Art in the Orchard: Sketching and painting with Grace Hills (Woodhouse)

Want to do something creative outside this summer? Grab a friend and come along to this relaxed sketching and painting session in a peaceful community orchard.

What to expect:

A big welcome from Grace (@sparkingcommunity), a short intro to the space, an invite to join in a guided moment to connect and breathe, a quick names round and a guided warm up art task.

Clipboards and benches will be dotted around the space and you can go and sit wherever you want for as long as you want, to draw and paint. The perfect way to unwind and reconnect with nature.

At the end, we'll come back together and if people would like to share their work or some words about how it felt to connect with what they were observing they can.

This will be a great chance to spend some time with a friend and discover a new outdoor space in your local area.

All art materials will be provided, including watercolour paints, pens, pencils, colouring pencils, chalks, charcoal, oil pastels and for those who like to use their words, there will be an old typewriter for creating poems and stories.

About Grace

Grace Hills is an artist and urban community gardener based in Kirkstall. Grace became a community gardener primarily in response to the climate emergency and combined it with her artistic practice, using the soil as her canvas and plants as the medium. Grace transforms neglected patches of urban land into vibrant pockets of biodiversity and creates colourful signage from upcycled materials to inform and educate people about plants and pollinators. Her recent work focuses on nature reconnection and inspiring observation and curiosity in people whose primary occupation does not frequently bring them into contact with the wonders of the outside world.

About the organiser: Fruit Works Co-operative

Fruit Works Co-operative is a Leeds-based social enterprise working to build resilient local food systems and stronger communities through fruit tree planting and care. Our aim is to enable everyone in West Yorkshire to access beautiful orchards and opportunities to take part in growing, harvesting, and enjoying fruit within their local area.

Learn more: fruitworks.org.uk

Venue

Pennington Street Community Garden is a hidden gem in Woodhouse, tucked in the corner where Pennington Street meets Providence Road.

Google maps location

What3Words location: ///frogs.clips.exam

Please walk, cycle or use public transport if you can. Bicycles can be stored safely in the garden. If you are driving, there is free on-street parking in the residential streets near the garden.

Accessibility

The orchard is wheelchair accessible. The terrain is level and connected with well-established paths, as well as some concrete hard-standing areas. If you have particular access needs, please contact gini@fruitworks.org.uk to discuss the best access route.

We will provide a range of seating options, including benches, picnic blankets, and fold-out chairs, to accommodate different comfort and mobility needs.

Maximum group size, including workshop facilitators: 15

Materials

All materials are provided. 

Food & Drink

Hot and cold drinks, biscuits and fruit will be provided.

About Art in the Orchard

Art in the Orchard is a project by Fruit Works Co-operative aiming to inspire connection to orchards through art. Between August and October 2026, we are hosting a series of free creative workshops in different community orchards across Leeds where participants will have the opportunity to learn and practise sketching, painting, singing and poetry writing while surrounded by fruit trees.

This project is part of the Seasons of Culture Programme funded by West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Leeds City Council through the Leeds Cultural Investment Programme.

Learn more: fruitworks.org.uk/art

Supporting Fruit Works Co-operative

This workshop is free to attend, but we welcome donations of £5-10 when booking your ticket to help support our work growing, planting and maintaining fruit trees.

If you have any questions about this workshop please email gini@fruitworks.org.uk