Current Events
Chinese Painting Art Classes - ongoing
Chinese Brush Painting classes offered every Tuesday 10-12. Lesson will start when enough people register interest. Each set of 5 lessons will be spread over 5 weeks - every Tuesday, consecutively. The Venue is my studio at Papworth Everard, CB23 3XL. Please provide me your email address and mobile number so that I can give an update for course dates.For more information, please contact me via email or by mobile 07970522616
CDAC Workshop - October 2026
Whole day workshop on Saturday 17/10/26, 10-4pm at Harston Village Hall. £40 for members, non-members £45. Book by Contacting Cambridge District Art Circle contact@camartcircle.co.uk or lesleyrumble@icloud.com
Cambridge Open Studios - JULY 2026
I open my art studio in July with Cambridge Open Studios 2026. This July I will open my studios on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th weekends, from 10am-5pm. Free entry.
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Past Events
Celebration of the Lunar New Year with Traditional Brush Painting
Celebrate Chinese New Year with a free, artist-led workshop at Lion Yard Shopping Centre, open to all ages and perfect for families and young creatives alike.
Local artist Sho-Jen Dowell will lead relaxed, drop-in sessions over two days – Monday 16 February (10am–2pm) and Tuesday 17 February (12pm–4pm). You will experience Chinese calligraphy and painting using the Chinese brush and ink on a red paper to create Chūnlián (spring couplets). The spring couplets carry deep cultural significance across every country of Chinese origin. They are attached to a door or window to invite blessings and ward off evil.
During the workshop, you’ll practice some calligraphy motifs and later on trace them into a proper word and a painting of a horse. As a result, you will be able to bring home the Chūnlián as a decoration.
Join us in this significant festive ritual to bring you joy and prosperity for the new year. Create at your own pace while soaking up the atmosphere of Lion Yard’s bold Chinese New Year installation on the ground floor (by the escalators), specially designed to welcome in the Year of the Horse.
Thank you to Lion Yard for supporting this workshop
Celebrate Chinese New Year visiting Lion Yard in Cambridge. I'm running a couple of free calligraphy workshops! Follow this link for more information We Love Cambridge. Follow my instagram (see below) for the newest update.
Chinese painting workshops are provided periodically. Please contact me to discuss your requirements.
Chinese Painting materials can be hired for a small fee at all of my workshops and classes.
Workshop Participants' Paintings
Testimonials
"I first saw your work at an art exhibition in St Neots and was very impressed with your style. I asked if you could do a flower painting for my wife's birthday using irises. The result was simplistic but stunning. Now you have excelled again with a beautiful calligraphy ,for our fiftieth anniversary, depicting a saying we use. Many thanks"
Mr T. Cooper
"At the Society's June meeting, we were all entertained by the gentle humour and consummate skill of guest demonstrator SHO-JEN DOWELL, who produced two exquisite pieces using Chinese brushwork techniques. We were also fascinated by Sho-Jen's explanation of the creation of Chinese lettering."
Bury St Edmunds Art society
"A first class demonstration enjoyed by all."
Mr B Morley, Demonstration organiser, St Neots Art Group
"Sho-Jen's demonstration and talk opened up a refreshing new approach to painting for me. Her exquisite images illustrated the philosophy which underpins the Chinese Brush Painting technique. It has certainly made me feel that I want to learn more about it.”
Mr M Fleming
“Recently I attended a workshop with Sho-Jen. It was great fun and a fantastic experience to try my hand at Chinese painting. Her enthusiasm is contagious and I very much look forward to the next one”.
Mrs. S. Robertson
"Sho-Jen's Chinese Painting workshop was excellent. Her skill as an artist and teacher together with her warm enthusiasm for the subject made the day so much fun. The hours flew by too quickly but left me keen to do more. Quite simply one of the best workshops I've ever attended."
Mrs G Harwood
"The Workshop was a great success and all the participants had a thoroughly interesting day. I reckon quite a few will go on to try their hand at it on their own. Congratulations!!"
M. Bossom
"The society was very appreciative of your talk and superb demonstration enjoyed by so many. It was very interesting to learn of the philosophy behind the materials used and to watch your very skilful application!....You made it look so easy!
Thank you very much and we hope you will be able to visit us again in the near future."
Ms K Wright, Bedford Art Society