31ST JULY 2025 - FLIXTON AVIATION MUSEUM

Flixton is a favoured spot to visit for EAG.  There are probably thousands of interesting items on display, from whole aircraft to memorabilia and engine parts.  Outside the hangars is a fascinating engine 'graveyard' which always provides popular subjects for sketching.  We met in the 'NAAFI' for a welcome coffee or tea, and then spread out, initially inside the hangar complex, to avoid the wet weather outside.  It did clear up, and proved quite warm and sunny.  I left early, but most members stayed for tea at the end of the day.

Avril brought Bob with her, and he behaved beautifully while she sketched just behind me.  Here is a selection of her work, which includes subjects both inside and out.

Sally L next.  These mechanical things are surprisingly organic, as you will see as we go along, not a few have faces, or expressions...

Now Frances, who said, 'Today I only took charcoal and felt pens which react with water. So a bit of a challenge with the subject!

'First , charcoal pattern created using fronts of the aircraft.
Second using the felt tips and water, a plane that felt looked ready to eat some prey!
Thirdly outside and just using felt tips and no water!'

Josie used charcoal to make a very vigorous sketch of this Spitfire.

While Harriet's  first drawing looks like it could almost be an illustration for a children's book, with a lovable character smiling at us.  The second is a mangled propeller.

Diana was working at home, with day lilies her inspiration, but she also sent a sketch done on a previous visit to Flixton.

Jackie gave a convincing background in her watercolour to this model hanging from the roof, putting it up in the air, where the original belongs.

Sally T says, 'I didn't make Flixton today. This is a water colour and ink sketch of sunflowers. I am practicing for Frog Farm.'

Carolyn has been experimenting, always a good thing to do.  Here she used primary colours to see if they made Green, Orange and Violet. She observed, 'It seems that the colours one uses is important. I have always liked the effect of cling film used here. Attached are my efforts but the scanner has not reproduced the colours quite correctly.'  She also had a visitor to her art room, who disappeared before she got her pad to draw him...

Sally P.   Pencil one is the Sepecat jaguar in pencil. 
Second a quick 20 min sketch of the damaged propellers in a water soluble twin ended felt tip pen and a bit of watercolor. Done as a semi blind contour.

I plonked myself down in front of a Spitfire, and drew it, the wings had been removed so I did it close up to hopefully disguise that.  
On the Messages from Members page you will find 3 posters for eshibitions at Wingfield Barns.
As I have been very slow to make a rota, I can't tell you today who is doing the blog next week, but I will add it to the Stop Press over the weekend.