‘Light-hearted, fun and social’ painting workshops for adults are set to take place at Daventry’s Middlemore Farm

Residents can explore their artistic side, improve their painting techniques, or learn new skills, at local ‘light-hearted, fun and social’ painting sessions.

Jan Taylor, from Rugby, the founder of nJoyArt, has been running painting workshops in the area since June 2019. She said: “I run light-hearted, fun and social painting sessions for adults of all ages and all abilities too. It’s a very accessible and inclusive activity. It’s an unconventional way of spending an evening with other people enjoying a bit of creativity.”

Jan started by holding events at local pubs, bars, tearooms, farm shops, and garden centres. During the pandemic, she had to move her business online.

“We ended up running art sessions for people all over the country and the world. It was so wonderful to meet so many people,” said Jan.

She is now offering in-person lessons at local venues and private bookings.

“Everybody has creativity within them. Our sessions are about having a bit of fun and letting your creative personality come out and flow and see what happens.

“It is absolutely delightful. It’s so good for the soul and our well-being,” said Jan.

Jan decided to start nJoyArt after one of her friends invited her to a pub painting session. She said: “We started the evening really nervous. It is quite nerve-racking when you first do it. By the end of the evening, everybody was happy, chatting, and smiling.

“We all spent an evening that just took away all the stresses of life and just gave us a space to be comfortable doing something that’s almost like active meditation,” said Jan.

Jan does not have a creative industry qualification as she embarked on a “fairly long” career in IT in the past. However, she has always been creative and “absolutely fell into this with a passion”.

“I knew in my heart that there was something specifically for me, and it wasn’t IT. I wanted to find that thing that I was really really passionate about,” said Jan.

Jan creates paintings for all levels and with different topics for the nJoyArt sessions, with more than 40 paintings in her current portfolio. She provides the required tools and demonstrates and explains the process in three to four stages.

“They are nowhere near as complicated as you think they might be because of how we break it down into easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions,” said Jan.

Jan is holding a few local events over the next couple of months. Two painting sessions are set to take place at Middlemore Farm in Daventry, on Tuesday, October 24, from 7pm, and on November 28. Another event is set to take place at The Wheatsheaf in Braunston on Thursday, November 16, from 7pm.

“I’m always there for support. There are no mistakes. It’s art. We can just enjoy what happens. Everybody goes home with a completed painting,” said Jan.

All places must be booked in advance on nJoyArt’s website. Complimentary drinks are available at the sessions.