Details of Art Events/Activities

Waterside Art Group:

Members of Waterside Art Group meet every Tuesday evening to enjoy painting in the company of like minded folk. We are unique in this approach compared with many art groups. This aspect is greatly appreciated by our members who value the encouragement of others and listening to their ideas. We wish to retain the special modus operandi of our group. However in the quest to improve and develop it is important to share ideas with professional artists so other events will be arranged from time to time.

Watch this space as events will be added once arranged! Please scroll down to see the events arranged so far for 2026.

March 17th 2026: Review Evening with John Edwards

Waterside Art Group invites anybody with an interest in art to a review of members’ work by professional artist John Edwards. This evening will take place at Hythe and Dibden Community Centre off Jones Lane in Hythe.

John will show us how we can always enhance our art. He will do this by noting the good points and pointing out the possibilities for improvement. This is a wonderful opportunity for John to review a painting you may be thinking of displaying at our summer exhibition.

Even those who do not take paintings along to be reviewed by John will find that there is a lot to learn. Both from his positive comments about certain aspects of a painting as well as from his gentle hints of how a painting could be improved. Therefore this learning evening will be as applicable to visitors as it will be to members. It will even be of interest and entertaining to non-painters!

Entry: £5.00 Please note this evening starts at 7.30pm

A painting that may be reviewed by John Edwards

Plein aire sketching Sunday 12th April & 14th June

Come along and join fellow artists for some outdoor sketching. We plan to meet at 2.00pm at Prospect Place, Hythe on Sunday afternoon 12th April. There is lots to sketch, old buildings, the water, the pier and the marina. Bring a portable seat and your sketchbook. Cafes will be open for a take away drink. Don’t be scared, it may seem a challenge but once one settles down it becomes quite absorbing and relaxing. If the weather is inclement alternative arrangements will be posted but we would still plan to meet. Details for the June session will be posted nearer the time.

April 21st 2026 – Demonstration by Ronnie Ireland

Ronnie Ireland Persuasion

We are delighted to be welcoming Ronnie Ireland to our Art Group in April. He will talk and demonstrate about how to create a self portrait. Ronnie says that as a child he always had a pencil in his hand. He trained at the Glasgow School of Art and he is also an Accredited Lecturer for the Arts Society. He has studied self-portraits for his Art History lectures and one is devoted to that subject and he has another lecture which concentrates on Rembrandt’s self-portraits. Ronnie will guide us through how to approach a self portrait before starting any painting. This promises to be a different, interesting and inspiring evening. Especially as at our August exhibition we hope to have a display board devoted to self-portraits by some of our members. This session should extend our skills, challenge us AND give us something specific to work towards. Visitors are very welcome as Ronnie aims to help artists develop ideas and techniques. £5.00 admission.

The evening starts at 7.00pm.

For more information about Ronnie and his work please take a look at his website

Ronnie Ireland – https://www.ronnieirelandart.com

Saturday 16th May 2026 – Workshop with John Edwards

Local artist, John Edwards will run a full day workshop on Saturday 16th May.

Venue: Hythe and Dibden Community Centre, 10.00am – 4.00pm Last few places available- book now!

Theme: Back to Basics

The idea of the day will be to revisit the basics of drawing, starting with pencil or charcoal/chalk and transferring to paint in the afternoon. John will emphasis the importance of starting with a sketch or sketches for first ideas. Charcoal and chalk will be provided but please bring some paper and watercolour/acrylic paint to use in the afternoon session. More details and how to book are on the booking form.

This should be an excellent day of tuition and be a real refresher session.

The cost of the day will be £30, a real bargain. Places will be allocated on a first come basis.

Drinks available to buy throughout the day at the Community Centre.

A booking form can be downloaded here: Workshop info and booking form – John Edwards 16 May 2026

If you have any other questions please contact our secretary: Frances King: email

June 30th 2026 – Demonstration by Lindsey Cole

Lindsey is a New Forest based artist. Her work is of varied subject and media, enjoying expressive mark-making, and textural surface while exploring the process with paint. She draws her inspiration from the natural world, The New Forest and the surrounding coastline, responding to atmosphere and light.

Lindsey started her art career as a ceramic painter with Poole Pottery and later continued her career as a full-time professional artist from 2002 after studying fine art at Arts Institute Bournemouth.

We are delighted to welcome Lyndsey to our group and she will demonstrate how she shows movement in her paintings.

Do take a look at her website and her work:

https://lindseyjcole.co.uk

Summer Exhibition: 22nd -29th August (excluding Sunday 23rd)

Open 10.00am -4.00pm each day at Hythe & Dibden Community Centre.

Once again this will take place in conjunction with Hampshire Open Studios.

See full details under Members Tab – Exhibition heading.

Autumn Programme

October 6th 7.00pm – Demonstration by Jamel Akib

Jamel Akib was born in Leigh-on-sea, Essex, England, on the 4th November 1965 to mixed English and Malaysian parentage. He moved to Sabah, North Borneo at the age of five and returned to England to pursue further education at the age of thirteen . He gained a BA honours Degree in Illustration in 1989
He began working for the London Observer newspaper while still a student at art college, and has since become an award winning artist involved in many exhibitions and commissions.
He has so far illustrated the covers for three booker prize finalists.