Evening Talks . 15 – 19 June 2026.
Artists evening talks and power point presentations – 15th – 20th June, in the Abbey Barn
Free entry for Artists who have registered for that day.
£10 for the public.
The organisers will encourage the audiences to participate with questions for the Artists.
We recommend attendees dress as if going to evening outdoor theatre, in case of chilly evenings in the medieval Abbey Barn, a warm coat and a warm rug, it’ll be worth it.
Monday June 15th, 6,30pm
Talk by Evie Hatch
Heavenly Blues: The Histories of Three Blue Pigments
Blue has long been associated with heaven, divinity, and transcendence, yet blue pigments originate in the earth – as stone or plant matter. Some were made from minerals brought across vast distances; others from cultivated dyes prepared through labour-intensive processes. This talk explores the histories of three blue pigments used in art, tracing how earthly materials have been transformed into luminous colour.
Tuesday June 16th, 6,30pm
Talk to be arranged, Or … John Meaker will talk about the great experimentor of English Art and Landscape, Alexander Cozens who published “A New Method” in 1780 … how to make pictures out of blots and blobs.
Wednesday June 17th, 6,30pm
Frances Hatch will talk about her work. Her attention to the world around her, foraged materials, shamanic insights into the place, all exemplify a special vision and environmental consciousness. Frances has recently been artist in residence at Brentwood, John Ruskin’s home in the Lake District.
Thursday June 18th, 6,30pm
John Meaker will invite you to share his enthusiasm for William Blake. We all sing his chivalric oath “Jerusalem”.
Blake largely unpublished in his own lifetime said that his books were published in heaven..!
John will discuss some of Blake’s ideas and messages as well as his continuing influence on Landscape Art.
Friday June 19th, 6,30pm
Dominic Shepherd
Dominic Shepherd’s painting is vibrant with energy and colour, his human actors are people like us experiencing a mythic world. In his painting keen observation of nature is combined with an individual imaginative visualisation that is related to a narrative tradition of ideas and Art history.
He is associate professor of Fine Art at the Art University of Bournemouth where he acts as course leader for MA Painting.
He has exhibited internationally, with an extensive record of group and solo shows in London, New York, Berlin, Los Angeles, Helsinki, Frankfurt, Munich and Miami and is represented by Charlie Smith London.