What's happening...
Workshops and exhibitions
2026 Henley Arts Trail
This year I will be taking part in a group exhibition with 9 other artists at The Eyot Centre (Venue 6)
Wargrave Rd RG9 3JD, where there is plenty of parking.
All the details of the trail can be found here , including a brochure that you can look through online.
There are 36 venues altogether including Leander Club on the river in Henley (a short walk from The Eyot Centre).
Entry is free to all the venues, and many also offer refreshments.
A great way to spend part of your May Bank Holiday weekend - I look forward to seeing you at Venue 6!
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Plein-air workshop
July 30th 10am-4pm
A day spent in the beautiful grounds of Micklems Farm in Knowl Hill, Berkshire. The aim of this workshop is to explore everything from the practicalities of painting in oils out of doors, to selecting a successful subject, taking into account composition, colour palette and tonal balance.
10:00 - 16:00
Level: Intermediate (some experience of painting with oils is useful)
What to bring:
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Your usual oil painting kit
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2 or 3 small canvas boards (10”x12” or 12”x14” is large enough)
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A pochade box and tripod, or a French style box easel (some field easels are available)
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A small sketchbook and soft pencil
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A packed lunch
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Some newspaper to put your wet painting on to transport it home
If you are buying oil paints for the first time, Daler Rowney’s Georgian range do a good value starter set of 10 colours. Oil paint can be provided if you’d like to try oils before the commitment of buying them yourselves, this will be an additional £5, payable to the tutor on the day (preferably in cash). There will also be canvas covered boards available to buy if needed.
Shelagh’s basic palette includes titanium white, lemon yellow, cadmium yellow, alizarin crimson, cadmium red, cerulean blue, ultramarine, raw sienna, burnt sienna and blue black. She uses an odourless thinner such as Gamsol for both painting and for cleaning her brushes. It can get chilly when you are sitting or standing for long periods, so warm layers are essential, and a cap or hat and sunscreen to protect against the sun is important on hot days.
Included on the day:
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Expert tuition
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1 to 1 guidance
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Demonstrations
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A selection of tea, freshly brewed coffee, biscuits and cakes. If you have any specific dietary requirements or allergies, please feel free to bring along your own provisions/milk alternatives etc
Number of students: 10
You can book here.
Workshop: Take 3 colours!
Level: Intermediate (some experience with oils is useful)
Creating a still life with limited palette in water-mixable oils
Friday April 24th 2026 7-9.30pm FULLY BOOKED
Participants will be using flat brushes, a canvas board, water-mixable oils and only three colours to explore the potential of a limited palette.
This approach not only helps you improve your painting by forcing you to think about colour and how you mix it, it also creates a harmony in your work with paintings feeling balanced and harmonious, with all the colours naturally relating to one another.
Hopefully you will be inspired by your results to try this limited palette approach in your own work.
You will be working from life. Your subject will be an apple (interesting subject when cut in half) or other piece of fruit or vegetable that inspires you. Your painting will fill the smooth gesso board provided.
Type of medium used: Water mixable oils (traditional oils are not allowed in the venue).
Materials provided: canvas covered board and water-mixable oils
What to bring: A red skinned apple or other fruit or vegetable. A few flat synthetic brushes (eg 0, 2, 4), not bristle brushes. A palette knife. A paper palette and a box to take your work home in. A roll of paper towel. A jar for water.
7-9.30pm Reading Guild of Artists Friday Workshop non-members £15
Venue: Earley St Peters Church Hall, Church Road, Earley, Reading
RG6 1EY
FULLY BOOKED
Looking back....
In 2021 I was lucky enough to be selected to take part in one of my favourite TV shows, Sky Landscape Artist of the Year. It was a last minute application - I've always thought it would be fun if you were chosen to be one of the 'wild card' artists, who look as though they are having such a good time (even though it does always seem to be raining).
It was quite an experience and although I had a bad case of imposter syndrome, I really enjoyed the whole process; the production team were so friendly and bent over backwards to make the contestants' experience as positive as they could.
It was amazing to make it through to the final.
At the semi-finals in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park - it poured with rain!
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