Click here for full – Programme April 2024

Session Details:

• Monday am/pm               Pastels

1st and 3rd week  – Mary McTavish, jhmemcts@gmail.com

• Monday am/pm               Drawing

2nd and 4th week  Carol MacIntyre

• Tuesday am/pm                Open Studio

Greg Nicie  – gregorynicie@gmail.com

• Tuesday evening              Open Studio

Steve Cordery   027 510 6669

1st week of the month

• Wednesday am                Still Life

Sue Jones and Carol MacIntyre

2nd week of the month

• Wednesday am            Portraiture Group- fun for everyone

Sue Jones and Trish Holmes

3rd and 4th week of the month

• Wednesday am              Open studio

Janeen George – 0210 2363 236

• Wednesday pm             Open Studio

Richard Fenn – 577 1644 or 027 245 1741

• Thursday am                  Open Studio Oils

Karen Pritchard – 544 6574 or 021 197.3737

• Thursday pm                  Open for Watercolourists

Debbie Clarke and Diana Roband

1st and 3rd week of the month
• Friday am                       Life Drawing

Tanya Bamford King – 021 271 2493

Members are welcome to attend advertised sessions.

Pastel Painting Mary McTavish

Pastel Convenor
PANZ Rep for BOP

First and Third Monday Mornings of each month – continued in the afternoon

Pastel painters love the immediacy of drawing with a rich and painterly colouring power. If you haven’t used them before you may be surprised at how easily the essential techniques can be mastered. Learning to handle the pastels and the attractiveness of the work you can produce is very satisfying. You are welcome to attend Mary’s sessions and see for yourself the versatility of this medium which is suited to either large, ambitious compositions right down to small quick sketches. The whole pastel process is one of ease and simplicity – no palette to organise, no canvas to prepare, no need for water or turps and no clean-up afterwards.
Mary is passionate about her medium and will welcome you to her sessions to share the pleasure of working with pastels and will show the various types of pastel available, their wide range of colours, subtle hints and textures.

Open Studio

You will note that there are various “Open Studio” sessions throughout our monthly calendar. These times are when the art rooms are open and are for members to come with their current project to work on alongside fellow members for company, support, guidance, confidence and the sharing of a love of being in an artistic environment amongst like-minded people. Some Open Studio days indicate “Any Medium” and some are specific about which medium the group attending have chosen to work in. It is up to you which day or days is going to suit your life schedule. You are entitled to attend any and all of the advertised programme in our monthly Newsletter as part of your membership so check them out and see which appeal. We try to offer something for everyone.

Open Studio

Every Tuesday Morning of each month

“Any Medium” is predominantly attended by painters using acrylic paints, although other mediums are welcome to attend. An informal group that meet regularly to paint together who are friendly, welcoming and keen to meet new acrylic painters to join them.

Tuesday Night Art Sessions

Tuesday Evening of each month

Any medium is welcome to attend our only evening session available at this time. All members are welcome to attend. Come along to see what exciting happenings occur at these sessions. Sometimes in the summer the group paints en plein aire, they often set themselves painting challenges and always have lots of fun.

Open Studio – Acrylics and Other Mediums with Convenor Richard Fenn

Every Wednesday Afternoon of each month

This Open Studio provides a friendly cooperative atmosphere with artists attending who are experienced in pastel, water colour, acrylic, pencil and oils and can give assistance, if needed to any member. Richard says those coming are like a large family helping each other and enjoying the experience of art in a happy, supportive and relaxed atmosphere.

Oil Painting with Convenor Karen Pritchard

Every Thursday morning of each month

I’m Karen Pritchard, Leader of the Thursday art group. We are a friendly bunch, interested in each other’s work and multiple media techniques. We have several artists skilled in the use of oil paint, acrylics and water colours.
The last Thursday of each month an artist in the group will share four of their pictures.
Learn about using a variety of art methods, advice and support with your art work is available.

The use of oil paints can require solvents and strong smelling liquids which do not suit everyone. We set aside this special time for our special members who love these smells and produce amazing works with their medium of oil paints. Come and join the oil painting group if this is you, every Thursday morning of each month. New members are always welcome.

Special Workshops

Usually every Thursday afternoon of each month

Thursday Afternoons are set aside for special workshops. Please check the monthly Newsletter programme for information and dates of upcoming workshops.

Life Drawing with model – Convenor Tanya Bamford-King

First and Third Friday Mornings of each month

Covid Information for Life Drawing Sessions:

We are a vaccinated group, passes will be checked on arrival. You will need to register to attend the session. To register text Tanya at 021 271 2493 or message via Facebook Life Drawing page no later that Wednesday before the session.

There is a small cost of $10 per attending member to pay for the model who sits for the session non members are welcome but model fee is $15. These sessions are to improve your skill of drawing live, typically nude models. The degree of representation can range from being highly detailed, anatomically correct renderings through to loose and expressive sketches.
The importance of life drawing for the serious visual artist is the drawing and mark making on a ground which is fundamentally at the root of all visual understanding. It is said that through this practice mankind is able to organise the world visually. Once you have studied drawing a figure seriously your non-figurative art will be stronger and have more substance. Try it out on a Friday morning and see for yourself.

Practical art sessions

Second and Fourth Friday Mornings of each month

The art rooms are used by U3A for Practical art sessions.