We’ve dubbed ourselves the Fernlea Creatives and we had a fantastic 2026 Burnham Art Trail at Venue 3, the gorgeous garden at 4 Fernlea Road. I showed my experimental monoprints in the shed, Sue showed her oil landscapes in the outhouse, Joscelyn exhibited her paintings in the tent and our hostess, Frances, showed her mixed media pieces in the main seating area under the vine. Andrew, our host, took care of the admin and the pond, and kept us hydrated and caffeinated throughout the nine scorching days.
Click here to see a video I made of Venue 3 on day 1 of the Trail.
Here we all are, under the vine: from left to right, Andrew, me, Sue, Joscelyn and Frances.
As well as welcoming visitors and showing them our artwork, we had lots of laughs and chats, supporting each other through our creative ups and downs, and painted and drew throughout the week. I have been exceptionally lucky to have free access to harvest flowers from my friend’s beautifully abundant allotment, so as well as adorning our work and communal spaces I painted them in watercolour.
Andrew took these elegant post-bloom waterlilies from the pond and laid them in water (below).
I wanted to practice painting in just watercolour rather that using my default pen and watercolour method, hence the slight departure in style this season.
There were a couple of days when the temperature reached over 35C, so as well as emergency Magnums, we cooled our heels in a big bucket of cold water prepared by Andrew and modelled by me above. That dress in the photo is made from a duvet cover I found in a charity shop a few years ago, turns out it could’ve been donated by a friend of Sue’s!
As well as enjoying the community of fellow artists and visitors in the Franklin’s delightful garden, showing my work in their lovely garden shed is a very special treat (above and below).
Click here to read a little bit about the monoprints.
Our Fernlea Road hosts, Andrew and Frances, pictured in front of the taster wall in the museum on the launch night of BAT26.
Huge thanks for the generosity of: Roger Barcroft, the Trail coordinator in 2026; the Franklins; all the other artists who helped to organise the most ambitious Trail so far; the artists who entered their artwork; the people who made space to show that work in their venues; and all the visitors who braved the heat to lift our spirits with their warm words, positive feedback and, in some case, cash! It’s truly a privilege to experience this sense of community and creativity.
Delighted to complete this pen and wash commission of an elegant Maldon townhouse for its splendid owner.
