Join Troon Art Club in Dunure on Saturday 14 June 2025 from 11am - 3pm. 

Please do not start painting before this time if you wish to be included in the competition.

Let us know if you can make it using this link: https://forms.gle/qAkm9htvMyuso2687

There are several areas of interest, including the view across the Clyde to Arran, Kintyre  and Ailsa Craig; the Castle, The Dovecot, The Labyrinth, Seaview cottages from Kennedy Park or the beach, Yachts and Boats in the Harbour, Harbourview houses, the North Shore, Port Shuchan Beach (accessed by following the path South from Kennedy Park).

There is a Toilet block at Kennedy Park, and a single site Toilet on the Harbour.

Food and Drinks are available at The Harbourside Café and The Anchorage Hotel; Aruna Gift Shop is on the same street.

For parking information, see Directions below.

We will have a judge and a number of prizes for the best artworks. There will be 1st, 2nd and 3rd places and a 4th prize for members from other clubs who want to join us.  All prizes will be announced on the day.  Not everyone needs to enter the competition, we are happy to have you along and enjoy the beautiful environment.

If the weather is too poor for us to paint, the event will be postponed to a later date.  We will keep you up to date with any further details in the lead up to the Event.

Directions

BY ROAD

From the North via Ayr, take the A719 road from Doonfoot at the Co-Op roundabout and head South past Craig Tara and The Farm Park.

When you enter the 30mph/20mph zone, there is a ramp at Fisherton Primary School bus stop; turn RIGHT on Station Road down the hill to Dunure.

Carry on past the Harbour and turn RIGHT to park at Kennedy Park.

 From the South via Maybole or Culzean, take the A719 road past Humeston Byre, Croy and The Electric Brae, and turn LEFT at Dunure Mains Farm.

When you enter the 30mph/20mph zone, turn LEFT to park at Kennedy Park.

Currently there are no parking charges at Kennedy Park; the £5/day charge may be reinstated by the Plein Air date.

Parking at the Harbour area is limited to 2 hours with a view to prioritising the small number of spaces for Harbourside Café customers.

Parking at the Anchorage Hotel car park, accessed by a ramp just South of the Harbour road is for Hotel customers only.

On Saturday 24th May the all-weather venue for our Summer Outing this year is Alloway, birthplace of Robert Burns, and now home to one of the most exciting new art installations in Scotland.

Bring a sketchbook and capture scenes from the mural, or some of the nearby locations such as the auld Brig O’ Doon, Alloway Auld Kirk or the Burns Monument Garden. Scenic Alloway village and Burns’ Cottage is a 15-minute walk away.

Refreshments, lunch and toilets are within a 5-minute walk at the National Trust for Scotland’s Robert Burns Birthplace Museum Café.

Please car-share if you can and plan to arrive around 10:45. There is free street parking on Murdoch’s Lone, and off-street at the Burns Museum. Make your way down the access ramp to the path off Murdoch’s Lone, for a start at 11:00 (we will have a steward on duty to direct you).

Please gather back at the tunnel by 2:30pm to take part in the judging of the sketches (place a penny token on your favourite) and congratulate the winners.

Create a double/split portrait in the style of Jody Kelly. In this one off unique workshop, Jody will demonstrate his portrait techniques using acrylic paints and source images from magazines

You will create your own unique portrait on an A4 Canvas

Date - Friday 25th April

Time - 10am-2pm

Cost - £50

Harbour Arts Centre, Irvine

Suitable for all abilities

Canvas and paints provided - Participants can bring their own brushes and materials if desired

Follow the link to book this exciting workshop!!!

https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/...

Please make a point of attending the AGM if at all possible. We need a quorum to pass any resolutions.

Julie will be on hand to offer help and advice while you produce your own work based on her demo of last week.

Julie is best known for her semi-abstract interpretations of the Scottish landscape. Born in Irvine, she worked as a stained-glass artist and framer for many years until attending painting classes at Glasgow School of Art. Julie became an occasional practical art tutor at the University of Glasgow’s Centre for Adult & Continuing Education but now concentrates solely on painting.

Working in oil over a watercolour base, she pays particular attention to the preparation of her painting surface. Board is textured with Orkney wool as well as sand or sea washed coal- shards from the Ayrshire coast. Metal leaf is then carefully placed, sealed and masked before several layers of acrylic gesso are applied around it.

Her subject is always the land which surrounds her and she explains... ’When observing and sketching a landscape sometimes I see, not only the shapes and colours of the land, but a glint of the first folk who walked on it. The silver, gold and copper leaf I use in my work represents a glimmering of these ancient, first farmers. The folk who shaped not only the land but also ourselves.’

Read more about Julie here

Four Art Club members will be set up around the hall with examples of their work. This is always a very sociable evening and is a great opportunity to explore different techniques and expand our own practice.

Tonight’s artists:-

• Tom Bate

• Tom McCrorie

• Karen McGhee

• Claire Thorogood

This project is creating one of Scotland’s largest murals through the Alloway Railway Tunnel.

It is transforming an old, dilapidated tunnel that has been defaced with graffiti into a safe, inspiring place, with a beautiful hand painted mural by one of the UK’s top muralists and visionaries, Chris Rutterford.

Read more about the project here:- https://www.allowaytunnel.org.uk/

Poppy Fraser is a Bristol-born fine artist who graduated from Glasgow School of Art BA Hons in Fine Art: painting & printmaking in 2023. Poppy is the recipient of the Royal Glasgow Institute Graduate Award 2023, RSA New Contemporary award, the Glasgow Print Studio prize and the Royal Drawing School Dumfries House residency.     

Poppy is a multidisciplinary artist, her intentions through her creative practice are to make the viewer look more closely at figures occupying space, using the mediums of printmaking, drawing and painting, she explores themes of feminism, family, memory, time, roots and nostalgia. 

Read more about Poppy here

Remember the demonstration with Poppy Fraser has been postponed till next week.

This evening bring along a current piece of work and enjoy a sociable evening sharing chat and ideas over a nice cup of tea! There will also be 'getting it right' guidance/prep for the TAC summer exhibition if anyone is unsure.

Joe Hargan is highly respected and stands out among Scottish artists as he rejects the pastiche (imitation) and is his own man, with his own unique artistic style – that is why his art is so interesting to his many collectors.

Joe is proud of the fact that his skills were honed in one of the greatest periods of Scottish artistic training; when drawing and painting and how to use materials were rigorously taught.

See Joe’s website here

Madhumati is an artist/musician, having graduated from Visva Bharati University, Faculty of Fine Arts, Santiniketan, India, 1998. Madhumati paints in a free impressionistic style and has always been fascinated by the interplay of colour, light and movement...these are the key characteristics of her works.

She loves to bring out the movements, colours and impressions of life around us - the joy of that which is seen and that which is heard!

Veit is a French/German national who lives in Glasgow. Since coming to Scotland, his childhood passion for drawing and painting has been reignited. He has discovered the great tradition of Scottish painting, in particular the Scottish Colourists and all the artists who, up until today, have followed in their path. A few invaluable evening classes at the Glasgow School of Art taught Veit the basics, but he is largely self-taught.

His admiration for these artists has influenced the way Veit works. He likes to paint a variety of subjects and always paints directly from life, in the studio or “en plein air”. Painting a model before the time is up, flowers before they have wilted, or the constantly changing Scottish landscape is always a challenge and, sometimes, it can be frustrating but when a painting comes together, he finds it absolutely exhilarating, joyful and life affirming.

Read more about Veit here

Bring along a piece of work related to the theme ‘On the Threshold’. It will be displayed and there will be an opportunity to explain why and how it was painted.

This is always a most interesting night - and it isn’t as scary as it sounds!

Bring along a current piece of work and enjoy a sociable evening sharing chat and ideas over a nice cup of tea!

Denise Findlay's work displays powerful portraits with an incredible sensitivity. She sees no boundaries to the scale or the surface on which she works. Big or small her connection with the subject is palpable. Her breadth of talent is clear whether the work is an impressive two metre high canvas or a five centimetres square miniature.

Denise's work is bold and brave and unmistakable. Her huge works really draw the viewer into the subject and the beauty of oil paint - the painting will have been built up with soft layers of paint which has been allowed to stream down the canvas. Her miniature works offer a delicate sensitivity and intimacy inviting the viewer in closer to appreciate the painting.

Drawing is the foundation of all Denise's work. Her skills are displayed at best in her beautiful pencil drawings. She painstakingly builds up the drawing with tiny lines following the contours of the portrait resulting in a drawing with strength and depth.

Denise was born into a family of incredible artistic pedigree. Her Great Great grandfather was Fra Newbery, founder and director of Glasgow School of Art. Fra was influential to Charles Rennie Mackintosh in the commissioning of the G.S.A. building. He was married to Jessie (Rowat) Newbery. Jessie was credited as being the originator of the famous 'Glasgow Rose' motif through her beautiful embroidered collars, belts and dresses.

Read more about Denise here:- https://www.denisefindlay.com

Bring along a current piece of work and enjoy a sociable evening sharing chat and ideas over a nice cup of tea!

Born in Glasgow and raised in Ayrshire, Katy graduated from Grays School of Art, Aberdeen in 2010 with a BA Hons degree in Fine Art. Drawing and Painting have been her passion since a very early age. Katy’s enthusiasm is currently being shared with youngsters across Ayrshire through her career as a secondary school Art and Design teacher.

Despite her busy teaching life, Katy is committed to her practise and continues to take part in several local and national exhibitions including an appearance on Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year and as a finalist in Scottish Portrait Awards 2021.

Working with a bold colour palette of varying subject matter, Katy demonstrates a flexibility and limitless energy within her work. From 8 foot atmospheric landscapes which encapsulate the viewer to A5 Still Life gems and thought provoking portraits, the diversity of Katy’s work is apparent and appreciated far and wide.

Read more about Michelle here:- https://storm-art.com/about/

This evening there will be live model for you to sketch, paint or draw. A great opportunity to practice life drawing skills.

Bring along your materials of choice!

Bring along a piece of your own work (Members with surnames A to L). 

Ros will give you her professional appraisal with hints and tips.

Ros is a graduate of the Glasgow School of Art and former teacher of Art and Design at Prestwick Academy. She specialises in animal portraits, particularly horses.

She regularly demonstrates/takes workshops at art clubs throughout the West of Scotland. Her paintings, in watercolour, oil, acrylic and pastel, have also been reproduced as greetings cards. She regularly exhibits work in London and has a current entry in Who’s Who in Art as well as featuring in several magazines, including International Horse.

‘Horses are my passion and I competed successfully in national horse trials. At present I own two mares. I particularly enjoy portraying action, concentrating on capturing the feeling of energy and movement using loose, direct brushwork. Twice a year I visit the Isle of Islay, where I record images of pigs, sheep, cattle, and ponies. I undertake varied commission work, from studies to full portraits and my paintings are in collections throughout the UK, the US, Jordan, Australia, New Zealand, France and the Netherlands.’

Michelle Ives is an artist and illustrator living and working in Glasgow. Originally from South Africa, she trained in graphic design and illustration before moving to the UK and gaining further qualifications in the field of animation.

Michelle worked for several years as an artist and designer in the publishing industry, predominantly in children’s books, and also as an artist for a games and animation company. Since starting a family  she has freelanced extensively as an illustrator and has more recently returned to painting and printmakin. In 2016 she was shortlisted for the “Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year” competition, and in 2017 was awarded the Small Painting Award at the Paisley Art Institute 129th Annual Exhibition for her painting “wet Intersection”.

Her work is strongly influenced by the landscape near to which she lives (on the outskirts of Glasgow) and the ever changing light and atmosphere of the Scottish weather. She is particularly interested in the underlying structure of the landscape evident in its repeating shapes and patterns and the abstract composition within, as well as the contrast between natural and man-made elements. She has also started exploring figurative themes in her current work.

In 2018, she was once again shortlisted for Sky Arts, this time as a finalist in the “Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year” competition.

Read more about Michelle here:- https://michelleives.com/about

Bring along a piece of your own work (Members with surnames M to Z). 

Ros will give you her professional appraisal with hints and tips.

Ros is a graduate of the Glasgow School of Art and former teacher of Art and Design at Prestwick Academy. She specialises in animal portraits, particularly horses.

She regularly demonstrates/takes workshops at art clubs throughout the West of Scotland. Her paintings, in watercolour, oil, acrylic and pastel, have also been reproduced as greetings cards. She regularly exhibits work in London and has a current entry in Who’s Who in Art as well as featuring in several magazines, including International Horse.

‘Horses are my passion and I competed successfully in national horse trials. At present I own two mares. I particularly enjoy portraying action, concentrating on capturing the feeling of energy and movement using loose, direct brushwork. Twice a year I visit the Isle of Islay, where I record images of pigs, sheep, cattle, and ponies. I undertake varied commission work, from studies to full portraits and my paintings are in collections throughout the UK, the US, Jordan, Australia, New Zealand, France and the Netherlands.’

Four Art Club members will be set up around the hall with examples of their work. This is always a very sociable evening and is a great opportunity to explore different techniques and expand our own practice.

Tonight’s artists:-

• Jacqui Curran

• Matty Lough

• Euan Tait

• David Tapner

Paul will be on hand to offer help and advice while you produce your own work based on his demo of last week.

Paul Kennedy is a Glasgow born Scottish artist who works from his home in Glasgow’s West End.

Paul is known for his colourful and engaging pieces. 

With a career spanning over two decades, Paul continues to captivate his audience.  His work is available through direct sales and gallery exhibitions.

Inspired by the natural world and human emotion, Paul’s work reflects a deep connection to his surroundings and inner thoughts.

His paintings are not just visual experiences but emotional journeys that resonate with people. Paul takes pride in making his art accessible to everyone.

See more of Paul’s work here:- https://paulkennedyart.com