Weather and Art Hots Up!

It is just two weeks to go before Black Dog Arts presents its Gardens Art Trail to the public from 11am to 3pm on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th July.

Thanks to a Suffolk Single Gateway/Arts for All grant Black Dog Arts has been able to produce plenty of publicity. Posters publicizing the event and featuring the Black Dog himself standing on a plinth and holding a paintbrush in his teeth have gone up all over Bungay, Beccles, Harleston, Halesworth and surrounding villages! Leaflets, with maps on the back showing where the six gardens taking part can be found, can be picked up anywhere there are posters on show.

The Gardens Art Trail will feature the work of fifteen of Black Dog Arts nearly 100 members.

Some of those taking part are professional artists who have opened their studios and are showing their work at the moment as part of the highly successful “Harleston & Waveney Art Trail”.

One of the former “Harleston & Waveney Art Trail” professionals is former boat builder Geoff King. Geoff was inspired by the garden at Waveney House (which includes a stretch of the River Waveney) to carve a wooden fish sculpture.


Others are art school trained but have gone on to pursue different careers and now draw and paint for pleasure. One such is Graham Pattrick who has been inspired by one of the gardens in Castle Orchard and the botanical illustration workshops Black Dog Arts has run. One of the paintings he has created for the Gardens Art Trail, “Tulip Delight”.


Others again who are showing their work are self taught and for them Black Dog Arts provides the opportunity to take part in projects for fun. This does not mean, however, that their work is not of a very high standard. It does mean that the variety of media and styles, from unusual willow sculptures, to giant oil paintings to tiny miniatures, is breathtaking and guarantees that everyone who goes on the trail will find something they like.

All of the artworks produced will be on show in the gardens that inspired them. And all will be on sale if you want to buy them. Postcards of some of the works will also be on sale for a very affordable 50p!

So, whether you like big black and white drawings, or brightly coloured abstracts, or exquisite pen and ink pieces, or one off prints, or fine art photos, or paintings like botanical illustrations, there are artworks of all shapes and sizes in every possible media, all to see for free.

The gardens in the Gardens Art Trail are all in easy walking distance from each other but, if you want to make a day of it, you can picnic in front of the Castle, or lunch in one of Bungay’s many fine hotels, restaurants or cafes.

If you would like to know about access for wheelchair users or access generally, give Jan from Black Dog Arts a ring on 01986 895227.

You can also ring her if you would like to know more about the Gardens Art Trail or Black Dog Arts.

So, here’s to enjoying fine weather, fine gardens and fine art for free!

Black Dog Arts
Gardens Art Trail

From 11am to 3pm
on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th July