It's bath time.

Saturday 3 December 2016
We're off to Bath for the Jerwood Drawing Exhibition.

Meet 10am at Cardiff Central Station for the 10:27am train to Bath Spa.
Then a bus to University of Bath Campus for coffee & cake at The Edge Cafe.
See the exhibition and get inspired to sketch on-site before a meal in the nearby Lime Tree food court.
Bus back to Bath centre for sight-seeing and xmas shopping.
Train home to Cardiff.

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Jerwood Drawing Exhibition - the largest and longest-running annual open exhibition for drawing in the UK, exhibited in Bath for the first time, free admission - info here

The Trainline - book an off-peak open day return ticket online and add on the Bath PlusBus service. Discounted prices if you have a Senior Railcard, Student Railcard, etc. - website here

The Edge Cafe - info here

Lime Tree food court - info here

Bath Christmas Market - info here 

Historical Bath - info here

Saturday 24th Sept from 10am.

We are back at our favourite museum on Saturday 24th September.
Meet outside at 10am.
Draw, draw, draw (then draw some more).
Coffee and chat in the downstairs cafe from 11:30

National Museum of Wales, Cardiff

Saturday 17 September

CHANGE OF VENUE
We'll save our museum visit to another date and instead we will be meeting at CRAFT IN THE BAY, Cardiff. Click here for directions.

10:30am Meet outside CRAFT IN THE BAY
11:00am Walk & Talk free event on the different approaches to drawing of artists showing at the new exhibition "Drawing Inspirations".
Then time to do our own drawing work with coffee & chat afterwards.

Saturday 13 Aug from 10:30am

Saturday 13 Aug from 10:30am.
Cosmeston Country Park, Penarth

Sketch the other visitors at this lovely venue and take the board-walk around the lakes, see the nature reserve and wildlife. There's also a reconstructed village with big barns and thatched cottages for the challenge of drawing medieval domestic architecture!!

Cosmeston Medieval Village

Cosmeston Lakes

Cosmeston Country Park

Free car parking on site or lots of buses from Cardiff to Penarth.

Saturday 30 July from 2:15pm

An afternoon drawing session at Fairoak Bowling Club, Roath Park.
Meet outside the green on Saturday 30 July at 2:15pm - a league game against the visiting team begins at 2:30pm.
(there's lots of seating around this outdoor bowling green)

Coffee and chat afterwards at the nearby "Field of Beans" cafe.

Info links:
Fairoak Bowling Club, Alder Road, Roath Park, Cardiff
Field of Beans Cafe, 1 Wedal Road, Roath park, Cardiff

Saturday 23 July from 10am.

Saturday 23 July from 10am.

We'll be drawing at Cardiff Bay

Meet outside the Mount Stuart Wetherspoon's Pub at 10am.

Click here for location

Lots to see around Mermaid Quay - people and boats, waterside views, 
Cardiff Bay Beach, a break dancing event at the Millennium Centre .....

Plants & people - Sunday 17 July from 2pm.

Spend the afternoon drawing at this secret garden in the city suburbs.

As well as flowers, fruit & veg, nature reserve, pond and a wildflower meadow, you'll find Fairtrade food stalls, tea, cakes and wine tastings!

St. Peter's Church Community Garden
Part of the National Gardens Scheme - gardens open for charity.
Admission: adults £3, children free.

Meet at the entrance to the gardens at 2pm.
Click here for info and directions

a busy July

We have three meetings proposed for next month -

Sunday 17 July - afternoon 2pm - 4pm
Saturday 23 July - morning 10am - 12noon
Saturday 30 July - afternoon 2pm - 4pm

details to follow ...........

a morning at the museum

Saturday 18 June

Saturday 18 June 2016 from 10am - 12 noon

National Museum of Wales, Cardiff  
Meet at the reception desk in the main hall.

A good choice of shows at our favourite museum -
Commemoration of the Battle of Mametz Wood (Gallery 19-20)
David Jones drawings and prints (Gallery 1)
Augustus John show with new etchings (Gallery 13)
Anatomy of a Welsh Village (New Gallery - top floor)

Drawing - 10:00 - 11:30am  
Coffee    - 11:30 - 12noon

NEW Market Day

A new date for our Market Day drawing session - Saturday 21 May

Meet at 10am outside the Hayes entrance of Cardiff Indoor Market
(Trinity Street, near St. John's church).
Sketch those flowers and fish, barbers and bacon, welsh cakes and wigs, and also complete a special CDG Market Quiz to test your powers of observation!

Coffee and chat afterwards.
www.cardiffdrawinggroup.co.uk

Market Day POSTPONED

POSTPONED
Unfortunately our Market Day drawing session will be postponed ....
Cardiff is expecting 66,000 spectators on Saturday 30th April at the Judgement Day event, with two major rugby matches being held at the Millennium Stadium. Some city centre roads will be closed, with trains, buses and car parking disrupted.
So, we'll arrange to visit the Market on a different date.
Please check this CDG blog for the latest info.

Market Day

We're off to market on Saturday 30 April.

Flowers and fish.

Barbers and bacon.

Cafes and crafts.

Meet at 10am outside the Hayes (Trinity Street) entrance of Cardiff Indoor Market, wander through the mixed stalls or sketch from the balcony.

Coffee and chat afterwards.

Gallery talk and portrait drawing

Gallery talk and portrait drawing at the National Museum of Wales

Aplin Studios

NEW drop-in life-drawing sessions at Sebastian's studio.
Thursday evenings from 5:30pm - 7:30pm. (£10 per session)
Arrive early at 5:10 for tea, coffee and view slides of great drawings.

Life Drawing at Aplin Studios
Aplin Studios on Facebook

Saturday 2 April at 10am. - Portraits

Drawing Mam Cymru and Dorelia John
Gallery talk and portrait drawing at the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff.

Meet at 10am. on Saturday 2 April 2016
We will register as a group and then all go to the Upper Galleries for a prompt start at 10:15am. (so we have time to listen, to draw, to chat).

National Museum of Wales, Historic Art, Room 1
Free entry to the museum and the art galleries.

Fascinating Faces

.. work from our busy portraiture session at The Little Man Coffee Co ..

Drink and draw?

Saturday 5 March from 10 - 12 noon
We're meeting at The Little Man Coffee Company and drawing in their secret, downstairs gallery space.
So, the drinking will be coffee/tea.
The drawing will be portraiture.

The Little Man Coffee Company, Ivor House, Bridge Street, Cardiff

POSTCARDS

Postcard sized drawings, with love from us to you.

Drawing an elegant Lady

Saturday 13 Feb from 3-5pm.
Note the special time: it's in the afternoon from 3pm to 5pm.

A drawing session with this lovely, tall, slim, elegant greyhound named Lady.
At the Spit & Sawdust Skate Park off Newport Road, Cardiff.
http://spitandsawdust.co.uk/visit/
We'll be working in their art gallery space, but could also sketch the skaters and the surroundings of banks, blocks, hips and other obstacles.

Free entry. Cafe on site.

Anna & Lesley

15-21 February 2016
At the Broadway Drawing School, Roath, Cardiff an exhibition of paintings and drawings by Anna and Lesley. Open between 12pm and 5pm
Private view Monday 15 Feb, 6pm - 8pm

studio visit

Last Saturday's visit to Aplin Studios was good fun.
See our drawing work on the Facebook page.

Saturday 30 January 2016

Saturday 30 January 2016 at 10am.
Visit Sebastian's art studio at the old Coal Exchange building, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay. Meet outside the white door at 10am. We can view his current work and also produce our own drawings in the studio, or outside if the weather is good.

Click here for directions.

At the Museum

2016

Season's greetings to all.

Our first drawing session of the New Year will be on Saturday 16 January 2016 at the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff. We meet at 10am in the main foyer, draw, then a chat in the downstairs cafe.

Red biro

portrait drawing in red biro by Jan

Drawing at the Museum

Richard's finished drawing

large drawing on block framed canvas 120cm x 100cm
using charcoal, lead, graphite and very sharp razor blades!

Saturday 5 December

Saturday 5 December 2015 from 10am.
Probably our last meeting of 2015 at probably the best museum in Wales.
We'll be sketching, then coffee and a chat in the downstairs cafe.

Saturday 24 October 2015

Saturday 24 October from 10am.     

We're meeting at 10am in the entrance hall of the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, our favourite place to get-together, draw, have coffee and chat. Lots of amazing art and natural history exhibits. FREE entrance.

Saturday 26 September 2015

Two FREE "Open Doors" venues for us to visit and draw.

Meet at 11am. outside the Greek Orthodox Church on Bute Street (guided tour at 11:30). Beautifully decorated Byzantine style with gilded icon panels.
Info here
Photos here
Afterwards, wander on down towards Cardiff Bay and look inside the Exchange Building on Mount Stuart Square. Victorian coal trading floor, wood panelled music hall.
Info here
Photos here

Free Dance Friday

Friday 4 September starting at 5pm.
Wales Dance House (at the back of the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay).
It's free to attend rehearsals for this new production, on Friday 4 September when we can watch and draw.

National Dance Company Wales

Read about it HERE - Book free tickets HERE

Saturday 29 August from 2pm. till 4pm.

Thompson's Park, off Romilly Road, Canton, Cardiff.
Spend an afternoon in this beautiful, little-known city park with its water fountains, statue, lake, pavilion and lush greenery. Lower area with ornamental plantings and upper area with surprising open views.

Meet at 2pm. inside the entrance gates on Romilly Road.
Coffees and a chat afterwards.
Thompson's Park information.

photo from bbc.co.uk

Friday 14 August from 5:30pm

Draw this giant spider-web construction in Bute Park, Cardiff.
TAPE is free to visit, outside and inside! 
click here for information
Meet by the web around 5:30pm, drawing the parkland, riverside, giant trees and the web itself, then off for coffees and a chat nearby.

www.walesonline.co.uk

.. at St Augustine's

Hello Sailor?

Tuesday 4 August 2015 from 10am.

Our next get-together will be at Roath Park Lake where we can hire a rowing boat and draw a ducks-eye view over the waves (or wander lakeside and sketch the vegetation, waterfowl and people).
If the weather isn't good then we can pop into the Botanical Conservatory.
Meet by the white lighthouse, draw, then afterwards to the lakeside cafe!

Roath Park location:
Roath Park images: 
Roath Park info:

Cardiff's new Central Square

Read Richard's letter to the Editor of the Western Mail regarding a 4th Plinth proposal for Cardiff's new Central Square development. This will also be forwarded to Phil Bale, Leader of Cardiff City Council.

A Letter from members of the Vale of Glamorgan Artists and the Cardiff Drawing Group suggesting a further input into the planning and development of Cardiff’s Central Square.

4th Plinth at Cardiff’s Central Square?
   The development plans for Cardiff’s Central Square show bright, colourful buildings full of space and light using various textural surfaces. All well and good but there appears only one fairly formal art work and that is a sculpture and no more. Wall reliefs and murals are nowhere seen.
   Is this wonderful opportunity for public art in our capital city to be met with so little enthusiasm, even ignored? 
   Compare London's Trafalgar Square where the success of the 4th Plinth has invigorated the area - google it and see for yourself. The plinth idea could be easily incorporated into the scheme of things at Central Square. The Welsh capital's 4th Plinth – sounds good and why not? Also, around the plinth could be a designated performance space for actors, musicians and street artists.
   Architecture is supposed to be the ‘Mother of the Arts’ in which case Mum could be showing a bit more support for her little arts off spring. We request the city planners and architects to instil some sense of urgency and importance into installing a Public Art plinth into the Central Square showcase development. 
   It will mean a changing art work, a challenging opportunity for the arts and crafts community and the general public. In other words Art for All. 
   The development of an Arts Centre in Pendyris Street (old Tram station site) off Clare Road and Taff Mead Embankment means a focus site is already being established which can facilitate a plinth development plan.
   So Cardiff do it…. one plinth please.

Signed by the following artists:-
   Richard O’Connell -  Painter
   Karen Hughes - Ceramicist  / Painter
   Allan Brown - Painter / Ceramicist

Saturday 11 July

10:45am - Drawing at St. Augustine’s Churchyard, Upper Penarth.
Amazing views over Cardiff Bay, a variety of monumental tombstones, etc.
Bring hat/scarf it can be very windy - this is the highest point for many miles.
12 noon we're off to the nearby Pilot pub and restaurant, to recover, review and replenish.....

Recent drawings

Sunday 7 June

Sunday 7 June 2015 from 11am. till 4pm.

Join us for a few hours (or stay all day) for a session of drawing in the countryside at Goldsland Farm in this secret, hidden valley.

You are welcome to come as a visiting artist, to sketch the animals, farm machinery, old barns, woodlands and wildlife. And you could also bring your family for a fascinating day out in the countryside!
This is a FREE event - no entrance charge.

Click HERE for a map.
Click HERE for information from the farmer.