Tag: summer exhibition

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

HOSts of visitors on Sunday!

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We had a really good footfall of visitors to our Hampshire Open Studio set-up on Sunday. Meeting Room 3 at the Dovetail Centre was a hive of activity. Most also visited the Exhibition, but their active engagement with our artists in the studio made for quite a stir!

Well done and thank you to Alex Phillips for organising it, and to everyone who is taking part over the ten-day event. (ends Bank Holiday Monday.)

Note: If you haven’t viewed the Postcards at the Dovetail Centre yet, they will shortly be moving to the lIbrary, in the Fryern Arcade.

Just three events in August

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There may be just three events in August, but they account for twenty-one activity days!

August 13th sees the Drop-in session at its usual venue at the Community Hall on Hursley Road. This is for members only, and continues to offer free refreshments! It’s a chance to work on your projects away from the turmoil of home.

Summer Exhibition

On Friday evening, 15th August, we have the hand-in of artworks for our Summer Exhibition. As the entries have already closed, and we’re only open for a short window, Roy is amenable to requests for inclusion from those who missed it. But only for the next few days, so act fast. Helpers for setting up the exhibition should also contact Roy if you haven’t already done so.

The Summer Exhibition opens at 10 am on Saturday morning, and runs until BH Monday, 25th August. Please tell your friends, get as much publicity as you can, and bring people along to take a look. The Dovetail Cafe will be open in the mornings Tuesday-Saturday.

Hampshire Open Studios

Once you’ve viewed the exhibition, go to the rear of the complex, where our Open Studio will be in full swing for the duration of the exhibition (16 to 25 August). This is part of the Hampshire Open Studio tour 2025, and leaflets are available to give to friends, visitors, and anyone interested. In addition, the local artists have produced a guide to the Chandlers Ford area studios.

The projects our artists will be working on are diverse, and many artists will be there for only one day, at most two. Practice varies from oils and acrylics, and watercolour landscapes, through printmaking, needlework art, and collage to book illustration.

Many artworks will be for sale in both rooms through the ten days.

Summer exhibition in full flow

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We are just over halfway through our wonderful Summer Exhibition at the Hillier Gardens. The weather has often been kind, giving us a downpour during the set-up and handing in, and mostly warm and sunny since. Just the occasional heatwave day, which certainly cut down on visitors.

The artwork is stunning, as always. Several artists have sold more than one piece, the 3D works have been much admired. The wonderful warthog would probably get best in show if we did such a thing. Why don’t do that? Something to mull over.

We have also enjoyed the activities of our artists of the day, intriguing visitors as they work, and discussing all matters of their craft.

There’s still plenty of time to visit, we’re open till next Tuesday, when instead of closing at 5pm, we close at 3pm. Then we do the take down. Visit before you miss it, and do take in the gardens and refreshments while you’re here. Full details here.

July definitely flew!

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There may have been storm clouds, but there was also heat, so I hope you got out to make some art.

Summer Exhibition starts 7th August

You should be nearly ready to submit your entries to the Summer Exhibition, next Tuesday, 6th.

Don’t forget to tell all your friends and acquaintances, and people you’ve never met, to come and see the exhibition. If you can, contact Roy or Alex for some flyers, or download them from the link in a recent newsletter.

Adebanji Alade – 14th September

If you haven’t already responded to the workshop application form you have until 11th August, after which places will be allocated by ballot (members only).

If you didn’t respond to the Demonstration expression of interest, you can still come, but tickets are now on sale to the general public (here) and the number available reflects our capacity including the members who have said ‘yes’. For safety, please let Roy know you would like to come. Details here.

Most importantly – please get your friends to buy tickets!

Adebanji Alade – Sat 14th September, 7-9 (coffee etc from 6). Non-member tickets HERE

More August reminders next week.

Will July Fly?

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If you thought June was busy – watch out for July… which is mainly preparations for August.

Your entry form for the Summer Exhibition at the Hillier Gardens should be in by July 7. The system closes at midnight.

If you are both exhibiting in the Annual Exhibition and doing Hampshire Open Studios, you will be very busy getting everything ready for next month. Make sure you follow the Presentation Guidelines for the Summer Show.

When you have a spare moment, this is what you can do in July:

  • Wednesday 10 July
    • Drop-In Session – Community Large Hall – Details
  • Saturday 13 July
    • Workshop with Stephen Foster: using silicon shapers and palette knives – Church Hall – Details
  • Monday 15 July
    • Sketching group, details tbc
  • Sunday 21 July
    • Life Drawing –  Church Hall 2-4pm Details
  • Wednesday 24 July
    • Live Demo – Heather Jolliffe – Details to follow

What you may have missed last month:

Will June change its Tune?

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At time of writing, June is… changeable. Some forecast a heatwave, others forecast the new Flood. What’s for sure is that it is possible to be outside, making art, well into the evening – past 9 o’clock even! You could also get up for a 4.30 am start, but that’s entirely up to you.

Members have recently had details of arrangements for the Summer exhibition at the Hillier Gardens. Please volunteer! The submission form will be circulated shortly. Details of Hampshire Open Studios will also be circulated soon. We have the draft programme from the organisers for proof reading (and found some errors!)

What’s on in June

Saturday 8th June at the Church Hall: Wendy Jelbert presents a workshop on Wild Flower Meadow in watercolour.  Details

Wednesday 12th June: Drop-In Session at the Community Large Hall on Hursley Road. An opportunity to turn your sketches into something more substantial, perhaps? Details

Sunday 16th June – Life Drawing session at the Church Hall 2-4pm Details

Monday 17th June – Sketching Group (details in email)

Tuesday 25th June – Art Group AGM and social event (including a general, gentle and fun quiz!)

Wednesday 26th June – Live Demo of a Street/Cafe scene in pastels and/or acrylics at the Methodist Church with Joel Wareing – Details

Summer Exhibition Round-up

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So, the summer show is over for another year. Obviously, the Church Hall does not get as much passing foot traffic as the Hillier Gardens, but it is a great venue, and the Cafe is an added attraction. It has also made a huge difference that we now can store our own exhibition stands in the room adjacent. Thank you to everyone who got involved in making these, from a single nail hammered in to a finishing coat of our special grey paint.

Thank you also to Roy and Gill not only for all the amazing work they do for the group, but also for the daily sales update. Members can access the spreadsheet to see who sold what and when, but here’s a brief taste.

The exhibition in figures

We achieved sales on every day of the exhibition. Tuesday 22nd was the lowest (and was it the wettest?) with just cards sold – about 15 in all.  It’s odd, really as Monday 21st was our most successful day – we took over £700 that day, of which over £500 was for displayed artwork (which includes framed, canvases and sculptures). Browser sales also went reasonably well, with over £100 taken on the first Monday and the last Sunday.

Ruth Ann Lewis and Richard Waite each sold two artworks. Jenny Morgan, Trish Brant, Wendy Sleeman, Jocelyn Halfpenny, Patricia Dorling, Peter Maule, Tony Eaton, Chris Benning, Jane Nash, and Joan Willingham were the other successful artists.

Ruth Ann Lewis – Hanging Around; sold on the Saturday

In all we sold 254 cards. The most successful card art came from Nicola Williamson (29), closely followed by Ruth Ann Lewis (28). Totals in the teens came from (in no particular order) Angela Sweet, Colleen Cockroft, Elizabeth Saunders, Gill Brophy, Jenny Morgan, Lynette Vickery, Pradeepa David, Sue Bowery, Susie James and Veronica Bliss.

The browser sales came to fourteen in all, and several members sold more than one, including Angela Chambers, Ruth Ann Lewis, Trish Brant and Nicola Williamson. Jane Nash’s Dunstan Burgh was the last artwork sale of the show.

We didn’t keep track of the number of visitors, but there was a steady trickle most of the time, i.e. there was usually one visitor present! Roy would be interested in any of your ideas for increasing our footfall.

HOS23

The Open Studio in MR3 for HOS 23, organised by Alex Phillips, was a very enjoyable place to be. It was usually buzzing with activity, creativity, coffee, tea and biscuits. Artists reported several delightful discussions with visitors, and many sold pieces they’d been working on at the event. Lynette Vickery sold some of her jewellery, too. This operated separately from the Summer Exhibition, so we don’t have detailed sales figures.

A notable first came for Hisham Edakandathil, who joined us on Monday, took part in the HOS workshop on Wednesday, and sold a picture! May it be the first of many, Hisham.

Here’s a short (14 seconds) clip (on Youtube) of the HOS activity.

The show and HOS are both time consuming to prepare, and can’t take place without the many many helpers. However small you might feel your contribution is, it is invaluable. Thank you so much.

Watch for details of the Autumn Exhibition, scheduled for 11/12th November.

Summer Exhibition in photos

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Although it wasn’t busy on the first Sunday of our exhibition at the Dovetail Centre (Church Hall), we did have visitors, and the purchase:visitor ratio was excellent!

Members are receiving a daily email update on sales and activity at the exhibition, so if you haven’t got it and you’re a member – check your spam box. If you’re not a member – contact us to join.

Here are some photos Roy took on Sunday. Thank you to the visitors and stewards for adding some life to the still life.

Don’t forget to come and visit any day from 10 till 4 until Monday (Bank Holiday). Bring your friends!

One week to the Summer Exhibition and HOS23

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Just one week to go until we hand in our exhibits for the exhibition on Friday night and Saturday morning, 19th August.

The committee and many helpers have been working flat out to make the new hanging stands, and get everything ready, including labels for every submission, every artist, and more.

Forty-eight artists are represented, with 164 artworks, not including browsers and cards. Most are for sale.

The exhibition opens on Saturday 19th, at 10 am, in the Church Hall at the Dovetail Centre. It runs through to Monday 28th, 10 till 4 daily.

You can’t miss the banners already outside the Methodist Church, so tell your friends, and everybody else you know, bring them along, have tea of coffee one morning in the Dovetail cafe…

Hampshire Open Studios HOS23

And while you’re visiting, don’t forget to visit our Studio set-up for Hampshire Open Studios this year. Artists will be working on their projects, as well as showing examples of their work.

Artists change from day to day so come back for a second visit and see some different approaches!

This will be in Meeting Room 3 (MR3), which is between the Church Hall and the car park at the rear. Times and dates as for the exhibition.