With a whole year of Art in Mind workshops under their belts, couple James and Judith are looking forward to honing their new-found artistic skills at home, in the future.

Former regulars at their local bridge club, James and Judith were keen to find a new hobby that they could do together, after learning of James’ diagnosis. Upon stumbling across an article about Art in Mind in the newspaper, the couple started attending the sessions at the beginning of 2019, and have been coming ever since.

“We couldn’t believe that – to our delight – it was right here, in Woking,” smiles Judith. “James was a little reluctant at first, not knowing what to expect, but it’s been so lovely and everyone is so, so friendly, that he feels quite relaxed now.” James fiddles with his hearing aid, and with a grin, admits that he suffers from very selective hearing.

James and Judith like to make a day out of their monthly visit, often enjoying what’s on in the galleries and having lunch in Seasons Café too. The pair have really relished their creative time, and plan to take their learnings out of the studio and into the comfort of their own home. “Life is getting a little more restricted; there are some things we can’t do anymore,” Judith explains. “But artwork? We could definitely do something like this at home. This is going to be our year of art.”

“Art in Mind is amazing. All the materials, the artwork, everything, is all provided so you don’t have to think about it. It’s so relaxing and easy for us, and we’re both really enjoying the experience,” beams Judith, before adding, “If more people knew about it, you’d be inundated!”

Your Membership, ticket purchases and donations help to fund our Art and Wellbeing programme, which includes Art in Mind, so people like James can continue to laugh, enjoy art and remain fully integrated in society.