FunArtistic Group

13/08/2026

Today we say Happy Birthday to Adrian Ghenie, the most famous Romanian contemporary artist!

This painting is The Flight into Egypt I, a large-scale oil and acrylic on canvas masterpiece created in 2008 by Adrian Ghenie, which I’ve seen in Christie’s collection in 2023.

The work demonstrates Ghenie’s signature style of dynamic, heavily textured brushwork. He works primarily with a palette knife and stencils, scraping, smearing, and pulling layers of wet paint across the canvas to build a cinematic yet deeply eroded texture.

The title refers directly to the classic Biblical New Testament narrative of Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus fleeing persecution. However, Ghenie aggressively updates and subverts the historical theme. He strips away conventional religious iconography, replacing it with an atmospheric modern scene of displacement and exile.

The composition frames an eerie, dark encampment filled with decaying wooden planks, a solitary human figure with their back turned to the viewer, a hidden stag or deer, and the ghostly shape of a mid-century sedan car parked in the background. The visual language serves as a striking allegorical link between historical trauma, the 20th-century history of European displacement, and modern migration crises.

Photo from Christie's
London, June, 2023

12/08/2026

This artwork is titled Death of the Strong Wicked Man, an influential illustration created by the visionary British artist and poet William Blake, who passed away on August 12 in 1827, largely unrecognised during his life, has become a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age.

This work was created around 1805–1808 as part of a series commissioned to illustrate The Grave, a popular poem by Robert Blair.
Blake originally designed these compositions as detailed watercolour drawings. This specific piece is a rare period etching and engraving executed by the skilled Italian printmaker Luigi Schiavonetti, who was hired by the publisher to translate Blake's powerful lines onto copper plates for mass printing.
The scene dramatically contrasts physical power with spiritual devastation. As a muscular, robust man dies in physical agony, his soul—rendered as a naked, desperate figure engulfed in flames—breaks away from the body and leaps out into the dark unknown. On the right, figures look on in grief, emphasising the tragic, unmoored nature of a soul passing without spiritual peace.

While Blake famously feuded with the publisher over losing the lucrative engraving commission to Schiavonetti, these precise prints became some of Blake's most widely recognised and influential works throughout the 19th century.
Today, historic impressions of this print are preserved in the collections of major institutions worldwide, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Royal Academy of Arts.

Photo from Tate Britain, London
January 2020

06/08/2026

Today we celebrate the birthday of Andy Warhol (6 August 1928), the man who turned soup cans into icons and made the ordinary extraordinary.

Warhol was full of contradictions. He was fascinated by fame but intensely private, wore silver wigs to disguise himself, reportedly feared hospitals after surviving an assassination attempt, and loved collecting the most unexpected things—from cookie jars to countless everyday objects. His famous quote, “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes,” still feels surprisingly relevant today.

His work changed the way we think about art, blurring the line between consumer culture and fine art, and proving that creativity can be found in the most unexpected places.

Today also reminds me of a special personal connection. In 2023, I had the honour of exhibiting in a group show organised by Nartwork at Spazio 57 Gallery in Naples—a gallery that also holds works by Andy Warhol. Standing in the same artistic space as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century was a proud and unforgettable moment. It is one of those reminders that art has a wonderful way of connecting generations, places, and stories.

On the left is "16 One Dollar Notes" (uncut), an artwork featuring an uncut sheet of sixteen US dollar bills signed by Andy Warhol. Warhol frequently used American currency as a subject to explore themes of consumerism, wealth, and commercial reproduction.

On the right is "The Souper Dress", a famous A-line paper dress produced by the Campbell Soup Company around 1966–1967. Capitalizing on the massive success of Warhol's 1962 screenprints of soup cans, the company released this disposable dress as a mail-order promotional item. Consumers could get one sent to them by mailing in one dollar and two Campbell's soup labels. The dress is made of a non-woven cellulose and cotton blend and represents the ultimate intersection of commercial advertising, fast fashion, and fine art from that era.

Photo from July 2023,
Naples, Italy
Spazio 57 Gallery

27/07/2026

Some of you may know that for more than two years I've had the pleasure of teaching oil painting in Beckenham with FunArtistic Group . What started as a small class has grown into a wonderful community of people who come together every week to paint, learn, chat over a cup of tea, and inspire one another.
Now it's time for a new adventure! ❤️
I'm excited to announce that I'll be starting oil painting classes in Orpington this September, and I'd love to welcome both complete beginners and those with some painting experience.

The classes are relaxed, friendly, and taught in small groups, so everyone receives individual guidance. We'll explore painting techniques, colour mixing, composition, and the stories behind great artists throughout art history—all while creating beautiful paintings at your own pace.
If you've ever thought, "I'd love to paint, but I don't know where to start," this is your sign. 😊
Feel free to message me if you'd like more information or to reserve a place or send an email to
[email protected]

And if you know someone in the Orpington area who has always wanted to learn to paint, I'd be so grateful if you shared this with them.
I can't wait to begin this new creative journey and hopefully welcome some new friends around the easel!

Here are a few of our students work in progress… ❤️

21/07/2026

New 12-Week Oil Painting Courses Starting This September!

Our latest course has just come to a wonderful end, and I’m excited to welcome both returning and new students this autumn.
Whether you prefer a daytime or evening class, you’ll enjoy learning in a friendly, supportive environment with small groups and plenty of individual guidance.
Together we’ll explore the techniques of oil painting, build confidence at your own pace, and discover fascinating stories from art history that will inspire your creative journey.

☕ Every session includes a relaxing tea and coffee break—a chance to share ideas, make new friends, and become part of a welcoming artistic community.

📍 Beckenham Public Halls & Crofton Halls
📅 12-week courses starting in September
🌞 Daytime and evening classes available
🎨 Suitable for beginners and experienced artists alike.

Whether you’re picking up a brush for the first time or returning to painting after many years, you’ll find inspiration, encouragement, and the joy of creating in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

Places are limited, so early booking is recommended!

Here are just a few of our students work in progress ♥️

Art classes in Beckenham from 2023. In Orpington from 2026.
Oil painting courses during the day and evening and different media workshops. Get in touch for details ♥️

14/07/2026

New 12-Week Oil Painting Courses Starting This September!

Our latest course has just come to a wonderful end, and I’m excited to welcome both returning and new students this autumn.
Whether you prefer a daytime or evening class, you’ll enjoy learning in a friendly, supportive environment with small groups and plenty of individual guidance.
Together we’ll explore the techniques of oil painting, build confidence at your own pace, and discover fascinating stories from art history that will inspire your creative journey.

☕ Every session includes a relaxing tea and coffee break—a chance to share ideas, make new friends, and become part of a welcoming artistic community.

📍 Beckenham Public Halls & Crofton Halls
📅 12-week courses starting in September
🌞 Daytime and evening classes available
🎨 Suitable for beginners and experienced artists alike.

Whether you’re picking up a brush for the first time or returning to painting after many years, you’ll find inspiration, encouragement, and the joy of creating in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

Places are limited, so early booking is recommended!

Here are just a few of our students work in progress ♥️

17/06/2026

Art workshop in Beckenham Public Hall

If you still haven’t discovered your artistic talent or joined one of our workshops, now is the perfect time!

Come along on Monday, 22 June, from 11am to 2pm, and learn how to paint beautiful birds in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Enjoy three hours of creativity, fun, and inspiration, with a delightful Prosecco break to make the experience even more enjoyable.

All materials included for £40.

No experience is needed – just bring your enthusiasm and let your creativity take flight!

Get in touch for details 😉

08/06/2026

On this day, we remember Paula Rego, who left us on 8 June 2022 — a fearless storyteller who transformed painting into a stage where power, memory, desire, and injustice played out with unsettling honesty.

Born in Lisbon and shaped by the shadows of dictatorship, Rego gave voice to those too often left unheard: women, children, dreamers, and rebels. Her images were never comfortable. They invited us into worlds that felt like fairy tales at first glance, only to reveal deeper truths about human nature.

In the final months of her life, her work occupied a dedicated room at the 59th Venice Biennale, The Milk of Dreams, where visitors encountered her powerful and enigmatic universe. It was a fitting farewell: an artist whose imagination remained fiercely alive, standing among the most celebrated voices of contemporary art.

I still remember walking through the Venice Biennale in the summer of 2022, after Paula Rego had left this world.

Stepping into the room dedicated to her work felt different from any other encounter with art. There was a silence around the paintings, as if the figures themselves knew they had become guardians of a newly departed voice. Her women seemed powerful and fragile at once, carrying stories too deep for words.

I felt both admiration and sadness. Admiration for an artist who never compromised, who painted difficult truths with extraordinary courage; sadness because I was seeing these works knowing their creator would never stand before them again.

Yet there was also something comforting. Rego’s presence was everywhere—in the gaze of her characters, in the tension of every gesture, in the mysterious narratives that unfolded from canvas to canvas. It reminded me that great artists never truly leave us. They continue speaking through their work, long after their hands have put down the brush.

Today, remembering Paula Rego, I return to that room in Venice and to the feeling that art can outlive us all, carrying our fears, dreams and stories into the future.

Photos from Venice Biennale,
Venice, August 2022