2026 So Far: Studio News, Painting Days and Spring Highlights

Hello lovely friends,

I hope you are all keeping well and enjoying the longer days. I can hardly believe how quickly this year is moving. We seem to have gone from the first glimpse of spring to the beginning of summer in no time at all.

It has already been a very full year in the studio and out painting, with exhibitions, magazine features, workshops, paint outs and plenty of new work along the way. I thought it would be lovely to gather together a few highlights from 2026 so far before sharing what is still to come later in the year.

Firstly, thank you to everyone who bought from my Easter online sale. It is always such a joy to see paintings go off to new homes, and I am so grateful for the support, messages and encouragement.

Artists & Illustrators Magazine

One of the very exciting moments this spring was being featured in the April edition of Artists & Illustrators magazine.

I was absolutely delighted to have a six-page Step-by-Step feature in this brilliant issue, sharing my approach to working en plein air and alla prima while on holiday. In the article, I explored practical tips and simple exercises in oil and gouache, showing how a focused and thoughtful approach while away from the studio can help you come home with finished paintings, strong sketches and lots of ideas for future work.

It was such an honour to be included, and especially lovely to be featured in the same issue as fellow Members of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Peter Brown and Rob Pointon.

A BIG thank you to Artists & Illustrators for including me in such a fantastic edition.

The Pastel Society

Earlier in the year, I was also over the moon to have a pastel selected for the Pastel Society once again.

The show has now closed, but it was a wonderful exhibition and the Private View was absolutely packed. My selected work, After the Harvest, was painted en plein air at the end of summer, high up in the South Downs, when the fields were golden and the skies were gorgeous.

It is always a joy to be part of these exhibitions and to see such a wide range of beautiful, thoughtful and skilful work brought together.

Trees In The Landscape

In February, I taught my online course ‘Trees in the Landscape’ with Winslow Art Center.

Trees are one of my favourite subjects to teach because they are such an important part of landscape painting. They can hold a composition together, create rhythm and structure, and completely transform the feeling of a painting.

Across the sessions, we looked at shape, colour, light and the way trees work both as individual elements and en masse. We worked with oil and gouache, explored colour choices, and thought about how different materials can help create different effects.

It was such a lovely course to teach, with plenty of hands-on work, demonstrations and conversation.

Royal Watercolour Society Spring Members’ Show

In March and April, I was delighted to take part in the Royal Watercolour Society Spring Members’ Show at Bankside Gallery.

This year, I had been working on a series of paintings exploring rain and stormy skies over my favourite local beaches. I wanted to keep the watercolour fluid and loose, allowing the weather and movement of the scene to come through.

*Rain Leaving the Beach - Watercolour, 60x76cm*

I am always in awe of the skies over the beaches near me, particularly when the weather is wild and shifting. There is something very special about watching rain move across the sea and trying to capture that atmosphere in paint.

I was also delighted to have a large classic watercolour included in the Royal Watercolour Society Permanent Exhibition at the RWS Gallery in Whitcomb Street. The Permanent Exhibition is a new collection featuring members’ work and is shown in between other exhibitions and events at the gallery.

Leisure Painter & The Artist Magazine

Another lovely piece of news this spring was being included in Leisure Painter & The Artist magazine as part of the Society of Women Artists feature, ‘Empowering Women Artists’.

A big thank you to the magazine and to the wonderful Society of Women Artists for including me. The feature celebrated women in art and included work from our new President, Rachel Parker, along with other fabulous SWA Members.

My own large oil painting, Golden Dawn, was given a spotlight, which was such a treat.

ROI Friends Paint Out At Denbies

In May, I led another Royal Institute of Oil Painters Friends’ paint out at the beautiful Denbies Wine Estate in the Surrey Hills. Last year was such a joy — the vines, rolling hills and all those lovely greens — that I couldn’t resist going back again.

It was wonderful to return to Denbies and spend the day painting outdoors together. The setting is such a treat, with views across the vines and hills, and plenty of space to settle in with a sketchbook, pochade box or easel.

Thank you to everyone who came along. It was lovely to see familiar faces and meet new painters too. These days are always about so much more than the paintings themselves. They are about looking, sharing, chatting, laughing and spending time outside with a brush in hand.

Southern Plein Air Group Show

Also in May, the Southern Plein Air Group held a group exhibition at the Fishing Quarter Gallery in Brighton.

I was thrilled to be part of this wonderful band of painters, showing a collection of oil plein air paintings created along the South Coast.

It was such a joy to have us all together and to celebrate the energy, immediacy and fun of painting outdoors.

Painting outside has its challenges, of course — changing light, wind, rain, curious passers-by, and occasionally a very enthusiastic dog — but that is also what makes it so alive. There is nothing quite like responding directly to the landscape in front of you.

Winslow Art Center Spring Fling

As part of Winslow Art Center’s Spring Fling, I also had the pleasure of chatting and demonstrating online.

I painted a beautiful Mediterranean view from the castle where I will be teaching later this year in Umbria. It was lovely to share a little glimpse of what is to come and to talk about the way light, colour and atmosphere can shape a painting.

New Work From The Studio

I have also been adding fresh work to the website, and several paintings have already found new homes.

The changing weather has given me renewed energy, and I am so excited to be back outside with my pochade and plein air kit. There is something about this time of year that makes me want to paint everything — the light in the evenings, the clouds, the greens, the beaches, the lanes, the hills.

I will continue to add new paintings to the website as they become available.

A New Event Calendar Is Coming

I am also adding a new Event Calendar to my website so that you can quickly see where my work is being shown, where I am demonstrating, and where you can come and paint with me.

It will be available here: Event Calendar or via the site menu.

I am often asked, “Where can I see your work?” and “When are you teaching next?” so this will make everything much easier to find in one place.

There is still so much to come this year, including exhibitions, workshops, gallery news, a solo show in Arundel and painting in Italy. I will share all of that in my next update.

Thank you, as always, for following along, coming to exhibitions, joining workshops, buying paintings, sending lovely messages and saying hello when you see me out and about.

Lots of love and look after yourselves,

Lucy x