Robert Sharpe Paints Our Vice-President Pat Weller

Photo: Di Alexander

Robert Sharpe painted a portrait of Patricia Weller, our Vice-President, at the February 2012 demonstration meeting. Robert first sketched an outline using charcoal on Canson pastel paper. He then used Unison soft pastels to create a remarkable likeness.

Robert is a member of Romsey Art Group and he undertakes commissions for portraits.

ROY FISHER ON THE SOUTH BANK

Congratulations to Roy Fisher who will be exhibiting two paintings at the Royal Watercolour Society Contemporary Exhibition 2012. The Exhibition takes place at the Bankside Gallery next to the Tate Modern on south bank in London, between 24th February and 14th March 2012.

We give you a sneak preview here!

Southampton from Town Quay

Portsmouth

 

LINDSEY COLE MIXED MEDIA WORKSHOP

Lindsey's workshop on 28th January produced lots of multicoloured cockerells. Working from photographs and following demonstrations we used watercolour enhanced , in some cases, with ink and oil pastel.

Claire Palmer organised the day and made sure that everything went to plan. Many thanks Claire!

Lindsey made it a hugely enjoyable day.

She runs courses and workshops in her studio near Ringwoood.

Her 2012 programme includes: evening classes in watercolour and mixed media and one day workshop topics include: flowers, animals, landscapes, seascapes and Chinese style paintings.

The cost of a Saturday workshop is only £35.

Contact Lindsey Cole via the SAA Website

Tel 01425 489376 for more details

Opportunity to go to the Art Show at Bristol

Have a fantastic day out with your friends attending workshops and demonstrations, tryng out the latest art materials and meeting artists from all over the south.

We are planning to take a coach to the SAA's regional show on Saturday 30th June:

IT'S ALL ABOUT ART at Bristol

Our last trip to London in 2010 was a great success.

Register your interest with Helen Davies. We have enough people to fill a minibus already. The cost of the trip will be announced nearer the date (likely to be £25 or more).

The End of an Era with the Passing of Reg Whiting

Founder member of Totton Art Society Reg Whiting has been unwell and passed away in a care home on Sunday 8th January 2012. The society exists thanks to Reg's enthusiasm and hard work. He commanded everyone's respect and remained Vice-President for several years into the twenty-first century. In 2004 the society created a best in show award in his honour. Here is an article written by Reg in 2003.


"The Origins of the Totton Art Society

by REG WHITING

It all started from the evening art classes at Totton Grammar School where we painted with help from Mr Lewis, the Art Master. After about five years of this, which included several terms of life classes with a variety of nude models, a number of us decided to start an art society, to encourage new members and to exhibit our efforts. I am now the only remaining founder member left in the society. We held our exhibitions in an upstairs room of the present Totton Council offices, until we were moved out to accommodate the council staff expansion, to our present venue. We had demonstrations by visiting artists and evenings for criticism. We found that the best method for criticising members’ work was to have a panel of three experienced members who would sit in the front and discuss each painting. They often did not agree with each other, but nevertheless, their views were all kindly and helpful. I, as Chairman, would summarise their conclusions, and encourage other members to say what they thought

There was Maurice Maynard, a ‘character’ and full-time bait-digger, who produced the most colourful and marvellous abstract paintings. He would never sell any paintings and had unframed paintings stacked around the walls of his house in Totton High Street. We had an elderly lady from Netley Marsh; she always wore a fancy hat with fruit or flowers on it! Her paintings were of the ‘Grandma Moses’ type with funny figures and animals, a lot of flowers and no perspective (which didn’t worry her at all). They were delightful little paintings, which often seem to appeal to people of her age-group. She always made a point of saying how much she enjoyed our meetings and thanking me. Barry Peckham joined us as a young man and was always very serious abut his painting. He soon left us all behind, to take it up as a full-time artist. We also had Rex Trayhorne for a short time. He also took it up professionally. I still see some of our former members who remember those earlier years."

The Society pays tribute to our distinguished founder member.

ONE DAY SALE ON 12TH NOVEMBER

Members exhibited over 200 paintings at the society's One Day Sale on Saturday 12th November at the Three Score Club Totton. 19 paintings were sold.

 Thanks to Chairman Anne Hamerton, President Ruth Edwards, Honorary Secretary Mary Maskell, Treasurer Glennis Courtney, and Competitions Manager Pat Scammell for devoting their time to sitting in. Grateful thanks, as well, to Bob Hamerton, Mike Maskell, Roy Fisher and Sue Fisher for their assistance.

Unusual individual paintings spotted included:

 a blue version of the Eling Boardwalk,

a Christmas Scene by Freddie Springer,

a line drawing by Jean Baker,

a colourful small market scene by Claire Palmer

and

two paintings on stone.

There were also some cards on sale.

We are very grateful to everyone who worked hard to make the sale a success.

NEWS QUIZ MENTION ON 29 OCTOBER

Alan Langford told us that Totton Art Society was mentioned on the News Quiz radio programme on 29th October. The News Quiz is a topical panel quiz show, chaired by Sandi Toksvig, taking its questions from the week's news stories

Right at the end one of the panellists says:

“...a small ad in the New Forest Post sent in by Alistair Dineen.  

Totton Art Society demonstration on using mixed media to paint a chicken. Refreshments available.”

Missing out the ‘on how ‘ between on and using sounds funny to non-artists I guess.