London Shoal of Art Meetup

Organized by Mark Lovelace and 7 others

What we’re about

LONDON SHOAL OF ART MEETUP runs classes and events in London, suitable for all levels of skill. for all of you who want to draw and paint together. We welcome beginners, happily showing you simple ways to start, and as you develop your skills you can learn about lots of different techniques and approaches. For experienced artists, there are stimulating examples and discussion points from historical and contemporary art and art theory. I provide demonstrations for everyone, and one to one tuition to help you develop and reflect on your practise. We allow time for people to share their work and chat as well as to learn and to make art together.

Class fees range from £10 to £15. Some events are free. Please see the individual listings for details.

We have been getting together in London for over 10 years. The word SHOAL in our name denotes "a large group of people or things" (Collins British English). It has a softer sound than "school" and feels calmer than the "swarm" image that Meetup chose for their logo. Our meetup numbers are actually small at the moment, but we aim to grow, so please join us!

Upcoming events (4+)

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Fri, Apr 19, 2024, 3:00 PM BSTDrawing and Watercolour Painting
The Brownswood, London
£10.00
This is a tutored class. The pub opens at 3 pm. We meet just outside the pub and decide whether to stay in or go to the park to draw. If we are inside, the tutor brings a still life or we draw each other. Pencils and watercolours only please. No messy materials.
3 attendees
Mon, Apr 22, 2024, 2:00 PM BSTArt in the Park - Victoria Park and regents Canal
Royal Inn on the Park, London
£10.00
Meet in the Royal Inn on the Park and make landscapes and portraits, still life, interiors, animal studies, in pencil, pastel, ink or watercolour. If the weather is fine, we can sketch in Victoria Park or along the Regent’s Canal. This is a very a friendly and well-established group. You can draw or paint in your own way or the tutor can provide a plan for the session for you to follow. This will help you to understand techniques, motivations, colour and composition.

PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN MATERIALS - pencil and a sketchbook or drawing pad and/or your choice of colour medium (pastels, water colour gouache etc.) and pastel or water colour paper.
1 attendee
Wed, Apr 24, 2024, 2:00 PM BSTMake Painterly drawings at the National Gallery
The National Gallery, London
Meet by the seats beneath the stairway in the Annenberg Court, in between the espresso bar and the shop on the ground floor. Please send me a message on Meetup if you cannot see us. There is usually a queue to get in, so please allow about 15 minutes time for that. There is a security check as you enter and the staff may want to see what art materials you have with you (see below).

We will draw from paintings from 2.10 pm until until 4 pm. I provide tuition, for £10 per person. We will meet again at 4 pm in the espresso bar to share our drawings and have a chat.

Please bring your own materials. Please note that you are only allowed to use graphite pencils. So please do not bring pens, markers, biros, wet materials, charcoal pencils, coloured pencils etc. Your sketchbook or drawing board should be no larger than A3 size. I recommend carrying a pencil sharpener with an enclosed pot to collect the shavings. You can check the NG's policy on sketching here :-

https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/visiting/sketching-in-the-gallery
2 attendees
Wed, Apr 24, 2024, 7:00 PM BSTLife Drawing - SE1, Topolski Studio Class, optional tuition
Topolski Studio, London
£13.00
I am delighted to be the tutor at this exciting new class! Please book via my friend Adrain Dutton's meetup page.

https://www.meetup.com/londonlifedrawing/events/296954929/

Join us at this historic studio under the arches of Hungerford Bridge on the South Bank of the Thames, where the renowned painter and reportage artist Feliks Topolski RA worked from 1951 until 1989 for an evening hosted by his grandson Lucien Topolski. If you would like to find out more about Topolski Studio, please visit the website and join the mailing list at https://www.topolski.org.
Mark Lovelace will lead the drawing, Mark is an artist, with a special interest in drawing, who has been running classes at the Barbican Art Society, and at London Life Drawing, for many years.
The studio has easels and all the equipment you might want, including a variety of drawing materials. Sketchbooks with reproductions of work by Feliks Topolski are also available to purchase.
Lucien will be around after the class to socialise, and you are welcome to bring your own drinks.
Mark will explain some approaches to drawing which reflect the artistic concerns of Feliks Topolski. Individual feedback is available if desired. Mark can either help you to develop your drawing in similar directions, or he can support you as you pursue your own path. We will have a mixture of pose lengths.
Tea, coffee and biscuits are available during the break. We aim to foster a warm atmosphere for a wide variety of skill levels, and to support a vibrant, and welcoming community of artists.
BOOKING TICKETS & DROPPING IN:
The class at the Topolski Studio runs every Wednesday .
In Person only.
Doors open, 6.30 pm.
Life drawing, 7 - 9 pm.
Socialising 9 - 9.30 pm.
Just drop in, or if you prefer you can book in advance. Buying a ticket means you can simply drop in without needing to worry about paying on the night. Please use the link bellow to book:
https://bookwhen.com/londonlifedrawing_livestream
SCHEDULE & POSE LENGTH:
6.45 pm, arrival
7.00 pm, We start drawing at 7pm with poses of mixed short and medium length:
15 min pose
5 x 1 min pose
5 min pose
10 min pose
20 min pose
15 min break
20 min pose
25 min pose
9.00pm drawing session ends
DRAW MORE PASS:
If you have a Draw More Pass - HOWEVER OLD - please select that ticket option in Bookwhen - this will give you a free booking confirmation - bring a print out or screen shot of the booking to the session along with your Draw More Pass - if you have any difficulties please call Adrian on 07966925723
BUYING A DRAW MORE PASS :
The Draw More Pass makes our classes the most affordable in London and it's incredibly versatile. The Pass enables you to drop into our classes in person or online, any time you want to. You don't have to come back every week, instead choose your times and just turn up, they never expire - you can buy a Draw More Pass in any class or via our website:
https://www.adriandutton.com/shop
When you buy a pass online you will receive a PDF, simply screen shot this or print it out and bring it to any session and we will exchange this for a PASS, also, as soon as the transaction is made you will be listed to receive our link emails for online sessions:
5 sessions: £52.50
10 sessions: £100
20 sessions: £190
50 Sessions: £450
SHARE YOUR WORK
You are invited to share your work on IG, please hashtag #adriandutton_life_drawing so we can re-post and share. For those who do not use IG please email adrianmarkdutton@gmail.com with your photos
THE VENUE
About the venue. The venue opens at 6.30pm. It is wheelchair accessible via a ramp to the space. It has been an education and teaching space for many years, as well as housing the archive of the artist. If you would like to take a guided tour of the studio, you can book a place on Eventbrite.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/topolski-studio-64310090343
TRANSPORT
Tube:
Waterloo (Northern, Bakerloo, Jubilee and Waterloo & City lines).
Embankment (District and Circle lines).
Bus:
Routes 1, 26, 59, 68, 76, 139, 168, 172, 176, 188, 243, 341, 521, N1, N68, N171, N343 and X68 stop on Waterloo Bridge.
Routes 76, 77, 211, 381, 507 and N381 stop on York Road.
We look forward to seeing you!
1 attendee