Author: Tushar Sabale

With great sadness the Wappers have to announce the loss of our lovely member Louise Diggle WGA, CAS, PS.

In her four years with the Group she bought an infectiously happy spirit, indomitable courage and
beautiful painting. She will be dearly missed.

Lou was a London based plein air painter who trained at the City and Guilds of London Art School
and CCAT (now Anglia Ruskin University).
She was an art teacher for over 20 years before becoming a full time painter 10 years ago.

She joined the Wapping Group in 2022 and remained a member until her death in 2026. She was a
member of The Pastel Society, Chelsea Art Society and The Small Paintings Group.
Louise’s work was all about the transient moment, rapidly changing light, colours and seasons and
how it transforms people, buildings and objects. She always worked en plein air, mainly in pastel
which suited the fragility of time. As well as the Wapping Group and Chelsea Art Society she has
exhibited at the Jerram Gallery, Found Gallery Brecon, Piers Feetham Gallery, Russell Gallery and the
Gallery at Green and Stone amongst others. Her studio was at Wimbledon Art Studios.

She has won numerous awards including
Joint winner of the Sloane Stanley Award (CAS 2024)
Frank Herring Award (PS 2024)
Agnes Reeves Award for a painting of London (CAS 2018)
Rembrandt Talens Award (PS 2019)

We are sorry to report death of Roy Hammond (1934 – 2026).

Roy was born on Christmas Day 1934 in West Ham. He joined the Ford Motor Company in 1955 after completing National Service in the Royal Air Force and qualified as a Design Engineer in 1959. He later became a part time Lecturer in Automobile Design.

He started painting in the early 1970’s and painted full time since early retirement in 1991. Painting in watercolour, favourite subjects were cities, especially London and The Thames in all moods and lights.

He was made a member of The Wapping Group of Artists in 1993 and remained a member of the Group until his death in 2026.

He discovered that painting was an activity that was not relaxing but exhilarating or depressing – depending how the work was evolving. He exhibited in the RWS, the Hunting Group and Singer and Friedlander/Sunday Times Competitions as well as with The Wapping Group.

The WGA committee are delighted to announce the election of Rosie Woods as a new members to the Wapping Group of artists.  We offer a warm welcome Rosie and wish her every success as part of the group for many years to come. 

Rosie Woods, originally from Northern Ireland, graduated in illustration from Central St Martin’s School of Art, London. An award-winning illustrator, she shifted her focus to plein air painting, returning to her preferred medium: oils. 

Rosie used to work from a studio space in a warehouse in Wapping, directly overlooking the Thames, so the group’s history is particularly significant to her. The daily bustle of the Thames, whether it was speeding taxi boats, a tall ship preparing to go through Tower Bridge or the turning of the cruise ships directly outside the window, was all fascinating subject matter to paint or sketch. She now enjoys the commitment of painting the Thames regularly with the Group and discovering new aspects of the river.