Sunningwell School of Art

12/10/2026

IT’S OFFICIAL – OUR 2026 ART COMPETITION IS OPEN!

This year, we have one very important question for young artists…

Imagine if…!

Imagine if your house could fly.
Imagine if dinosaurs lived in Oxfordshire.
Imagine if there was a city under the sea.
Imagine if your pet was as big as a house.

Imagine something that nobody else has ever thought of before.

We’re inviting children and young people aged 5–16 across Oxfordshire to complete the sentence “Imagine if…” and bring their idea to life through an original piece of art.

Every single entrant will have their artwork exhibited at Cornerstone Arts Centre in Didcot.

That means everyone who enters gets the chance to become an exhibiting young artist.

There are four age categories: 5–8, 9–11, 12–14 and 15–16, with prizes for winners and runners-up.

You can enter with painting, drawing, collage or another medium on a flat surface, or create a small sculpture, object or model.

📅 Entries close midnight, Thursday 3 December 2026
🖼️ Exhibition: 8–14 January 2027
📍 Cornerstone Arts Centre, Didcot

So…
Imagine if anything was possible. What would YOU create?

We cannot wait to see where your imagination takes you.

06/10/2026

IT’S BACK!

Last year, young artists from across Oxfordshire picked up their pencils, paintbrushes and art materials and got creative for our very first art competition.

This year, we’re doing it all over again!

A brand-new theme.

A bigger exhibition.

And another chance for young artists aged 5–16 to see their work displayed for everyone to see.

We’ll be revealing more very soon…

01/10/2026

Great portrait of Amy by Susan in Neil Drury’s class today.

Beautiful portrait work by Susan 🌻

Mike Woodward aka “Stunningwell”

Dress by Selkie ™ VanGough sunflowers 🌻

Model and full creative look by me - Amy 🪉The Musical Muse 🪉

23/09/2026

Autumnal themes created by Ali Berrett’s students.

15/09/2026

WHICH BISCUIT WOULD YOU PICK?

Students are gathering in the Common Room at breaktime. Is it going to be a chocolate digestive, rich tea, fig roll or ginger nut? Whatever your biscuit choice, you're guaranteed professional classes, a warm welcome, and friendly conversations at Sunningwell School of Art.

We've still some availability for Portrait Painting, Life Drawing, Landscape Painting and Friday morning Pottery. PLUS availability in our after school classes for young people aged 5 to 18 years. ALWAYS plenty of biscuits to go round!

23/06/2026

Interested in drawing, painting, cutting and collaging?

New to art classes or more experienced?

We have just the short course for you!

Starting next Tuesday, 1st July at Sunningwell School of Art our three-day short course lead by inspirational artist, Lucy Burton introduces you to drawing, cutting, collaging, editing, evaluating, analysing and painting. You will carve a path to abstraction using sunflowers as a subject matter. We will be exploring the Notan Theory and focusing on seeing tonal colour, elements of composition, shape and tone.

Starting with careful observation and a loose still-life drawing of sunflowers we will then create a collage using the ‘Notan’ theory in tonal papers. On days 2 and 3 we will take our ‘Notan’ piece and abstract it further: you can then choose to work in either acrylics, oils, watercolour, collaged papers or mix your media.

With each piece that is created you will be encouraged to find your own unique style. Limited places available. Deadline for booking Tuesday 30th June.

More about Notan Theory here https://drawpaintacademy.com/notan/

Bookings:
https://artschool.org.uk/short-courses/

17/06/2026

Countdown to sizzlin' Summer Shorts at the art school...

KITCHEN SINK LITHOGRAPHY with Jane Strother
6th to 7th July from 10am to 4pm

Create amazing prints with a technique you can work with at home using stuff from the kitchen cupboard!

All levels welcome, including beginners.

Kitchen sink lithography (or "kitchen litho") is a non-toxic, accessible printmaking technique that adapts the principles of traditional lithography by using items found in your kitchen cupboard—aluminium foil, Coca-Cola, oil-based crayons / pastels and vegetable oil—instead of heavy stones and toxic chemicals. It works by creating a greasy image on foil, which is then etched with acidic cola and inked up, allowing the drawn image to grab ink, repel water to be transferred to paper.

BOOK HERE.
https://artschool.org.uk/short-courses/

16/06/2026

Countdown to sizzlin' Summer Shorts at the art school...

Historic Buildings of Abingdon
With Kevin Scully
Tuesday 30th June, Wednesday 1st July
10am-4pm

A 2-day plein-air course drawing and painting some of the most interesting buildings in the historic town of Abingdon. You will be shown how to use simple, convincing perspective, create good compositions, and ways in which to create lively and exciting images. There will be plenty of demonstrations over the two days, and everyone will receive as much help and attention that they might require. A course for all levels of experience, from the seasoned plein-air painter to those who have never before ventured outside to paint. All levels welcome, including beginners.

Only a couple of spots up for grabs!
artschool.org.uk/short-courses/

15/06/2026

Countdown to sizzlin' Summer Shorts at the art school...

Summer Shorts: Sunflowers, Notan and Abstraction
1st to 3rd July at Sunningwell School of Art

Over this exciting three-day course we will be drawing, cutting, collaging, editing, evaluating, analysing and painting our way to create a path to abstraction using sunflowers as a subject matter. We will be exploring the Notan theory and focusing on seeing tonal colour, elements of composition, shape and tone.

Starting with careful observation and a loose still-life drawing of sunflowers we will then create a collage using the ‘Notan’ theory in tonal papers. On days 2 and 3 we will take our ‘Notan’ piece and abstract it further: you can then choose to work in either acrylics, oils, watercolour, collaged papers or mix your media. With each piece that is created you will be encouraged to find your own unique style.

Only a couple of spots up for grabs!

Bookings:
https://artschool.org.uk/short-courses/

10/06/2026

Summer is buzzy time to be studying at the art school. Our offer to students hots up at the end of June and July with a chance to dip your toes in new mediums such as lithography, notan theory, figurative sculpture, en plein air, printing on clay and landscape painting. Courses are filling up fast so don't wait for the next rainy day to book your spot. https://artschool.org.uk/short-courses