So sorry that there was not a blog last week due to a busy time by the bloggers. Members  enjoyed Judith's garden last week and we had a glorious day today at Frog Farm where the Sunflowers looked magnificent and some of the pumpkins were out.  

Below are the pumpkin flowers, bee hives and some more sunflowers

Ian made two oil paintings, one of the sunflowers but unfortunately artists planted their easels in front of him so it made it a bit difficult. He made a start on a close up of two sunflowers.

Sally L used acrylic ink to do the first painting and she showed the recession of the flowers beautifully in both, and Sally said  the trees and sky in the background worked well.

Frances was busy with her watercolours and also did some drawings and a painting from last week

Jackie loosened up by drawing sunflowers and achieved wonderfully realistic paintings  

Sally P was very productive today and did her doodle sketches painted hut and pencil  drawings of a wooden shelter.

Two sketches from Sally P done in Judith's garden last week.

Harriet painted a closeup of the sunflowers, the hut and showed style bringing the eye into the landscape.

she also showed skill in perspective last week at Judith's 

Lesley produced the most realistic colours in these paintings the pumpkin was subtle and the sunflowers viberant.

I also received from Lesley a painting done last week

I did my usual trick by doing too much

Carolyn sent in two drawings which also show how clever she is to put in so much detail

Judith e mailed these wonderful sketches done in pencil and ink, I think they have so much character, they look like they are pecking away merrily. 

Diana said she had been finishing an old painting taken from even older sketch done on Bodmin Moor, 'Not sure why I find sketching really easy and painting so difficult...'

Jane took sunflowers home to draw and took photos this morning. 'I'm hoping to do more work based on this mornings visit to Frog farm.'

Thank you everybody that contributed to the blog it is most appreciated. 

Sally is blogster next week

There was a warm and windy welcome for seven of us at Flixton today. Flixton is a familiar site, and we all  have our favourite subjects there whether it is the array of 'big beasts' the aeroplanes in the static display or the weathered remains of engine parts dredged up from the sea, which have developed an attractive patina with age and salt water, or the vast range of related artefacts inside the hangars.

The hangars and Nissan huts were almost too hot to work in so we installed ourselves in patches of shade around the site.

Harriet was only here until lunchtime, but completed a lovely tonal sketch and two watercolours of the aircraft on display, and a detailed drawing of part of an engine. 

Two pieces from Sally T who says… The first was of  a smashed up Juno 21engine   from a German bomber found in Lowestoft. I started in pencil and  carried on with pen. My intention was to simplify the shapes as it was complicated but I got caught up in the detail. I will try to finish it  working from photos. The second was a 28c Trojan rescue plane in  pen and intense pencil. It was the colour and lettering which interested  me rather than the shapes.

Josie was attracted to one of the large static planes, Sally P., and I also painted this plane, - I wish I’d written down what it was…

Sally P. tackled the same large plane in watercolour, and some detailed paintings of a butterfly bomb, and another intriguing piece of equipment, which could almost be a musical instrument

and Jackie  managed to introduce an almost comic element into her graphic drawing of the section of an engine which has almost taken on the characteristics of a playful robo-bug, and also what has almost become her trademark , including one of us in her picture, this time a delicate drawing of Harriet at work.

Ian made a detailed initial sketch and then included it in his finished watercolour

and this is my version of the 'difficult large plane' which I think had taken on some human characteristics and was looking rather smug. I also like the juxtaposition of a large piece of machinery against the backdrop of peaceful countryside.

Lesley is on holiday in the Cotswolds, she says, looking eastwards towards the Cotswold escarpment, the first is a pen and wash sketch, and the second from a slightly different angle in alkayd oils.

Frances is also on holiday, and sends three pieces of work. The first a pencil sketch, ‘Beach shapes’, ‘Beach Flora and Fauna’,(snails on fennel) and thirdly further development of an earlier painting.

And finally another delicate pencil drawing from Carolyn of a Monarda from her garden. I’m very jealous, all the petals have dropped on mine!   

And finally…
There will be no blog next week 22nd
so to avoid overload on the following week 29th, could you please send two pictures from both sessions to Avril for publication on the 29th.

Thank you
​Sally

I was sorry not to have gone to John's house today - grandparent duties called.  Thanks to John and Caroline for great hosting, as can be seen from the coffee and teatime photos.  Six members came today (including Diana on her first outing this year).  Both the B1077 and A140 have sections  closed today, which may partly account for the low numbers.
The flowers in John’s garden looked amazing, but most of us were drawn to the landscape surrounding the house, or to do portraits of each other, until in the afternoon it clouded over and rain stopped play...

Jackie was not able to send her work from Hoxne Watermill last week, so she has included it with what she achieved this week.  So here is a study of the chimney of the watermill, and a watercolour of the bridge, together with a sketch of John's outbuilding and a study of birch trees from his garden.

As mentioned above, this was Diana's first outing this year (as Lesley said, tempted out to see her old house) and she used it not only to make her own sketches, but also to give Sally P and Lesley an impromptu tutorial.  She used pens and water while out and added some oil pastel at home for the third image here.

Sally P said, 'I was a slightly later arrival as I cycled the 2.7 miles there! There weren't many of us there today, but those that turned up produced a fair amount of work! 
Diana came along which was great. I positioned myself strategically behind her and was given some great guidance. Three pictures are of the same view and the last was the back of Lesley, done whilst I was sitting for John. I love the way the paint reacts on the acrylic painted w/c paper.  (Suggested by Diana) For me, a great way to loosen up.'

I have been busy with varnishing and fixings, so not much time for sketching.  Next week your blogger will be Sally L (don't forget to get your contributions in by 6pm on Thursday to be included) and EAG will be paying its annual visit to the Air Museum at Flixton.  I hope to see you there.

Driving down to Hoxne this morning, rather early because there was also a committee meeting at Sally P's house, it looked as though the day might be a washout. It had been cool when I set out, but the rain began to fall quite heavily.  However, by the time we had finished our meeting, and I had followed Sally L down the long and winding road (the length of the drive, with little possibility of passing is quite daunting), the watermill and the house next to it were bathed in sunshine.  This is a lovely spot, next to the River Waveney, with beautiful planting and housemartins constantly wheeling in and out of their many nests high up in the watermill.  Unfortunately, I don't seem to have a decent photo of the two buildings together, close up - don't know what went wrong there, but I think you will get a flavour from those below. (Thanks to Sally P for sending me some more photos, now added below) There were 10 of us eventually, but I left early, so didn't get to sample what sounded like delicious cakes at Sally P's.

I shall start first with Diana, who has not been able to join us for some time, but is none the less busy with her art as usual, and, as usual, not afraid to boldly remodel her work.  She said, 'Wondering why I painted over this several years ago ,might give it another go.  So I’ve been playing around with it as photo, and collage, with ink ( dont bother with this one) [I've ignored that - I think it's interesting. H]

Frances certainly achieved quite a lot today.  Here is her work:
Four A5 sketches - Mill and bridge, Looking at the structure! Don’t like this at all! Then decided to be delicate!  A3 version of first sketch using Art Graf, felt tip and some coloured pencil.

The third picture is a drawing I did this week to make a card.  It is from one of the wonderful peonies I left behind in Thorndon.  I haven't had much luck with the peonies in my new house.
Don't forget to check the Stop Press before setting out to make sure you have any info you need for the venue.  Details of who the blogger will be will also be there next week.
There will shortly be some info on the Members Only page about the exhibition in Diss, and future possibilities.