Where else have we been painting in May?

Outdoor watercolour painting groups with Kirstin White

During May 2019 Kirstin White’s watercolour painting groups have been getting out and about. We have been fortunate with the weather, managing to pick the right time in the day to miss any showers and make the most of the sunshine. In May we have been to Micheldever, Nun’s Walk and Abbey Gardens in Winchester, All Saints’ Church in Dummer, Winnal Moors and St Giles’ Hill in Winchester, and Preston Candover

Dummer painting group in Preston Candover

• Dummer Art Group found a rural idyll in Preston Candover! The old church there is set in a paddock frequented by sheep and butterflies. Rain the night before had made the setting look especially lush and green. Having tackled perspective drawing in previous classes, today, the group were able to concentrate on creating an interesting composition for their watercolour.

Winchester painting group at Nuns’ Walk in Winchester

• On a warm and breezy day in May, we visited Nuns’ Walk. This is a pleasant footpath that begins in North Walls Recreation Ground. The painting challenge for the class was to depict reflections in the River Itchen. Although reflections can be a tricky subject in watercolour, everyone managed to pull off a successful painting.

• While we were in the recreation ground, we spotted a rescue helicopter and watched it take off from the ground. As far as we could discover, nobody had been hurt.

The painting groups make a second visit to Micheldever

• On our second visit to Micheldever, the group were more familiar with their surroundings and spoilt for choice over which views to choose to paint. The class spread out and settled down to a lovely peaceful morning amongst flowers, listening to bird song and enjoying their painting time.

The painting groups visit All Saints’ Church in Dummer

• Being a location early in the series of venues the art group visited in May, the church in Dummer caused a lot of discussion about perspective drawing. The building has been modified over the years, there are architectural additions and a considerable variety of different building materials have been used. Although the building itself presents a complicated drawing subject, All Saints’ Dummer proved to be a popular location with the group and some really impressive painting resulted.

Watercolour painting in Abbey Gardens in Winchester

• The weather was spectacular when we visited Abbey Gardens in Winchester May sunshine brought lots of people out to spend lunchtime in the sun. We chatted with other artists, met tourists from Canada and the United States and tried to avoid some rather rowdy locals! Not everyone in the painting group chose the parks trees and flower beds, some people painted a view of Winchester Cathedral, while others the rather hansom council offices.

Watercolour painting in gardens near Micheldever

• Dummer Art Group were invited to paint in beautiful spring gardens near Micheldever. Just as the group were thinking about what they wanted to paint, there was an off-putting sprinkle of rain, and so we arranged to come back to the garden another time. In the event, however, the rain passed quickly and consequently, there was time for a demonstration watercolour, hot coffee and ginger cake!

• Clematis montana, Tulips, Heuchera, Lonicera periclymenum and a striking Judas Tree (Cercis siliquastrum) were all looking fabulous in the gardens at Micheldever during early May.

The Painting Group Calendar for June 2019

Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat/Sun
3	4	5 1pm- 3pm Avington	6 11.15 -1.15 Avington	7	8/9
10	11	12 1pm- 3pm Shawford	13 11.15 -1.15 Easton	14	15/16
17	18	19 1pm- 3pm Cheriton	20 11.15 -1.15 Cheriton	21	22/23
24	25	26 1pm- 3pm Shawford	27 11.15 -1.15 Easton	28	29/30

• If you would like to join for any of the painting sessions planned for June or July 2019 then please use the contact form. Full details of locations will be sent to you on enrolment.