Denton a village in South Norfolk, England

Denton Art Group

Denton Art Group is an informal gathering of local artists who have come together to share their interest in painting and drawing.

They normally hold regular group sessions, in terms, at the Village Hall on Wednesday afternoons, from 1.30 to 4.30.

They also organise visiting tutors on an occasional basis. Thus Nigel Colebrook, who is a well known local artist and teacher, has come to sessions to give members demonstrations and help with their own work and in the past Denton’s own Chris Bardsley has contributed. Session fees, normally £3.00 per person, are higher on these occasions.

For further information about the Group contact:

• Maureen Coe, 788019 or
• Debbie Buckton, 788076.

The Group has held several Exhibitions at the Village Hall, the first in November 2018. The group have also organised exhibition tents at recent Dentils and, in March 2016, they ran a very successful ‘taster’ watercolour art session for adult beginners.

The Coronation

Together with these supporting notes -
The objective was to create a collage that included images that we felt reflected connections appropriate to the event. The superb artwork and eclectic mix of subjects reflect the interest and respect the group has for our new monarch.
The King Charles III Coronation Collage was assembled by Peter Smith on behalf of Denton Art Group.

King Charles III Coronation British Flag Gold Patterned Medal – Sandra Gordon - pen & ink.
This medal features a King Charles III Coronation centre with a depiction of the union jack and the coronation date.

St Edwards Crown – Shelagh Limmer – pen & ink.
This crown is only worn for a short period of time during the service, after which it is replaced by the Imperial State Crown. It was made for Charles II in 1661, as a replacement for the medieval crown which had been melted down in 1649. The original was thought to date back to the eleventh-century royal saint, Edward the Confessor – the last Anglo-Saxon king of England.

The Sovereign Orb 1661 - Rosemary Gibson – pen & watercolour.
The Orb is a representation of the sovereign's power. It symbolises the Christian world with its cross mounted on a globe, and the bands of jewels dividing it up into three sections represent the three continents known in medieval times.

Red Arrows Fly Past with Red, White & Blue Trails – Carol Smith – watercolour pens & pencils.
Charles served in the Royal Air Force where he obtained his pilot’s licence so he will, no doubt, watch the fly past with keen interest.

King Charles III Portrait – Maureen Coe – acrylic.
Charles is the quintessence of the Coronation and is brilliantly depicted here in this portrait.

State Coach - Bridget Hill - pen and wash.
The State Coach was designed by William Chambers and made by the coach maker Samuel Butler. At 260 years old it has been used at every coronation since William IV's in 1831.

Camilla informal Portrait - Shelagh Limmer – watercolour.
Since Charles's accession, Camilla has been styled "Her Majesty The Queen Consort". It has been confirmed that she will be crowned Queen alongside Charles at the Coronation.

Charles III informal portrait - Shelagh Limmer – watercolour.
Charles leads a very busy official life so most opportunities to relax and socialise with his family and friends has, in all likelihood, been at home at Highgrove.

Highgrove House – Deb Buckton – watercolour.
This is a splendid portrayal of Highgrove House which has been Charles Prince of Wales and Camilla, Queen Consort's private country house and much-loved family home since 1980. The house and gardens have been an inspiration to Charles in his extensive environmental activities.

Garden Tools - Deb Buckton – pen & watercolour.
Examples of the tools the “hands-on” Charles would be familiar with and often used in Highgrove Gardens.

Spode King Charles III Coronation Mug with flowers – Helen Knowles – watercolour.
This is a fine example of the merchandise that is prolifically available to commemorate Charles III Coronation.

King Charles III in Uniform – Deborah Stewart – pen & ink.
King Charles served as an Air Vice Marshal in the Royal Air Force and Rear Admiral in the Navy. He retired in 1976 after six years of active service. The uniform he wears relates to the branches of the armed forces in which he served.

Dogs, Beth and Bluebell – Christine Aers – mixed media.
King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla adopted the dogs from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in 2017. Beth had been moved from “pillar to post” before she was abandoned. Bluebell was found "virtually dead" in a forest, hairless and covered in sores before she recovered. "She's very sweet, but a tiny bit neurotic, shall we say," Camilla explained.

VR Post Box – Anne Carden – originally watercolour, copied and reduced in size.
This picture of a VR Post Box indicates the longevity of the monarchy. The cipher VR depicted Queen Victoria and was used from 1837 to 1901. The Royal Mail confirmed on 27 September 2022 that existing post boxes will remain unchanged, but from 2022 new ones will feature King Charles III’s cypher.

Charles III caricature – Diana Hunter – mixed media.
This delightful caricature symbolises Prince Charles’ long standing rich sense of humour. For example, Charles joined the Goon squad in 1998. The prince had been a great fan of the surreal humour of the classic BBC radio series since he was a boy. Friends say he has treated the Goons and others to many impressions of the characters played by Spike Milligan, Sir Harry Secombe and Peter Sellers.

Charles Prince of Wales’ Investiture – photograph downloaded by Peter Smith.
This photograph is included to represent the long link in Charles’ duties from investiture as Prince of Wales to his accession to the throne as Charles III. The investiture took place in Caernarfon Castle, North Wales, on 1 July 1969. He was crowned by his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, who will be in his, and all our, thoughts, as he is crowned King Charles III on 6 May 2023. .

The 2022 Exhibition

After a gap of four years so it was an eagerly awaited event.
There was a wonderful display of artwork, over 130 paintings and drawings, some framed, some not, some for sale and some not; a large range of subjects, something for everyone!
There were pictures of Volcanoes erupting to tranquil scenes of beautiful lakes and trees – there were elephants, dogs and cats, sea creatures and horses – all in different styles and mediums.
Refreshments were served with homemade cakes and scones, and there was also a raffle.

The 2022 Christmas Tree Competition

This year the Group decided to challenge the Gardening Club by entering the decorated Christmas Tree Competition at Alburgh Church.

It attracted a lot of favourable comments but missed out, narrowly, on the first prize.

Christmas 2021

As part of the seasonal decoration of the Village Hall members of the Group constructed a Chrismas Collage with appropriate notes written by Peter Smith.
A link to the Notes is provided below the picture.

The Notes can be seen Here

DENTON ART CLUB LOCKDOWN COMPETITION 2020/21

Unfortunately the Coronavirus restrictions made life very difficult and the Club's normal meetings had to be suspended.
To everyone's relief, they have now restarted. However, in the meantime, a competition was organised.

This is the Report from the Chief Judge.

The works of art submitted contained many interesting ideas executed in different media to a very high standard. We had:
Nostalgic images from times long before anyone had heard of Covid - a steam train drawing into a station, an art deco house in a snowy landscape under a bright moon and starlit sky.
Long delayed projects finally undertaken – a picture of a deep hole dug in a garden and alongside the completed pond with its surrounding paving.
Illustrations of things much missed – Southwold, unmistakeable with the lighthouse and coloured beach huts and only a couple of children playing on the beach; (reminded me of the town in the late 1950s and 60s, how nice it was before the mass of trippers that crowd it out now arrived!).
A flower painting, a protea, a splash of colour as a fond memory of a visit to Kirstenbosch behind Table Mountain in the Cape (a fond memory also for Deb and I). Also missing travel abroad, a beautifully illustrated cartoon of sheep disappointed with cancelled flights to the ski slopes.
Thoughts of life in Lockdown – a flock of many birds, perhaps nature taking back a space left empty of humans during the first lockdown. A dark house in a brooding garden under a threatening red sky reminding us all of the dangers to be faced.
A colourful garden under a bright sunlit sky, illustrating the fine, clear weather early on when we may have felt hopeful of an early resolution.

Finally, this was a competition so the winners are: -
The Second Prize – a box of chocolates presented by Maureen Coe – goes to “The Not Guilty Tree” by Kay Wiltshire which, with a clever use of technology (something with which we have all become much more familiar), suggests multiple positive ideas and thoughts to consider during the long hours of Lockdown.

The First Prize – a bottle of Prosecco - goes to “The Wild Horses Rainbow” by Sandra Kilburn. The picture captures a moment of stillness at a water hole before the alert herd canters away representing our lost freedoms, which will return, and the colours reflect the rainbows which appeared in many windows supporting the NHS.