Welcome to our website, best viewed on a laptop or tablet!
PIRBRIGHT ART CLUB has been running for 26 years! Created by art tutor Maggie Read, as a way of continuing art sessions for her students during the long breaks between Adult Education terms, it is a thriving and successful club. All our meetings have taken place at Lord Pirbright's Hall on Pirbright Green (GU24 0JE) since we opened. LPH is also the venue for our exhibitions and we staged our 26th Annual Exhibition in December 2025 with a superb display of paintings by our members. A few of our founder members are still taking an active part in the club activities. We have a reputation for excellence for the quality and presentation of the work on show at our annual exhibitions.
We attract a wide range of artists, from beginners to professionals, through Maggie's art workshops and demonstrations, via our website and by word-of-mouth. Maggie is a qualified tutor, with many years experience teaching all aspects of drawing and painting in most media. She is also a professional artist and started her career as a book illustrator.
There are two group art sessions each month at Pirbright Art Club - we meet for tutor-led drawing and painting sessions every month (except August & December). Members of both groups come together at our exhibitions, outdoor summer painting days and social events. If members miss their usual session - they can come to the other!
LATEST ART CLUB NEWS
MONTHLY ART SESSIONS 2026
Art sessions resumed in January 2026 and attendance was good for each session! Especially pleasing was that a number of members took the option to work directly from the still-life table, set-up by Maggie at each session with various objects from nature, the garden or household. January's set-up included antique brass kettles and pots, from Maggie's own collection of objets d'art!
ANNUAL EXHIBITION 2025
Saturday 6th December
A one-day event, this year - our 26th Annual Exhibition was a special 'pop-up' show! A less formal display, this year, with many original paintings by our members set up on tables and easels! All our usual attractions all in the Main Hall of Lord Pirbright's Hall
The exhibition featured framed and unframed pictures, prints and cards and our visitors were offered mulled wine on Saturday morning, while our cafe served refreshments all day. A Craft & Gift Fair was held in the adjacent Club Room. Our fabulous raffle prizes were as popular as ever!
One visitor commented "It was good to see the high standards of work by all your talented members - well done all!" One of our members said "Thank you so much for the exhibition on Saturday - it was a really high standard of artwork and looked very professional. Was good to admire so much talent and creativity."
The day finished with the Pirbright Hall Christmas lights being switched on by Santa Claus himself....the countdown ceremony was well-attended by families. Santa's elves then welcomed the kids to come and pick up their gifts, in the Grotto specially decorated for him in the Committee room!
The winner of the Public Vote for Best Picture in the Exhibition, this year, was Margaret McQuillan for her picture "Lucky Black Cat". The picture can be seen on our Exhibitions page.
SUMMER 2025
"RAILINGS" EXHIBITION
Our summer exhibition was arranged to coincide with Pirbright Village Fair, this year, and took place on Saturday 30th August! A fabulous display of members' paintings was hung along the railings outside Lord Pirbright's Hall and it attracted many visitors. See more pictures on our EXHIBITIONS page! The rain did little to dampen spirits that day - although it tried its best!!
2025 SUMMER OUTDOOR PAINTING DAYS
The outdoor painting days were a great success this year, as usual! We were lucky to have wonderful, warm sunny weather on each of the dates - see our ACTIVITIES page for photos and details of our painting locations. The two pictures below show Maggie's demo "work-in-progress" at the Basingstoke Canal Centre, and the finished painting (completed in studio)
SPRING 2025
CHURCHYARD CHRONICLES BOOK
In February, some of our artists joined local Pirbright residents at a leaving party for the outgoing editor of the Parish Newsletter "The Perinews". Julia Douetil was presented with a lovely printed book of her Churchyard Chronicles stories. She wrote these stories every month for twenty years, for the newsletter! The book was a surprise parting gift for her and she was delighted! It featured illustrations by some of our members, as well as other local artists.
Back in September 2024, we were asked if our artists would illustrate some of the stories and many members took up the challenge! Julia was so pleased with the book and praised our artists for their lovely paintings. See the full article and photos on our NEWS page.
The book has now being reprinted for sale to the public and copies may be ordered. Contact Maggie for details. We had a copy on show, along with some of the original paintings at our 2025 Annual Exhibition
DECEMBER 2024
25th ANNIVERSARY EXHIBITION
On Saturday November 30th and Sunday December 1st we staged a special 25th Annual Exhibition at Lord Pirbright's Hall. There were many visitors on both days and many fantastic artworks, including framed paintings, unframed folios, prints and cards, were sold over the weekend. Our "Small Pictures" table was particularly successful, featuring small framed works at affordable prices that buyers could take away on purchase seeming to be popular with visitors this year!
As well as the Art Exhibition, the event had further attractions: a Xmas Cafe serving refreshments all weekend and a Craft Market on the Saturday, selling many handmade gifts and produce in time for Christmas. In addition there was a raffle on each day and the winners of our lovely hampers were delighted!
A truly successful 25th Anniversary Exhibition!
More photos can be seen on our Exhibitions page!
RAILINGS EXHIBITION 2024
Pirbright Art Club's annual Summer exhibition, "The Railings", so called because the artwork is displayed on the railings outside Lord Pirbright's Hall, took place on Saturday July 27th this year. There were many pieces of superb and original artwork on sale.
Scenes from the 2024 Railings Exhibition
DORSET ART HOLIDAY 2024
Maggie Read took a group of artists on a short art holiday to Bridport, on the Dorset Coast in early July 2024. Artists painted at West Bay, Charmouth, Lyme Regis & Symondsbury, as well as drawing figures at Bridport’s bustling Saturday market.
The week was very successful, with many paintings completed as well as sketch books full of drawings.
One of the painting locations (Charmouth Beach) is shown here and more pictures can be seen on the ACTIVITIES page.
PIRBRIGHT VILLAGE FAIR 2024
Pirbright Art Club participated in this year's Pirbright Village Fair, held on Pirbright Green on Saturday June 8th. The fair was a great success and we managed to sell a couple of framed paintings and several mounts, cards and prints.
This year's village fair had the Paris Olympics as its theme and several members managed to find the French spirit to add to the festivities. Some of the paintings sold are shown here (by Maggie Read, Steve Wells & Chris Webb
Maggie Read's painting "On the Rocks!"
Steve Wells's painting "Old Harry Rocks"
Chris Webb's print of his painting "Quaint Street in Poole"
QUINCE COTTAGE GALLERY
In November 2022, we were delighted to be asked to put up a rotating display of our members' work at the lovely new gallery space in the former Pirbright Post-Office - Quince Cottage Gallery.
The proprietor, Mrs Lindsay Graham, decided to open up her empty shop to showcase local creative talent, with Pirbright Art Club featuring as the main group of artists, as well as other local makers and craftsmen. This has now become a long-term project and we have a permanent showcase for our work, in the lovely old bow-front window.
This new venture gives us a great opportunity to have a display of artwork that changes frequently. There has been lots of interest in the Gallery and we have sold several paintings, including all of those shown here. Our members should contact Maggie if they wish their work to be included. Potential buyers can find the opening times on the Gallery door.
Janet Moore's Oil Painting "Great Chanfield Manor Gardens, Wiltshire"
Frank Fuller's Oil Painting "Pirbright Pond"
Steve Wells' Oil Painting "Till the Cows Come Home"
Jenny Griffith's Oil Painting "Red Path"
Sue Pallot's Oil Painting "Horsing Around"
David Hardcastle's Watercolour Painting "Pirbright Shops"
Maggie Read's Oil Painting "Constantine Bay"
