Calendar of Meetings
Our Wednesday afternoon meetings are held in Swalecliffe and Chestfield Community Centre, 19 St Johns Road, Whitstable, CT5 2QU from 2.00pm to 4.00pm.
Charges are £1 per session and £3 for demonstrations. Members may bring guests to the demonstrations for which the charge will also be £3.
We hope that you find the themes for this year's meetings enjoyable and inspiring. Some sessions may run over more than one week and there will be some group work.
For regular meetings and workshops (marked M or W), please bring along art materials and resources as indicated in the Calendar. For a set-up (S), please bring items relating to the theme. These will be combined into a still life set-up. For demonstrations (marked D) just come along and enjoy watching and learning from some excellent artists.
Any alterations to the programme will be notified by e-mail or on the NEWS page.
Charges are £1 per session and £3 for demonstrations. Members may bring guests to the demonstrations for which the charge will also be £3.
We hope that you find the themes for this year's meetings enjoyable and inspiring. Some sessions may run over more than one week and there will be some group work.
For regular meetings and workshops (marked M or W), please bring along art materials and resources as indicated in the Calendar. For a set-up (S), please bring items relating to the theme. These will be combined into a still life set-up. For demonstrations (marked D) just come along and enjoy watching and learning from some excellent artists.
Any alterations to the programme will be notified by e-mail or on the NEWS page.
Please check the NEWS section for any changes to the programme.
Please bring your preferred art materials with you to the meeting unless otherwise stated.
Wednesday 10th January 2024
(S) Jewellery still life.
Wednesday 24th January 2024
(M) Introduction to the 2024 Horsebridge exhibition in March – this year's theme is On the Move (Val Beck). More details are shown on the NEWS page.
A5 canvases will be available to purchase for £1 each. Members are invited to start painting an A5 canvas on the theme of nature. These will be displayed at the Horsebridge exhibition.
Wednesday 7th February 2024
(M) Composite Picture - enlarge a small piece of a famous painting, which when combined will recreate a full size reproduction. Bring your own paints, inks or coloured pencils; paper will be provided. The finished image will be displayed during our Horsebridge exhibition next month. Examples of previous years mosaic pictures can be seen on the Home page of the website.
Wednesday 21st February 2024
(D) Roger Swan – portrait demonstration.
Wednesday 6th March 2024
(M) Tonal painting using a single colour. We will be using white plus one other colour to paint the subject of your choice - any medium you choose.
Wednesday 13th March 2024 to Monday 25th March 2024 - Horsebridge Exhibition – On the Move.
Wednesday 20th March 2024
(W) Sheila MacLurkin – Mixed media workshop. You will need to bring some different types of paper, paints and pens for a collage. You may also need some scissors and glue. Please bring a notebook or notepaper. A tactile experience!
Wednesday 3rd April 2024
(M) Abstract landscape painting – any media.
Wednesday 17th April 2024
(D) Michael Hutchison – Working in oil paints – night scenes.
Wednesday 1st May 2024
(M) Paint a corner. This can be a room, a shed, a cafe, a pub, a restaurant, a library or any corner of a room that you choose.
Wednesday 15th May 2024
(W) Andy Mullins – Demonstration of how to draw hands, feet and eyes. Please bring pens, pencils and paper; also any relevant reference material.
Wednesday 29th May 2024
(S) Gardening – Bring items of gardening equipment for a central setup.
Wednesday 12th June 2024
(W) Jacqueline Browning – Workshop on acrylic pouring.
Unfortunately, this workshop has been CANCELLED at short notice.
Please bring a canvas to work on. Also bring covering for table, apron, rubber gloves, acrylic paint, PVA glue, pots for water and paint mixing, wooden stirring sticks, palette knives, creme brulee torch (if you have one). Acrylic pouring can be messy, so please wear old clothes.
Wednesday 26th June 2024
(W) Jill Akhurst – A workshop on the best way to use pastels. Please bring some pastels and paper, if you have them (see the NEWS page for more detail).
Wednesday 10th July 2024
(W) Carol Miles and Julia Parker – A collage workshop inspired by Matisse's cut outs and techniques. Please bring some coloured paper, tissue, glue and scissors.
Wednesday 24th July 2024
(M) Imaginative painting – start with a small square of a painting (provided), put it somewhere on your painting surface and extend it into a larger image.
Wednesday 7th August 2024
(M) Shadows – Create shadows using black on a white surface or white on black.
Wednesday 21st August 2024
(D) Three corners – In three corners of the room we have three artists demonstrating their techniques. Wendy Mills will be painting skies in acrylic; Yvonne Gambrill will be using pastels; Denise Collar will be demonstrating continuity of painting (concertina books). Come along and watch.
Wednesday 4th September 2024
MEETING CANCELLED
(W) Carol Miles – Print-making collagraph. Please bring a piece of mount card for your image plate, some textured material to stick on (such as textured wallpaper or packing tape), rollers, craft knife, dessert spoon and glue, such as PVA or Pritt stick. Bring paper to print your image on to.
THIS WORKSHOP HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO NOVEMBER
Wednesday 11th September 2024
(M) An informal "bring your own work" session to replace last week's cancelled meeting.
Wednesday 18th September 2024
(M) Painting miniature pictures – A5 and smaller.
Wednesday 18th September 2024 to Tuesday 24th September 2024 - Fishslab Exhibition.
Wednesday 2nd October 2024
(D/W) Camille Serisier – Fundamentals of drawing. Please bring your drawing materials - pencils, paper or sketch book, erasers, pencil sharpeners etc.
Wednesday 16th October 2024
(M) Draw or paint characters from literature.
Wednesday 30th October 2024
(M) Annual General Meeting - Please bring along some of the work you have produced during the year.
Wednesday 13th November 2024
(W) Carol Miles – Print-making collagraph. Please bring a piece of mount card for your image plate, some textured material to stick on (such as textured wallpaper or packing tape), rollers, craft knife, dessert spoon and glue, such as PVA or Pritt stick. Bring paper to print your image on to.
Printmaking is always a bit messy, so you may want to wear gloves and an apron.
Wednesday 27th November 2024
(W) Jacqueline Browning – Watercolour painting of sea and sky.
Please bring some watercolour paper, watercolour paints, white gouache, coloured gouache (optional), brushes, water container and paper towels.
Wednesday 11th December 2024
(M) Christmas Social Afternoon with quiz, chat and nibbles. This is the final session of 2024. See the NEWS page for details.
Wednesday 8th January 2025
(W) Carol Miles & Aidan Flood - Paint in the style of another artist, using art cards.
Wednesday 22nd January 2025
(M) Dreams, nightmares, surrealism.
Wednesday 5th February 2025
(M) Composite Picture - Enlarge a small piece of a famous painting, which when combined will recreate a full size reproduction.
Wednesday 19th February 2024
(D) Roger Swan – Introduction to using Sterling board.
Wednesday 5th March 2024
(M) Make your own composition using Sterling board.
Wednesday 12th March 2025 to Monday 24th March 2025 - Horsebridge Exhibition – This Creative Life.
Please bring your preferred art materials with you to the meeting unless otherwise stated.
Wednesday 10th January 2024
(S) Jewellery still life.
Wednesday 24th January 2024
(M) Introduction to the 2024 Horsebridge exhibition in March – this year's theme is On the Move (Val Beck). More details are shown on the NEWS page.
A5 canvases will be available to purchase for £1 each. Members are invited to start painting an A5 canvas on the theme of nature. These will be displayed at the Horsebridge exhibition.
Wednesday 7th February 2024
(M) Composite Picture - enlarge a small piece of a famous painting, which when combined will recreate a full size reproduction. Bring your own paints, inks or coloured pencils; paper will be provided. The finished image will be displayed during our Horsebridge exhibition next month. Examples of previous years mosaic pictures can be seen on the Home page of the website.
Wednesday 21st February 2024
(D) Roger Swan – portrait demonstration.
Wednesday 6th March 2024
(M) Tonal painting using a single colour. We will be using white plus one other colour to paint the subject of your choice - any medium you choose.
Wednesday 13th March 2024 to Monday 25th March 2024 - Horsebridge Exhibition – On the Move.
Wednesday 20th March 2024
(W) Sheila MacLurkin – Mixed media workshop. You will need to bring some different types of paper, paints and pens for a collage. You may also need some scissors and glue. Please bring a notebook or notepaper. A tactile experience!
Wednesday 3rd April 2024
(M) Abstract landscape painting – any media.
Wednesday 17th April 2024
(D) Michael Hutchison – Working in oil paints – night scenes.
Wednesday 1st May 2024
(M) Paint a corner. This can be a room, a shed, a cafe, a pub, a restaurant, a library or any corner of a room that you choose.
Wednesday 15th May 2024
(W) Andy Mullins – Demonstration of how to draw hands, feet and eyes. Please bring pens, pencils and paper; also any relevant reference material.
Wednesday 29th May 2024
(S) Gardening – Bring items of gardening equipment for a central setup.
Wednesday 12th June 2024
(W) Jacqueline Browning – Workshop on acrylic pouring.
Unfortunately, this workshop has been CANCELLED at short notice.
Please bring a canvas to work on. Also bring covering for table, apron, rubber gloves, acrylic paint, PVA glue, pots for water and paint mixing, wooden stirring sticks, palette knives, creme brulee torch (if you have one). Acrylic pouring can be messy, so please wear old clothes.
Wednesday 26th June 2024
(W) Jill Akhurst – A workshop on the best way to use pastels. Please bring some pastels and paper, if you have them (see the NEWS page for more detail).
Wednesday 10th July 2024
(W) Carol Miles and Julia Parker – A collage workshop inspired by Matisse's cut outs and techniques. Please bring some coloured paper, tissue, glue and scissors.
Wednesday 24th July 2024
(M) Imaginative painting – start with a small square of a painting (provided), put it somewhere on your painting surface and extend it into a larger image.
Wednesday 7th August 2024
(M) Shadows – Create shadows using black on a white surface or white on black.
Wednesday 21st August 2024
(D) Three corners – In three corners of the room we have three artists demonstrating their techniques. Wendy Mills will be painting skies in acrylic; Yvonne Gambrill will be using pastels; Denise Collar will be demonstrating continuity of painting (concertina books). Come along and watch.
Wednesday 4th September 2024
MEETING CANCELLED
(W) Carol Miles – Print-making collagraph. Please bring a piece of mount card for your image plate, some textured material to stick on (such as textured wallpaper or packing tape), rollers, craft knife, dessert spoon and glue, such as PVA or Pritt stick. Bring paper to print your image on to.
THIS WORKSHOP HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO NOVEMBER
Wednesday 11th September 2024
(M) An informal "bring your own work" session to replace last week's cancelled meeting.
Wednesday 18th September 2024
(M) Painting miniature pictures – A5 and smaller.
Wednesday 18th September 2024 to Tuesday 24th September 2024 - Fishslab Exhibition.
Wednesday 2nd October 2024
(D/W) Camille Serisier – Fundamentals of drawing. Please bring your drawing materials - pencils, paper or sketch book, erasers, pencil sharpeners etc.
Wednesday 16th October 2024
(M) Draw or paint characters from literature.
Wednesday 30th October 2024
(M) Annual General Meeting - Please bring along some of the work you have produced during the year.
Wednesday 13th November 2024
(W) Carol Miles – Print-making collagraph. Please bring a piece of mount card for your image plate, some textured material to stick on (such as textured wallpaper or packing tape), rollers, craft knife, dessert spoon and glue, such as PVA or Pritt stick. Bring paper to print your image on to.
Printmaking is always a bit messy, so you may want to wear gloves and an apron.
Wednesday 27th November 2024
(W) Jacqueline Browning – Watercolour painting of sea and sky.
Please bring some watercolour paper, watercolour paints, white gouache, coloured gouache (optional), brushes, water container and paper towels.
Wednesday 11th December 2024
(M) Christmas Social Afternoon with quiz, chat and nibbles. This is the final session of 2024. See the NEWS page for details.
Wednesday 8th January 2025
(W) Carol Miles & Aidan Flood - Paint in the style of another artist, using art cards.
Wednesday 22nd January 2025
(M) Dreams, nightmares, surrealism.
Wednesday 5th February 2025
(M) Composite Picture - Enlarge a small piece of a famous painting, which when combined will recreate a full size reproduction.
Wednesday 19th February 2024
(D) Roger Swan – Introduction to using Sterling board.
Wednesday 5th March 2024
(M) Make your own composition using Sterling board.
Wednesday 12th March 2025 to Monday 24th March 2025 - Horsebridge Exhibition – This Creative Life.