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Set up in 1996 by two Fine Art graduates from the Kent Institute of Art and Design at Canterbury, Val Whittingham and Dan Green, Novus Art Studio and Gallery has been since 2001 located in pleasant rural surroundings at Manor Farm in Wateringbury, near Maidstone in Kent, and is now well established locally. In addition to producing their own work, Dan and Val run ever popular art classes for both adults and children at the studio, as well as visiting art groups and societies, both locally and in the south east area of the country, for demonstrations and workshops. |
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The classes at the studio, provide quality instruction, in all styles, in drawing, watercolour, oils, pastels and acrylics, in a relaxed informal atmosphere, in groups of 4 - 6 only, which maximises the personal attention each student gets, which with the two of us in attendance means virtually one-to-one attention.
The children's classes conducted by Val on Saturdays are especially popular, with a waiting list of eager young artists willing to demonstrate their skills, and with many having started at the age of 8 or 9 carrying on until they complete GCSE's and A Levels!
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As well as our regular classes, every year we have outdoor painting days, either in the beautiful garden of the owners of Manor Farm, Mark and Elizabeth English, or further afield, a whole days painting which is very much appreciated by those attending, who often find it frustrating in normal classes that they are just getting in to the swing of things when the class ends! See the pictures here. |
Novus Studio is the ideal venue for that special works event or team building exercise, with Dan and Val on hand to guide and encourage, your team will by the end of the day produce an art work(s) that they will have worked on jointly in a friendly and enjoyable environment.
It is amazing how many hidden talents emerge on these days! A particularly enjoyable day was that held on the theme of "Wind in the willows", for the retiring work colleague of one of our students. A picture depicting the characters of this story was divided into 8 parts, one for each of the participants, who then had to paint their section on a 15cm square canvas. At the end the paintings were put together and framed and presented to the person leaving. A very enjoyable time was had by all, and we believe one person who hadn't painted since being at school went home and bought some paints and brushes to start painting, so inspired had he been! See the pictures here. |
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THE ARTISTS!
Dan has a first class honours degree in Fine Art from the Kent Institute of Art and Design, Canterbury (now University College of the Creative Arts) and also a BA in Art History from University College, London University. He has exhibited extensively in and around Kent and London, in both group and solo shows. He paints primarily in oils but also works with pastel and watercolour, and much of his time is taken up with commissions, mainly portraits and landscapes. Painting Page
You can read more about the influences and meanings in Danny's work in his 'Artist's Statement' here.
Danny's CV
Also holding a BA(Hons) Degree from the Kent Institute of Art and Design, at Canterbury, Val's main preoccupation in her own work is photography focusing on two main areas - the natural world about us and portraiture, especially that of young teenage girls, most of whom started as youngsters at her art classes and who are now on the cusp of adulthood and the changing gaze that this casting off of the mantel of childhood brings. Photography Page
Val's CV
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