Spring 2026 - preparations and resuming the Blackheath Art Society en plein air group

The oldest sweet chestnut in Greenwich Park, April 2026

Greenwich Park daffodils and Rangers House, March 2026

Work in progress

My gessoed sketchbook

Spring in the studio has been a time for starting new paintings, with my next solo show in March 2027 very much on my mind. It has also been a time for preparing surfaces and the relaunch of my en plein air project focussing on my local area and Greenwich Park, where I have been organising sketch meet ups for my local art society Blackheath since 2023.

For my prep, I made some traditional gesso and proceeded to gesso almost everything I could lay my hands on - paper, wood panels, my sketchbook. I have been drawing and painting in watercolour or oil on gessoed paper for a while now and enjoy the textural qualities and the versatility of being able to wash out and scratch into areas. The surface fights back a little and I like that. You can also gild onto it beautifully. I was lucky to have been taught how to make gesso by Dr David Cranswick, a master of traditional painting techniques and I continue to use his recipe.

It was so good to get back to drawing in the park even on a chilly, overcast March morning. It was the first group session since the en plein air exhibition I co curated in January and we had a few more members joining in which was fantastic. I look forward to more sessions as the weather improves.