​The St Neots Art Group’s Autumn Exhibition, held on 21st September 2025, was a resounding success — and all thanks to the incredible efforts of our members and volunteers.

Despite being a one-day event, the exhibition drew more visitors than expected, creating a lively and welcoming atmosphere that truly had a buzz. The variety of artwork on display was impressive, ranging from paintings and drawings to handmade cards and even decorative pillows. This diversity clearly resonated with attendees, as we sold more pieces than ever before.
Our refreshments counter and tables were another highlight, proving extremely popular and adding to the warm, community feel of the day.
A huge thank you goes out to everyone who helped prepare for the event and supported us on the day. Your hard work and enthusiasm played a vital role in making the exhibition such a success. Whether you were hanging artwork, greeting visitors, serving tea, or simply spreading the word — you made a difference.

​We all had the chance to practice the technique on the painting, making the final piece a true group effort under Steve's guidance. - Hopefully we will see some of these results from other members at later evenings.

​Paul's approach focuses on shapes rather than features. He advises ignoring the fact that you're drawing a face. Adding eyes might seem like a big step, but if they're not perfect, you're stuck with them. Instead, Paul aims to get the basic outline as accurate as possible, making any time spent here worthwhile.

Next, he moves on to shadows, starting with the mid-tones and adding the highest and lowest tonal values last. This method allows for adjustments and avoids committing to strong tones too early.

Paul explains that the face doesn't have edges; what we perceive as edges are transitions from dark to light tonal values. A hard line represents a fast transition, while an area of curvature is a slower transition. These effects are achieved by adjusting the tonal values in the shadows.

Highlights are added last and very sensitively, as they can easily be overdone and need to be kept subtle.

Finally, textures are added. Paul also shared a great tip: avoid putting too much detail into ancillary areas like ears and hands, as they can distract from the face. Instead, he suggests hinting at these areas to let the face stand out as the main attraction.

We had a delightful evening themed around ‘Still Life’. Instead of our usual setup, we gathered around a single group of tables to create art together. Mushrooms were our subject, and everyone chose their preferred medium.

The atmosphere was wonderfully sociable, filled with chatter and the occasional peek at our neighbors’ progress. The consensus was that this format was a hit and worth repeating.

After enjoying a cup of tea and some delicious homemade cake (thanks to Margaret), we shared and reviewed our work. The variety was impressive, with watercolors, pastels, pencils, and acrylics, each showcasing different styles and techniques.

Of course, there were a few playful excuses for unfinished pieces, notably: “the tea and cake were ready.”

Here are some of the images: