

Sun 17 Nov 2024 – Life Drawing –  Church Hall 2-4pm Details

Let’s hope the heating holds up in the Church Hall for a new winter season of life models posing for our confoundment. Getting perspective right can be a challenge, and if you find a pose too difficult, you can move, or sit it out, but why not just give it a go?

Mon 18 November 2024 – Sketching Group

I’m really pleased the Sketching Group is keeping going while the weather holds. Yes, there have been one or two Mondays rained off, but on at least one occasion, they made an impromptu decision to postpone it to the Tuesday instead. Contact Lisa Marshall (details on the newsletters)

Wed 27 Nov 2024 – Zoom Demo – Les Darlow – winter landscapes in soft pastels over watercolour  – Details

This promises to be another excellent demonstration, with a tutor we have enjoyed in the past.

Zoom details will be sent to members a few days beforehand. If you haven’t used your Zoom since the spring, you will probably have to download a new version (that’s my excuse for being late to the last one. It took twenty minutes to load and process itself, even with the new ‘faster’ wifi connection.)

Workshops for 2025

Bev has circulated the sign-up form for our workshops in the first quarter of 2025. Please get yours in by 27th November if you want to participate in any of them. For a quick reminder of the menu, see the Workshops page here.