Refining the edges in oils at the Great Ayton Art club 2nd Sep

Last night at Great Ayton Art Club we completed our oil paintings of peonies in a glass vase, and the finished results were fabulous.

After building up the paintings over the previous sessions, this week was all about looking carefully and deciding what each individual painting needed. We refined the edges of some petals while softening and blending others, helping to create depth and bring the flowers forward.

Some people chose to intensify areas with deeper colours and stronger tones, while others experimented with thicker, more confident brushstrokes. These final decisions really brought the paintings together and allowed everyone's individual style to come through.

The level of detail everyone achieved was brilliant, particularly considering that for some this was their first experience of oil painting. It was wonderful to see how much confidence had developed over the sessions and, most importantly, how pleased everyone was with their finished work.

That's exactly what I want from my adult art classes in Great Ayton – learning the principles and techniques, but having the freedom to make your own decisions rather than trying to produce an exact copy.

A fantastic end to our peony paintings and another brilliant few weeks of oil painting at Great Ayton Art Club.