Arts Club

Local Dundonald Arts Club meets regularly in St Molua’s parish hall. Its programme includes a balance of talks and demonstrations to suit a wide range of artistic interests.

You don’t have to be an artist to join, just have an interest in art. Members meet from September to May at 7.30pm on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month and occasional Saturday mornings. Check out the new programme for the 2023/24 year ahead:

Guests and new members are very welcome. For more information see the club’s Facebook page at:

https://www.facebook.com/people/Dundonald-Arts-Club/100004345909032

News from Dundonald Arts Club

• On Wednesday 15th November DAC will be having Anna McKeever demonstrating for us at St. Molua’s, starting as usual at 7.30pm. Doors will be open at 7pm. Anna is a very bold expressive painter, who has her gallery on the Ormeau Road in Belfast. She was recommended by some of our members at our last AGM and I very much look forward to seeing her work – Jeff.
• Hi Everyone. We are very pleased to say that Daniela Balmaverde will be demonstrating for DAC at St. Molua’s on Wednesday 1 November. This will be her first visit to DAC as she has been unable to demonstrate for us in the past due to her work commitments. Daniela is a contemporary artist well known to many for her exciting paintings and the art courses that she runs at the Crescent Arts Centre. She is a member of the Ulster Watercolour Society and will have paintings on display at the forthcoming UWS exhibition at Merville House 8 – 19 November. Daniela will be demonstrating at DAC in mixed media. The hall opens at 7pm with the demonstration commencing at 7.30pm. as usual. Best regards, Jeff

• Hello everyone, on Wednesday 4 October Paul Holmes will be the guest artist at Dundonald Arts Club. The demonstration will start at 7.30pm with doors opening at 7.00pm. Paul is a past president of the Art Society of Ulster and the Ulster watercolour Society. He is a highly accomplished watercolour artist who has painted a wide variety of subjects throughout Northern Ireland. His watercolour courses and workshops are extremely popular. Paul is a very entertaining demonstrator and states “I enjoy teaching others the techniques of watercolour painting and have great pleasure in seeing them progress in their work. I don’t take myself too seriously and like to have a bit of craic at these events”. I have asked Paul to bring along some picture frames to be available for sale, so you may wish to have some cash available on the evening if you would like to purchase good quality frames at reasonable prices. Looking forward to seeing you there – Jeff

• Wednesday 20th September saw the return of DAC with a very informal opening night. It was great to see so many new and familiar faces. The Summer Trophy which was donated last year in memory of our much loved President Mable Thompson was now up for grabs. There was a wide range of artwork on display which can be seen on our Facebook page.

• Hi Everyone, Our meeting at St. Molua’s on Wednesday 5 April is with a mixed media artist, Cameron Stewart. As usual, the doors will be open for you at 7:00pm and the demonstration will commence at 7:30pm.

• Artist John McMacken will be demonstrating for us at DAC on Wednesday 15th March at St Molua’s. It will be at our usual time of 7.30pm with doors opening at about 6.45pm. Hope to see you there.

• On Wednesday 1 March we welcome Sorrel Wills back to Dundonald Arts Club. Sorrel has demonstrated for us over the last few years and was very popular with members on each of her visits. We would also like to remind you that on Saturday 11 March, DAC is having a painting get-together in St Molua’s hall and that all are welcome. The cost is £3 as usual for this event and includes tea, coffee, and biscuits.

• On Wednesday 15 February, we have Amanda Croft presenting a talk on Picasso’s “Guernica”. Amanda has been at DAC on many occasions and has always been extremely well-received. Her talks are very well-researched and presented in an interesting and informative manner. I can highly recommend this as an evening not to be missed. The presentation starts at 7.30pm.

• On Wednesday 18 January Paul Holmes will be demonstrating in watercolour for us at St. Molua’s. Paul is great fun and produces fantastic work with lots of information and tips. He is well worth seeing so I hope that you are able to attend. Best regards, Jeff

• On Wednesday 7 December we have our own Paul O’Kane to demonstrate for us. Paul’s art is exciting and vibrant in both watercolour and oils and has been very popular in previous DAC demonstrations. He will be demonstrating in oils on Wednesday. Paul is a Plein air artist, working mainly in oils and watercolours. He loves to urban sketch in all mediums, including acrylics, gouache, and digital painting on an iPad. His air work is mainly small works painted on his various painting trips, whether abroad or at home in Northern Ireland. As usual, the hall will be open at 7.00pm for a 7.30pm start. It will be good to see you there.