Weald of Kent Art Society
Embracing art in all its forms
Welcome to WOKAS
The Weald of Kent Art Society welcomes artists of all ages and artistic levels.
Our programme offers demonstrations by professional artists, workshops, talks, and painting sessions – indoor in winter and “plein air” in summer – and each summer, we hold an exhibition.
Our members tell us how much they appreciate the friendly atmosphere at our meetings and the opportunities we offer to help them improve their skills.
Interested in joining us? Find out more!
News
WOKAS newsletter
See the current issue of our new WOKAS newsletter that is now available. Click to download your copy of issue 15.
We do hope you enjoy reading it.
An exciting year round programme of events
We hold a programme of member events including demonstrations, guided hands-on sessions, en plein air outings, exhibitions, and workshops.
Demonstrations include those by both professional and renowned amateur artists covering a wide range of media and styles.
Oil painting demonstration by professional artist Adam de Ville
In October 2025, Adam de Ville treated WOKAS members to an engaging oil painting demonstration, creating a striking still life of a vase of flowers. As he worked, Adam shared his thoughts on colour, composition, and the importance of observation, all with warmth and humour. It was fascinating to watch his painting evolve on the canvas and to hear how he captures both the beauty and the character of everyday subjects through his expressive style. See Adam's Instagram
WOKAS programme 2025 - 26
Full details of the demos, talks and workshops planned for the 2025-26 season are now online. Whether you want to be inspired or hone your skills further, there is something for everyone: life drawing, clay modelling, pastels, watercolour, oils, oil & wax resist with acrylic overlays, mixing colours.
We will also have a varied and full programme of summer 2026 painting en plein air which our members and their guests can enjoy.
Pictured below is a previous en plein air session held at Water Lane, Hawkhurst.
All demos, talks and members’ painting sessions are free to all WOKAS members and we are happy to welcome guests for a fee of £6.
Our Saturday workshops cost £30 (£35 for non-members) and must be booked in advance.
All indoor sessions are held at Highbury Hall, Highbury Lane, Tenterden TN30 6LE.
Enjoy the art from our previous exhibitions
Exhibitors' works from previous WOKAS exhibitions are archived on this website so you can still browse the wonderfully diverse pieces of art created by WOKAS members.
These can be seen on our Exhibitions page
PLUS you can view art created from all of our regular online art challenges online here
Artist Profiles
We created some member profiles that will help you get to know us better and, hopefully, encourage you to find out more about our work and possibly even consider becoming a WOKAS member!
The profiles created so far can be seen on our member profile page and include :
WOKAS Committee Members
President - Graham Lock
Chairman - Alison Chandler
Treasurer - Fani Azikri
Programme Co-ordinator - Wendy Phillips
Communications - Kate Rundell
Secretary & Publicity - Lynne Slater
Exhibition Co-ordinator and Publicity - John Hamilton
Exhibition Co-ordinators - Pat Lock, John Robson
Committee member - Clive Dand
Alison Chandler
Fani Azikri
Clive Dand
John Hamilton
Graham Lock
Pat Lock
Wendy Phillips
Kate Rundell
Lynne Slatter
John Robson
WOKAS Art Challenges
Since the 2020 lockdown we have been running creative challenges where members have just a few weeks to produce a piece of art to a specific theme.
The results have been amazing across a whole range of media ... pen, pencil, watercolour, oil, acrylic, clay, maplewood, and more.
See Art Challenge
Mixed media demonstration by professional artist Elaine Almond
A strong turnout of members and friends gathered at Highbury Hall in December 2025 for a lively mixed-media demonstration by Elaine Almond. Elaine introduced her approach to abstracting the landscape, talking through the themes that inspire her and the ways she develops an image from first observation to completed work.
She demonstrated a wide range of tools and techniques – from brushes and acrylic paints to more unconventional mark-making items such as twigs and feathers. Working live on canvas, Elaine described her creative choices as she painted, offering practical pointers along the way. Elaine also brought sketchbooks, finished pieces and a selection of prints, which gave a clear sense of how her ideas evolve. By the end of the evening she had produced two striking canvases, and the demonstration was warmly received by all who attended.More about Elaine’s work can be found at https://www.elainealmondart.com/.