On Display: 🌊 Water, Woods & Wild Places🌳
- sarah816202
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
What a wonderful collection of artwork we have to share this week!
Water, Woods & Wild Places was a great way to explore the places in nature that people enjoy or remember, with everyone interpreting the theme in their own way.
Take some time to look through the gallery and see what catches your eye. What do you notice in each piece, and where does it take you?
We'd love to hear your thoughts, so please share your comments with our artists as you explore their work.
Alison - A stunning piece of artwork! Alison was working on these beautiful birds, a kingfisher and bee-eater. She carefully traced them before adding colour, using an information book as her guide. Your kingfisher is beautiful, Alison, and we’re looking forward to seeing your finished bee-eater with its dazzling colours too!
Felt-tip pens were used.
Andy – Wow, this is gorgeous! I remember saying to you how yellow the sand was, with a little shade from the palm trees. So memorable, and the sea looks really inviting. You’ve done the little waves out at sea really well, capturing the movement.
Andy worked with oil pastels to recreate a beach in Lanzarote from a photograph he took while there.
Matthew - This picture of sea waves came from his memories of spending time in Cornwall earlier this year. He remembered the sea being wavy and making a crashing noise, and that it was chilly and breezy.
I love this picture of Matthew's; it's really expressive! He remembered the waves, drew their shapes and described the sounds they made. A really connected sketch. Awesome work!
Black biro on a white Post-it pad.
Donna - Fantastic, detailed artwork, Donna! It took me a while to look at everything going on and appreciate all the little details.
Speaking with Donna, she told me this is 'Unicorn Lake', a lake she imagined near where she lives — and one she would love to be at! You can see Donna paddling around in the rowing boat before heading back to her house. There are lovely little ducks swimming on the lake, bulrushes by the water and gorgeous green grassland surrounding it.
Such a beautifully peaceful place to imagine being. Great imagination, Donna!
Felt-tip pens were used.
Phil - Fantastic comic-style media pages! I love how Phil has taken Haley Goggins, his cat, on adventures with him and his mum. It looks like they had an awesome time exploring the forest trails and having a picnic. When it was time to stargaze, Haley definitely had the comfiest bed!
The water activities looked awesome too. Such a fun and creative way to capture their adventures.
Phil used ChatGPT to create his artwork this week.
Sarah - My finished painting was inspired by memories of enjoyable cliff walks along the south coast, catching glimpses of waves breaking through flowering coastal vegetation.
I remember the crash of the waves, watching the rise and fall of the swell and feeling the sticky salt spray in the air, while always respecting the power of the sea. I was forever looking skyward too, watching seabirds dancing in the breeze and hearing their calls above the waves.
Acrylic paints on canvas were used.
Barbara - A truly magnificent heron! I love the bird's natural poise you've captured, standing in the water fishing as it patiently waits for its next meal.
Barbara explained that her painting is based on a photo she took of a heron on the river at Chorlton Meadows. She has worked in considered layers, adding more tones to the water and bringing the whole scene beautifully to life.
Watercolour paints were used.
What a colourful and expressive art session this was! Water, Woods & Wild Places sparked memories, imagination and our connection with nature, with so much expression coming through the senses — the colours we see, the sounds we hear and the way different places feel.
It also got us thinking about places we might like to explore and future adventures still to come.
After such a dry summer, our theme was a timely reminder of just how important water and its reserves are to us all. Our rivers, lakes and reservoirs support people, wildlife and the landscapes around us, and are something we can so easily take for granted.
Perhaps the artwork will inspire you to notice and enjoy some of the water, woods and wild places around you, and appreciate the sights, sounds and little details along the way.
If you’d like to join us for a future All4Art session, you’re always welcome. We meet online every Wednesday from 7:30–9 pm UK time.
Gorgeous artwork everyone!! xxx