There’s art everywhere you look in Pinner this month – in shop windows, in the church hall and hopefully, soon, also in your home. Pinner Sketch Club is celebrating its 70th anniversary with not only its annual summer exhibition but also an accompanying display at The Attic gallery and with Art in the Village , a community project that sees local shops and businesses display members’ work. You won’t be able to move for art.

More than 200 original paintings and sculptures will be on display at the main exhibition in Pinner Parish Church Hall, while at the mini exhibition at The Attic, 40 small-scale works will be on show. For Art in the Village , 15 local shops and businesses are displaying members’ work.

Pinner Sketch Club was formed in 1942 to offer members a friendly, stimulating atmosphere in which to pursue their art. There are around 120 members from Pinner, Harrow, Watford and beyond who enjoy a programme of painting opportunities, workshops, demonstrations, guest lectures and social events.

“It’s quite quaint, how it started,” says president Sally Hyam, from Moor Park, who used to live in Hatch End. “During World War Two we had air raid wardens, local people who sat in huts in various streets in every neighbourhood to make sure everybody obeyed the blackouts. Some of these found they had a common interest in art, and that’s how it started. We’ve been going ever since.”

That tradition of like-minded souls coming together to encourage and inspire continues to this day, as Veronica Lansman, from Harrow Weald, attests. “Everybody is so friendly and supportive, and you feed off each other’s ideas.”

Veronica has been a member for eight years and will be displaying some of her semi abstract works. “They’re based on reality but are slightly abstract,” she says. “I like thinking of an idea and coming up with something different from it. I like texture in my painting – thick layers and collage.”

Pam Adsley’s style is rather different. “I do a bit of everything,” laughs the retired teacher from Stanmore who has been a member for five years. “I’m exhibiting an acrylic, a pastel and some little watercolours of the local area - doorways of some old properties in Pinner which people will probably recognise.

“I like to do a variety of things, but watercolour and line and wash are my favourites because I love doing local landscapes and architecture.”

Another of the club’s members who is inspired by architecture is Malcolm Davey, from Northwood. He specialises in London scenes in acrylics – watch out for the likes of Tower Bridge and Piccadilly Circus in the exhibitions.

“I go into town and take photos of whatever catches my eye, then come home and paint them in my studio,” says Malcolm, who worked in the furniture department at Harrods and also at Heal’s as an interior designer. He was chairman of Pinner Sketch Club for three years from 2004 to 2007, which he says was a fascinating job.

“I like the companionship,” he says, “and the varied programme throughout the year – we go out and about during the summer months to paint and there are various people who come to give us demonstrations and advice.

“Over the years, the styles seem to change,” he says. “And the standard is much higher now than when I joined, you’ll get to see that at our exhibitions.”

  • The Pinner Sketch Club summer exhibition is at Pinner Parish Church Hall, Church Lane, Pinner from Saturday, August 18 until Saturday, September 1, from 10am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and 12noon to 6pm on Sundays. The ‘mini’ summer exhibition is at The Attic gallery, upstairs at Lines of Pinner, High Street, Pinner on the same dates and at the same times. Art in the Village takes place in various shops in Pinner until Saturday, September 1, see website for details. Details: www.pinnersketchclub.co.uk, www.linesofpinner.co.uk/theattic