5 years of growing, sowing and showing…
This year marks our 5th birthday in this studio. I can’t believe we’ve already been here 5 years, although part of that was taken up with a lockdown. It’s been quite a ride, tough at times, but totally worth it. When I think back to what I was doing 12 years ago, stuck behind a desk, answering the phone every 20 seconds and buried beneath stacks of files, I realise that, although the tough times really are felt and can be horrible, my heart is in this studio and in art.
We started off with no electricity in November 2018, no phone or broadband. We opened to coincide with the opening of the new war memorial in the village, which marked Rotherfield as the last village in Sussex to have a memorial built for the victims of the first and second world wars. My childhood hero, John Craven peered through my shop window whilst filming an episode of Countryfile to mark the occasion and my painting of the War Horse made it to the final cut of the episode, which showed my shop window off nicely. We invited all members of the community in to make a poppy and dedicate it to a loved one they wished to remember and made tissue paper poppies for the local British Legion, whom we were raising money for at the time too. It was a great start to our life in the studio and set the tone. Community will be the first and the last.
Over the 5 years we have built a fantastic community of artistic souls, from the very young (under 3) to the very eldest in the community. We are so proud that our mission to provide art for all continues to stand strong. We are now seeing between 70 and 80 regular customers in the studio each week. Here are just some of the achievements over the last 5 years:
- Little Leonardos Art Club has grown from 1 club a week with 4 children attending to running 3 times a week, each with a full class and waiting list.
- Little Leonardos Art Club is now a trade mark!
- We’ve raised hundreds of pounds for local charities through our work
- We sponsored the local football under 14s team.
- We’ve joined forces with Family Support Work to help struggling families within the community
- Little Leonardos Art Club got a mention on BBC Southeast Today through lockdown for their rainbow project
- We’ve been interviewed by the local radio three times
- We’ve been nominated for a Muddy Stiletto award three times and reached the final.
- We’ve visited many schools in the area to spread the art bug and continue to do so
- We’ve sponsored Ukranian refugee children to join our art club and help them settle in our country
- We’ve sold countless artworks which have ended up in collections around the globe
- We’ve grown from a team of little ol’ me to a team of 4.
- We’ve started up our ‘Drop in Sessions’, being one of the only art studios in the country that offer this service and it has grown and grown in popularity.
We’d like to say a huge thank you to all of our supporters and now to tell you what is coming up for the rest of 2023!
Christmas Lino Printing
Saturday 18th November, 3-6.30pm. All materials included, including 10 blank cards to print, x2 pieces of lino and fabric for a fabulous table centre. Refreshments, including mince pies and ginger bread will be served to get you in the festive mood. Spaces are filling up quick! To book, just send us an email to kjfineartist@yahoo.com or a message via the contact page of this website.
Christmas Holiday Club – NEVERLAND!
This promises to be so magical, from shadow box art to feather painted bookmarks and mermaid slime, the kids will love this one! It’s got something for everyone from pirates to fairies, from mermaids to native americans. A great way to entertain the kids whilst you dash out for the last minute Christmas shopping. To book, email kjfineartist@yahoo.com or via the contact page of this website.
Family Drop in Art days
These continue to run throughout the term. With a range of options to choose from, this is the ideal way to calm the kids down after school on a rainy, cold afternoon. Adults get a complimentary tea/coffee.
It’s not just for kids! Adults who wish to use the studio to experiment with different techniques or just enjoy doing art are welcome too.
