A group of 10 had a very enjoyable morning at Lucy Willis’s for our Outdoor Painting session on 25th September. Lucy is an award winning painter and printmaker who has had many solo exhibitions nationally and internationally, and has won several awards.

Lucy had opened up especially for our group, and gave a very interesting talk in her studio, showing us her copper plates that she used with acid to create her etchings, as well as a delightful large watercolour that she had painted for her husband in secret. This was a grouping of the vegetables and fruit that he had grown, complete with a line of wellies under the table. She explained she bought large tubes of watercolour paint, which she then used to top up her pans in her palette, and that she mostly used just 3 colours to create her shades.

Then we went across to her beautiful building where her art is displayed (an airbnb for most of the year!). There were delightful watercolours from Lucy’s travel abroad, filled with light and shade and a delicate touch, as well as local scenes. Oil paintings were upstairs and etchings in the kitchen, showing a wide variety of subjects and themes. Lucy had left out some old sketchbooks to flick through, and these had some beautiful pencil sketches, showing just how versatile she is as an artist. The weather was glorious, so it was a delight to explore Lucy’s garden and several stayed for tea and to sketch.