Our June gathering was such a balm for the soul and so well received that we looked forward to August to repeat the experience.

On this occasion we were fortunate enough to be able to paint together - likely for the last time this year: a large table set outdoors amidst our pot garden on a glorious, warm August afternoon, joined by artist Maria Brandi. As a special treat, her fine husband and pianist, Mark Pampel, joined her to play gaily for us throughout the afternoon. 

​New people, happy ladies and a smattering of men, introduced themselves and their skills, colourfully chatting along while enjoying a cornucopia of fruits, Wenyin’s fantastic English scones freshly baked for the event, all washed down with a special Chinese tea and some colourful juices.  A brief and thoughtful agreement on the matching theme helped structure the big canvas: to paint together a large fruit basket that would fill a single, table sized canvas, colourful and joyful in all its variations.

A contemplative atmosphere descended.  The colours that lay around my studio were mixed cautiously and the brushes were selected, the first brush strokes were applied with temerity, small words of encouragement and invention were whispered and, rising to the intuitive tunes of the piano, so the dance began. Our new baby robin tweeted along as we painted. We changed positions to share techniques and conversations. Hours passed. We fashioned fruits that would be recognisable, and some from pure invention. And when satisfaction took us we added contour lines and dabs of turquoise to blend the basket and finally we dotted our signatures throughout this gay abundance of artistic freedom.

We stood back, we stood on chairs, we looked from upper windows, we were all very impressed with what we had created together: a wonderfully free painting masterpiece that we all agreed might look well printed onto fabric and so, at a future circle, enable the making of a bag or a pillow case or a table cloth - who knows….