10am-5pm
After months of scorchingly hot summer days we were concerned that the event might have to be cancelled because of extreme heat and then that concern changed to forecast rainy weather. As it turned out both days were just about right ... not too hot with only minor interruptions because of light rain. The exhibiting members enjoyed a relaxed an enjoyable time showing their creative efforts to the hundreds of passing strollers, dog-walkers, boaters waiting for the lock gates to open and cyclists - those sensible enough to get off their bikes. There were lots of positive comments from members of the public and quite a few were tempted to buy what they saw. All in all a really enjoyable and worthwhile event ... glad we did it!
7.00-10.00pm
Held in our regular venue, the 2026 Annual General Meeting was well-attended by many familiar faces but also a number of newer members. As members gathered there were refreshments available before the formal proceedings commenced, hosted by Stephen Waxman (Treasurer) and Paul Potter (Chair). The principal items on the agenda were Paul's review of the last year followed by the financial statement given by Stephen. The overall picture was an optimistic one inspite of a small loss caused by slightly lower income from sales at the Spring Exhibition and increased costs associated with the website. There then followed the presentation of awards from the spring show and the announcement of promotions to Associateship and Fellowship. Paul announced that existing committee members were willing to stand for re-election and this was proposed and seconded by members from the floor. Under Any Other Business Paul suggested that the annual subscription for full members be increased to £25 and for non-exhibiting members to £15. This was proposed and seconded by members from the floor. He also announced that both he and Stephen would be retiring from their respective roles at the 2027 AGM although would remain on the committee in advisory roles. It is essential that their present roles are taken over in some form by new committee members, otherwise the future of the Society after 2027 is at risk. The formal proceedings of the AGM were followed by a very entertaining demonstration by the ever-popular Chris Forsey in which he created a Devon Valley scene in acrylics in his usual energetic style.
10am - 3pm
Gerri Besgrove was our tutor for the second summer workshop which was based on the use of the palette knife for painting. She started proceedings with a brief outline of various techniques including impasto and 'buttery' application of paint and also sgraffito or scratching into the paint surface. Gerri had supplied various references which featured rocky seascapes but we were, of course, free to use our own photographs. These provided the starting point for a session of experimentation with an implement that many of us had only used for mixing paints on the palette. Gerri toured the room tirelessly giving advice and expanding on techniques that gave effects not easily achieved any other way. Many of us were certainly out of our comfort zone but by the end of the session, the results were definitely evidence of an enjoyable and successful day of learning.
10am - 3pm
For our first summer workshop the ever popular Chris Forsey returned to transport us to the wild and rocky coast of Cornwall. Although Chris had supplied some reference photos, these were just a starting point and he was keen for us to develop our paintings without slavishly trying to replicate the reference. His demonstartion started with the application of a very loose golden background in acrylic paint mixed with plenty of medium. He then worked in more loose areas of darker colour from a limited palette to delineate the basic structure of the painting. We went away to apply the same process to our blank paper or canvas and returned to see Chris develop his painting at various stages. He encouraged us to be free with our use of paint and acrylic ink and with the implements we used to apply them... he is particularly keen on using a palette knife. Chris was constantly on hand to offer advice and encourage us to have fun with the process. At the end of the session there was an impressive gallery of work - evidence of a creative and enjoyable workshop.
2.00pm – 5.00pm
As Marcia Hughes was unable to lead the workshop, Margie Haslewood kindly stepped in. She arrived with a magnificent array of fresh flowers which she arranged in several displays for us to work from. After a brief introduction in which she emphasised the need to concentrate on shapes and tone rather than too much detail the assembled members set about painting their own floral compositions. At the end of the afternoon there was an impressive gallery of work from established and new members alike. A very instructive and enjoyable few hours.
2.00pm – 5.00pm
An enthusiastic group of members gathered to emulate Sharon’s watercolour techniques demonstrated last night. One of the popular ones was applying cling film in different ways to get a variety of effects. The outcome was a gallery of accomplished and original works.
7.45pm – 10.00pm
Tonight we had the return of our friend Sharon Hurst giving us her version of a Summer Scene. Already sketched out on Bockingford 140lb paper, she started with the sky and took us through through her process of creating an idyllic scene using many techniques, some of which we had not seen before. She extolled the virtues of Samuel Smith and Jackman paints using the granulation to achieve interesting effects. An interesting and educational evening.
2.00pm – 5.00pm
Regrettably this event had to be cancelled due to very high temperatures and concern for the welfare of these beautiful birds. They will return at a future date to be confirmed.
2.00pm – 5.00pm
Today we put into practice what Ella had demonstrated last night. Ella provided references for us to use, along with various materials including gelli prints which she had prepared for us. Collage is not a fast process, but it was amazing what our members achieved in the afternoon, some virtually complete, others work in progress, but all of them testament to Ella’s enthusiasm for her subject.
7.45pm – 10.00pm
Ella’s subject for a landscape in collage was Slygachan on the Isle of Skye. She started by explaining the methods she uses, one being the jigsaw approach where she cuts exact shapes to fit the design, the other being a looser technique laying down various qualities of paper, including maps and old family handwritten letters, and then drawing or painting into the result. This was a fascinating evening enjoyed by both artists and craft members; the resulting artwork will be on Ella’s Instagram account when it is completed.
2.00pm – 5.00pm
After a really enjoyable and informative demonstration, Mark returned to host the follow-up workshop. For those who had missed the demo he ran through the key points of his working method while others made a start on their own marine sunset. For the rest of the afternoon Mark toured the room offering help and encouragement and by the end of the session an impressive gallery of work had been assembled. A creative and enjoyable few hours and Mark's input was greatly appreciated.
7.45pm – 10.00pm
A very well-attended demonstration welcomed back Mark for another journey to the coast ... this time at sunset. He began with a quick review of his working process and explained the importance to him of sketching on the spot which together with reference photos gives him the starting point for a more finished painting. Using a canvas with a pale raw sienna background Mark sketched out in paint the basic shapes of the composition. His method involves applying quite dilute acrylic paint in layers and the quick drying time of the medium helps with this. The sky was tackled first, then the sea and finally the foreground and all the time Mark was moving around the canvas energetically and ensuring that colours from one area were echoed elsewhere in the painting. When layers were dry enough he returned to them to refine the colours and add texture all done with synthetic square-ended and rigger brushes and palette knife. The end result was an atmospheric evocation of a stretch of coast just after the 'golden hour' with the sky suffused with sunset colours. We will try and emulate this at the follow-up workshop hosted by Mark.
11.00am–5.00pm
The Molesey Art Society’s Spring Exhibition 2026 proved to be a delightful showcase of local talent and creative expression. Hosted in the heart of the community, the event featured artists from the surrounding area, and we welcomed a healthy number of visitors who came to appreciate the array of works. The exhibition featured a diverse selection of paintings and crafts, with pieces ranging from the contemporary to the traditional.
One of the highlights was the strong sense of community, with many artists present to discuss their inspiration and techniques. The quality of the artwork was high, demonstrating both technical skill and imaginative flair. Notably, the society’s commitment to nurturing emerging talent was evident in the inclusion of several new members whose work brought fresh perspectives to the exhibition.
Overall, the Spring Exhibition offered a welcoming atmosphere and an engaging visual journey. It was not only a celebration of artistic achievement but also a testament to the thriving arts scene in the area. The exhibition left visitors eagerly anticipating the society’s next event.
2.00pm – 5.00pm
Sally Minns kindly stepped in to host a session of life drawing with model Helen. There were several short poses to get everyone loosened up and then a couple of 15 minute poses before the break. Helen then adopted the same pose for the rest of the session so that there was time to develop a more considered drawing or painting. A very enjoyable and creative afternoon.
2.00pm – 5.00pm
Following on from Clare's excellent demonstration there was a good turn-out of members for the workshop. Clare reprised the basics of the previous evening's event for those who had not attended but this time using a reference photo of a leopard reclining in a tree as a starting point. We all then set about creating our own images of various animals and had a very enjoyable and rewarding afternoon. Clare was constantly on hand to offer help and advice and her brief critique on our efforts at the end of the session was much appreciated.
7.45pm – 10.00pm
On a damp, dreary evening the assembled members were transported to the plains of Africa with an excellent demonstration of watercolour technique. Clare had previously been on a painting holiday to Zambia and brought along her sketchbooks and several works featuring various wild animals encountered on her travels. Working from a black and white image of three lionesses she set about creating a triple leonine portrait. Working with a palette of yellow ochre, burnt sienna, lavender, ultramarine, sepia, indigo, quinacridone gold, turquoise and generous amounts of water to harness the wet-into-wet technique Clare worked her magic, explaining her process as she went. At the end of the evening a characterful painting had been created and there was warm appreciation for a very enjoyable and informative evening. It will be our turn at the follow-up workshop!
2.00lm – 5.00pm
Another really popular workshop with, possibly, a record attendance - lots of familiar faces but also many new members and guests. Margie gave a brief introduction to the subject with advice about how to get started but stressing that the afternoon was about experimenting and, most importantly, enjoying yourself. As the afternoon progressed it was obvious that advice was being followed and the gallery at the end was testament to a really creative few hours. Excellent!
2.00pm – 5.00pm
This workshop proved to be so popular that we came close to running out of tables and chairs but fortunately everyone found a place. There was a noticeable buzz of creativity in the room and members embraced the ideas demonstrated by Jonathan the previous evening. He tirelessly toured the room offering advice and tips and by the end of the session the gallery of work created was very impressive. A wide range of subjects were rendered In a variety of mediums there were vibrant colour combinations aplenty. A very enjoyable and informative afternoon.
7.45pm – 10.00pm
It was 2013 when Jonathan last demonstrated at the Society and his style has changed considerably since then. Oils were his choice of medium and he started by applying a ground of acrylic burnt sienna to kill the white of a piece of oil paper. Using a photographic reference of a lone tree in a rural setting as a starting point he made a very quick drawing using dilute Paynes Grey. He was at pains to point out that from that point on his painting would be an experiment in the use of colour and texture to create an image that was not strictly representational. His palette was limited to Viridian Green, Cadmium Red, Cobalt Blue together with black and white and using these colours and a variety of brushes and palette knives he set about painting his picture. Complementary colours (red and green) were allowed to sit next to one another enhancing the vibrancy of both but blending them was kept to a minimum as this can lead to 'mud' ... not unfamiliar to many of us! By the end of the evening he had conjured up an atmospheric rendering of the original scene ... very interesting and enlightening.
2.00pm – 5.00pm
A well-attended workshop arranged around a central display of various objects spent an absorbing afternoon creating a still life, attempting to look beyond mere representation. Sally was on hand with plenty of help and advice and she had also brought collage materials that could be used to enhance our artworks. Comfort zones were challenged but the end results were testament to a really creative couple of hours. This was Sally’s last workshop for the Society for the foreseeable future and we wish her well in her future endeavours.
