After the fantastic summer we’ve had, we shouldn’t complain about some much-needed rain.  But does it have to be on a Thursday?  Spirits hardly dampened though, two members showed up in the morning, chatted with our host Shila, enjoyed her welcome coffee, and in a slight lull went outside to take some photos in her beautiful but parched garden.​

​Fingers crossed for better weather next week at Wortham.

I came across an old EAG Newsletter of Sylvia Philpot’s the other day - some of you will remember our former Chairman.  It was a particularly wet season and she said:  “…it will take a lot to dampen the spirits of members of the Guild.”  That surely applied today, when eight members ventured forth and after making a few soggy starts retreated to the barn, where there were all sorts of interesting subjects to draw.  But it was draughty and cold (cold??? yes, cold after all those sizzling temperatures!) and it poured down incessantly, but spirits were undampened and we sensibly knocked off just after 2pm to take a very welcome early tea at Sally’s. 

We have visited Hoxne Watermill a couple of times before.  We are so lucky to have occasional access to this private location, with its wonderful mill, old cottage, river and distant views across the River Waveney, meadows and grazing cattle. 

Mrs Wheeler showed us a catalogue for the exhibition “Munnings and the River” at the Munnings Museum.  She pointed out that Munnings had lived in a cottage here for a time and he had written about his love of the river, the mill and landscape hereabouts in his autobiography.  I hope to obtain a copy of an extract she showed us, which refers particularly to Hoxne Watermill. ​

By the way, Sally makes excellent ginger cake and I’m sure the rest of her cakes were delicious as well.  Many thanks Sally!​

Hope to see lots of you next week at Thorpe Abbotts Hall.

Click on images to enlarge them.

We had to restrain our eagerness to see our new Summer Exhibition at Dickleburgh this morning, whilst queueing at the locked gates!  Our resourceful committee soon gained entry however, and we (12 or so) found our hung pictures looking splendid.  

Flowers and plants engaged most of us.  We had no access to the animals today - apart from beautiful George the horse who posed briefly but was really just looking for food and didn’t stay.  

​Our real work of art came at tea time - see Jacque’s raspberry and cream sponge.  Sally P’s apple cake was less photogenic but equally delicious.  We looked at each other's sketches over tea as usual.  Lesley showed us some of her textile work, which is work-in-progress.

Join us at Hoxne Watermill next week, tea at Sally P's.

Hot today, or what?  It was scorching!  Must have been a record, somewhere in the thirties.  How fortunate then that Sarah made her swimming pool available to us, resulting in some gentle cavorting, as a welcome break from artwork.  Just eight of us present - where were the gents today???  Sarah also brought us refreshing cold drinks during the day, and later supplied delicious scones and cake for tea.  Thank you Sarah - also for the story about your Dad (Tony) who vowed to have a word with his Maker about Gravity and Perspective.  I wonder if he did.
A variety of subjects lent themselves to sketching and the opportunity to experiment with different materials.  I think we had some very interesting results.  Click on images to enlarge them.
By the way, spot the blurs mentioned at tea - another ‘experiment!​

​Next week it’s Shorelands (Dickleburgh), where we will be able to see our Summer Exhibition, besides doing some drawing and painting.  We hope lots of you will come, even if it is just to look at the pictures and have a coffee and chat.

Late entry: Carolyn worked at home, drawing their log pile.

The plan to meet in Eye and share lifts worked very well and I think everyone felt we had an excellent day at Pin Mill.  Thank you, drivers!  
The sun shone, the views were wonderful, there were no end of boats, buildings, and marine paraphernalia to sketch.  The Butt and Oyster was on hand all day for refreshments and that is where we gathered for tea and a viewing of our work.  
Pity about the smell outdoors…..  but I suppose you can’t have everything!
By the way, those of you who know Joan Henriques, now resettled in Canada, might like to see the artwork she has just sent us, which is now on her Gallery page,
Next week Sara Hucklesby, whose father Tony was a much loved member of the Guild for many years, has kindly invited us back to her home and garden for our painting day.  I hope to see many of you there.
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Click on images to enlarge them.

The first task today (for some of the Committee at least) was to put up our new exhibition in the café at the Centre and take down the previous pictures.  And a very nice display it makes too, all in their square black frames.  Photos of them can now be found on the Exhibitions page (click here).  

Some sketching was done too, though as usual the birds and animals were quicker than us!  The landscapes were more forgiving and twelve of us had a go in whatever time was left.  Eight stayed for tea - not expensive when you consider that entry to the Centre is entirely free.

Is this the same deer that pinched the kitchen towel roll out of my bag, which swiftly started to unwind, then proceeded to munch and eat one whole sheet?

Avril welcomed us to her garden, with interesting trees in and around, borders, pots, chickens, beehives and more.  There were also old village cottages and buildings nearby. 
It was another hot, dry, windless day which brought out more of those little black beetles and clouds of thunder flies to plague us.  But we soldiered on.  

Earsham (Bungay/Beccles) next week - see our latest exhibition there.

Twelve members gathered here, with 8 lasting to tea time, where we were regaled with an assortment of delicious home-made cakes, courtesy of Avril's husband I understand.  Meanwhile, Avril kept us hydrated all day with offers of tea, coffee and cold drinks.
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Below are some of the ways we tried our hand at sketching.

​As usual, click on images to enlarge them.
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Coffee first (never let it be said we don't get our priorities right!) at the Good, Bad and Hungry café, next to the equestrian centre.  

Fourteen of us put in an appearance today, with nine staying the course till tea time, painting in and around the café and surroundings or in Wingfield village with its huge, ancient church.

Those in the churchyard - and perhaps others too - were invaded and pestered by those tiny little black beetles, some of whom met an untimely end mixed into the paint or in the water jar; others were sat on!

A visitor to the church stopped by and was very chatty, telling us about the photographs he was taking for a book, which he promised to send when published - ask Sally T!

We've been having some problems with the web-site and cannot update anything apart from the blog until some "issues" are resolved with Weebly.  Our old friend Roy is working on it.

Avril's next week.

Click on images to enlarge them

Lovely Les - a popular host.  Must be, as 19 of us turned up today.  We sketched around the house, the borders or up the steps for the view across the fields.  Or just enjoyed the get together with tea, coffee and absolutely, truly scrumptious cake.  Pity Les couldn't do anything about the strong, cold wind which fought with the sun to cause us most difficulty.  But clearly everyone still enjoyed the day and produced work shown below.
Click images to enlarge them.
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​Wingfield next week.