Prolific Buxton U3A artists share pictures of 60 works painted while locked down at home

The impressive works of art - now uploaded to the group’s website - include landscapes from around the High Peak, portraits of people and animals and imagined scenes.

Among the more striking examples are a vivid scene showing a girl paddling at a lake’s edge while looking over the water.

Another shows the view between two tall skyscrapers - from the standpoint of someone looking up from street level.

While one portrait of some flowers has been created using a silk canvas with striking outlines.

Lyn Noble, who teaches Buxton & District U3A’s beginners and improvers class, told how work snowballed among the developing artists as they began sharing their pictures over email and Facebook.

Speaking about how impressed he was with the standard of work Lyn, 79, said: “With all classes some are prolific while others who appeared to be struggling have done things that have been really good.

“But some of the learners have been with me for a few years and have got to know each other.

“Yes, it’s an opportunity to learn something new but it also gets you meeting up with other people a couple of hours a week - though sadly not at the moment.

“It’s quite light-hearted and during the lockdown we’ve had a lot of people sharing pictures of each other’s work - supporting one another.”

Father-of-three Lyn told how the colourful paintings - created by 12 members of the 18-strong group - encouraged people to ‘look at things differently’.

He said: “Even if it’s just just looking at the colours in the sky it’s great when people come back and say ‘I’ve never looked at something like that before’.

“It widens people’s outlook a little more and makes them think ‘that will make a good picture’”.

Grandfather-of-six Lyn, who taught outdoor education and ran the White Hall Outdoor Centre for 25 years, got involved with U3A after retiring.

He said: “It’s great - all it requires is a handful of people to be interested in something.”

To see Buxton’s University of the Third Age lockdown art click HERE.

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