Katharine Jennings Fine Art Studio and Coffee House Rotherfield

We pride ourselves on our traditional values and strive to be exceptional every single day, with everything we do.

We are rooted in tradition. Our coffee house harks back to a time where people met for coffee to connect, debate, create and learn, otherwise known as a Penny University. There are notes of renaissance Italy, creative endeavours in progress and oil paintings adorning the walls.

Our menu is intentionally kept small, so our customers and our team can focus on what is important. Connection and creativity. Whether you wish to do art or not, sitting in a creative space offers an escape like no other. A respite, a reward or a guilty pleasure.

Our KJFA Academy caters for all ages from 5 upwards. We offer childrens art clubs, art clubs for teenagers and classes and workshops for adults. All our sessions within the Academy are founded on traditional methods and mindset. We teach the language of art, not just how to copy it. We use centuries old teaching methods, to get the best artistic you. We use the values of Leonardo Da Vinci to encourage the children to make learning a life mission, rather than just something they do at school.

Our studio reflects our story. An old building, part of which dates back to the tudor times and part medieval. It is steeped in history, with beams, a well in the outside courtyard area, an artists reference library area and reading nook and to ensure it is accessible to all, second hand art materials swap shop.

During the day, when you walk through the door, you will find a warm and welcoming greeting. A studio space glittered with fairy lights and artwork all around you. The tables are equipped with menus, pen pots and paper, in case you fancy a quick doodle. We invite you to take a seat at our tables like Painters Corner, The Hearth, Makers Table, Companions, The Studio Table or the Gallery Table. Each one a different view point and a different atmosphere. We invite you to try out the tables on each visit to see which one suits you best and once you know, tell us and we can reserve it for your next visit.

We serve you at your table. We tidy away. You only need focus on relaxation and enjoyment whilst in our space. We are set in the beautiful, rural village of Rotherfield, nestled between Mayfield, Tunbridge Wells and Crowborough, East Sussex with access to a vast amount of countryside on our doorstep. We are fortunate enough to have access to a forest school, just a walk away, as well as a recreation ground and fields upon fields, filled with an array of flora and fauna. It gives us plenty of inspiration to pass on to all who enter the studio, no matter what age or ability.

Katharine Jennings

Founder

Katharine has been a professional artist for around 30 years, specialising in portraiture and more recently, landscapes and still life. She works mainly in oils, her favourite medium, but has dabbled in all media.

Katharine comes from a long line of artists and entrepreneurs. Growing up in Kent and Sussex, Katharine was surrounded by artistic talent from both her mother, a professional florist and grandfather, the co owner of A & H Graphic Design Studio in London. Her family actively encouraged both an active and artistic lifestyle.

Katharine has spent over 30 years doing commissions, all the while concentrating on building knowledge and skill in the traditional methods of painting and drawing by the old masters and renaissance artists. It was this passion that todays academy is built on.

In 2018, she started to run her own art studio, with the view to encourage others to become creative. Since then her business has continued to grow and now has nearly 100 students visiting her studio on a weekly basis of all ages. Katharine has done countless commissions and exhibited widely, with her work in collections all over the world including Australia and Switzerland.

Katharine has built the business with high standards as a priority. Her passion for teaching the language of art, the foundations, rather than just copying, ensures that the classes and clubs have depth and value much more than most other classes.

Megan Miles

Lead Art Tutor running our Leonardos Art Club for 12-16s

Megan is a qualified Teacher of Art and a Mum to two young children. Her love for teaching art started early, having come from a family of teachers. She enjoys experimenting with any form of art or craft process and is always open to trying out new techniques. Megan particularly loves to work with different drawing processes, as well as painting and using 3D materials. Nature is often a starting point to her own work, taking inspiration from the colours, patterns, textures and forms in our natural surroundings. Over the years Megan has also enjoyed experimenting with printmaking and in particular etching.

Megan has taught Art and Design and Photography at secondary level for over 12 years. It remains incredibly important to her that all children are able to access the arts and that there is something creative that everybody can do. She has worked with students in a range of mediums including drawing, painting, printing, sculpture, fashion and photography and many of her students have continued to go on and have successful careers in the arts.

Prior to teaching Megan completed a Foundation Studies course and following this she studied a degree in Fine Art at the University College of Creative Arts.

In April 2022 Megan started working with Katharine and Sarah, assisting with the holiday clubs and leading the Leonardo’s Saturday morning art club for young people aged 12-16. She has enjoyed helping students to develop their creativity and confidence through their art work, building on the students own ideas and interests. The group have explored a wide range a really exciting projects, including ‘The Great British Cake Smash,’ where students created experimental artwork in response to a big still life, an ‘Identity’ project customizing shoes and a project exploring our relationship with the environment. In the winter a Christmas window installation was created by the students and they also curated their very own exhibition to celebrate the students’ artwork.