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 programme for the 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

• 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.

• On Wednesday 16th November at 7.30pm we have well-known artist Jackie Crooks demonstrating for us at St. Molua’s. Jackie is a Belfast based painter and printmaker. Studied Fine Art at the University of Ulster, Belfast, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Art Therapy from Hertfordshire College of Art and Design, St. Albans in 1988. Working mainly in acrylic and watercolour and combining screen printing and painting over a wide variety of subjects. Jackie has exhibited throughout Ireland and in England and in the RUA and RHA annual exhibitions.

• Our meeting at St. Molua’s on Wednesday 2 November will be a little different. Instead of a demo, Grahame Booth will be giving a talk on a number of renowned contemporary watercolour painters. He will be showing examples of their work in a slide show and talking about how they painted and how he was influenced by them. He will also be bringing along an original painting by each artist, so this is a rare chance to have a close look at paintings by some of the most influential painters from the last 60 years. His collection includes work by Charles Reid and Alvaro Castagnet, which I look forward to seeing. Obviously, Grahame is very well known within DAC regarding his tutoring and demonstrating, He has been a great inspiration especially to our watercolourists members, and in my particular case, this extends to influencing me in expanding the range of artists that I admire. Our meeting on Wednesday should be inspirational along similar lines and I would recommend all to attend.
  Best regards, Jeff

• Hello Everyone, on Wednesday 19th October we have the ever-popular Colin Gibson demonstrating in oil for us. Colin Gibson was a graphic designer born in Belfast in 1948. Colin worked with the Belfast Telegraph before he decided to go professional at the age of twenty-six. His first solo exhibition was held at the Nelson Bell Gallery in 1968 As usual, the demonstration will commence at 7.30pm in St. Molua’s Church Hall. Hope you can attend.

• Wednesday 21st September 2022 saw the return of DAC with a very informal opening night. It was great to see so many new and familiar faces. New for this year is the Summer Trophy which was donated in memory of our much loved President Mable Thompson. There was a wide range of artwork on display which can be seen on the Club’s Facebook page.

• On Wednesday 11th May we have our final meeting of the 2021/22 season. Roy Williamson will present a talk with slides on the theme “Travels with a Sketchbook”. Roy has travelled extensively around Europe in his camper van and has many amusing tales to tell so it is not to be missed. Expect dry humour and an inspiring presentation. As usual, the doors will open before 7.00pm and the meeting will start at 7.30pm. Following the presentation, there will be a short AGM to discuss the events of the DAC year and plans for our restart in September. We hope to see you on Wednesday, but should you not be able to make it have a good summer and happy painting.