u3a - Paint or Draw (POD) - a monthly art challenge

Send in pictures of your original artwork on a monthly theme to feature in our online gallery. No prizes, just prestige!

Are you a dab hand with a paintbrush or pencil?
Do you want to develop your skills or are you simply interested in the world around you and how to capture it in a piece of artwork?

We are running a monthly challenge to encourage people to paint or draw a piece of artwork, then take a photo of their work and submit their pictures via our online form. We are going to be posting a different theme each month and inviting u3a members to submit photos of their creations on that topic.

This is not a competition and it is not about your artistic ability – what we want from you are interesting pictures, possibly different perspectives on everyday scenes or objects, anything which has inspired you to paint or draw. Peter Akers, a member of the paint or draw network, has shared his helpful tips on Starting out in pastels, Sandra Foster has some tips on Acrylics and David Wrigley, another member, has shared some thoughts on Watercolours. We will be extending this network of members so please do contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you would like to find out more.

At the end of every month, we will choose and publish up to 15 photos of artwork on an online gallery for each theme to share the pictures with all of our members. Just upload your photo using the form below (you will receive an acknowledgement once submitted). Follow the links at the bottom of the page to view previous galleries.

Please only submit one photo per person. Your photo of your artwork should also not include any recognisable people.

The theme "Urban jungle" is now closed. Thank you to all those who submitted photos of their artwork on this theme. This is just a selection of the fantastic pictures that were sent in. It was very difficult to choose as they were all brilliant and much appreciated.

The theme for this month is: "Illumination"

Deadline for submissions: 8 July 2026

Follow this link to submit your photos on our WuFoo form

This month's gallery: Urban Jungle

'Lowry' by Julie, Long Eaton & District u3a

Lowry inspired Urban Jungle in watercolour

'Mediterranean town painted in oils' by Elaine. Northallerton u3a

I just loved the colours, closeness of the houses and the washing hanging out.

'Foxes' by Lesley, Hurst, Hassocks and Ditchling u3a

I used watercolour and ink pen to paint these two delightful foxes in the urban jungle.

'A jungle in the city' by Ruth, Bridport u3a

This collage of watercolour papers was inspired by a visit to the tropical glasshouses at Bristol's Botanical Gardens. A jungle in the city!

'Commute' by Chris, Long Eaton & District u3a

This one is for everyone who’s had a commute in a big city. Sometimes it feels like you’re battling the herd and you’re just glad to get home and put your feet up! I sketched this with a fountain pen and then added watercolour to give it some depth and variety. Just a bit of fun with this topic.

By Shirley, Chesterfield u3a

View through the kitchen drawn using ipad and a sketching app.

'View from a Window' by Julie, Baddow and Galleywood u3a

This painting is based on a border in my city garden; with a little artists' licence and a few extra plants it became an urban jungle. The blue tit likes to check out the fatsia for bugs.

'Sunsets' by Debbie, Palmers Greeen & Southgate u3a

This is part of a series of paintings I did showing that however many buildings are crammed into an urban space, nature always manages to dominate the scene with spectacular sunsets.

By Nordzin Pamo, Cardiff u3a

Ink, pencil and watercolour crayon on paper.

'Mumbai' by Vyanjana, Barnet u3a

This is the famous landmark in Mumbai, India. Huge tall buildings are at the shore of Arabian sea and the bridge, Sealink, joins two ends of Mumbai which is one of the crowded city in the world. It is a real urban jungle.

'The phone box' by Lorna, Ilkley and District u3a

Watercolour. Inspired by the book The Phone Box at the Edge of the World.

'Urban(ised) Jungle?' by Ian Weatherley, Witham & District (Essex) u3a

A pen and coloured pencil drawing of an imagined view through an aircraft window, depicting not only the closely spaced high rise buildings of a modern urban development, but also the spread of modern urbanisation within a jungle environment. In this case, both 'Urban Jungle' and 'Urbanised Jungle' in the same image, perhaps?

'Trees' by Robert, Luton u3a

I was inspired to paint this abstract picture of my version of the urban jungle by a road near to where I live. Down to the shops and through the jungle of the trees.

'Hamlet' by Salim, Harrow u3a

A tiny Hamlet in middle of an URBAN JUNGLE. Painted in water colours.

View our selections from previous themes:

Paint or draw