2013 SHOW IS FULL OF SURPRISES

 

 

Drop in and 'feel the difference' this year. There are surprising subjects such as Glennis Courtney's 'Wishing You Rainbows'. 

There are unusual techniques like Paula Anning's swirling acrylics and you will see more abstract paintings. The exhibition appears to be more colourful, for example Claire Palmer's volcanic 'Dramatic Splendour' blazes in the middle of it. Notice the new stands of unframed paintings and members' own greetings cards

 

Guest of Honour Alan Langford opened the show on Thursday 29th August with a thoughtful and humorous speech.

 

 

Alan mentioned a few artists by name: Pam Payne for her 'Papaver' watercolour; Rosalind Scraggs for her oils; Roy Fisher for his 'primative-style' works; Ruth Edwards for her 'All the Way Home, Fritham' watercolour; Di Alexander for her light effects; Derek Huntley for his painting of deer in oils and general mention of Shirley Lester and Anne Hamerton.

 

 

 Votes were cast for many different paintings at the Preview, but the winner of the Best Painting Rosette was Trevor Pike with his atmospheric 'Fog Bound'

 

 

The exhibition is mounted by Anne Hamerton, Mary Maskell and a team of dedicated artists who work extremely hard. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude. Please show your support by buying a raffle ticket or making a donation when you visit.

Photos: Di Alexander

FINISHING AND FRAMING WITH JOHN SHOTTER

John is a successful landscape painter and member of Totton Art Society. His August demonstration showed the later stages of painting a watercolour scene.

He included some useful painting tips: 

• create foliage by applying a sponge with only a 'kiss and a whisper' i.e. hardly touching the paper
• create sunlit foliage by applying white gouache+a touch of lemon yellow with a sponge
• create a field of poppies  or roses around a door by applying white gouache with a sponge, then ading daps of red on top
• use a closer-textured sponge for distant foliage

and framing tips :

• use photographic corners to hold the painting against the mount
• twist the cord to make it taut 

Photos: Di Alexander

SERA LIVES DANGEREROUSLY

Sera Knight announced "I'm living dangerously this evening" at the begiining of her July demonstration. She is a spontaneous artist who particularly enjoys painting dancers. She was born in Turkey, worked as an architect in Norway and now lives in Woking.

 

Her first stage was a simple outline of a flamenco dancer with Neocolour II crayons she quickly moved to the second stage: collage.  

 

Applying smallish shapes of coloured newspaper to the foreground and background with PVA glue., Sera created an unusual structure, which was the basis for an unusual painting.

Prints of Sera's work

 

More texture was introduced in the third stage by sticking on pieces of acid-free tissue paper with diluted glue. Sera said that the effect was similar to the texture of an oil painting. The tissue also decreases the colours in parts of the picture, particularly the background.

 

After drying the picture, there were still plenty of white spaces left and Sera began the fourth stage. Using a dropper (she also uses a spray) Sera applied strong transparent coloured inks to glaze sections of the picture and then spreading it with a brush. The magenta was used on the figure and background and the yellow and blue areas on the background behind the figure.

 

Sera at the end of the demonstration

 

Sera prefers to use acrylic paints and watercolour brushes  in a dry brush technique for the fifth stage. She aimed to keep the colours tranparent, fearing that too many layers will create 'mud'. Should the painting be too wet, the colours sink into the paper; so it is helpful to leave it to dry overnight.

 

Her fifth stage was to increase the tonal contrast in some areas, for example painting light colours on the face using a small brush and darkening the negative spaces around it.Only a small portion of the figure was a natural skin tone. She also made no attempt to copy the folds of the skirt, preferring to move the brush in a flowing motion.

There was a lot of interest in Sera's work at the end of the evening.

 

Sera sent us a photograph of her painting after she had put the finishing touches to it at home. Her work is framed under glass. She has had exhibitions of her work in Trkey, Norway and London since 1983. We were indeed fortunate to see her at work.

  

Sera's finished painting

JUNE WORKSHOP WITH TOTTON ARTISTS

The Totton Art Society 'In-house' workshop on 1st June was all about experimenting. It was very successful, producing some good work at the end of the day. 

Our experts were:
Glennis Courtney demonstrating using Interactive acrylics to create a seascape,  
Mary Maskell using acrylics to create a coastal scene. 
Ruth Edwards using watercolours to create a forest scene.  
Claire Palmer using pastels to create a full-length portrait.

 Lesley Grosse and Kay Cavalier are seen here with their fabulous acrylic paintings .

Henry Needham created his own seascape.

Audrey Sharrar's delicate watercolour forest scene was painted under the guidance of the President of Totton Art Society Ruth Edwards.

David Butcher's forest in watercolour had quite a different atmosphere.

Glennis Courtney's demonstration painting was a seascape in the Roy Lang style, but with interactive acrylics.

Mary Andrews used dramatic lighting in her sunset scene.

Rosemary Cunliffe's enjoyed trying pastels with Claire Palmer.

Shirley Lester painted this accomplished, well-balanced coastal scene.

Muriel Hiscott did something completely different with this exotic forest scene.

Everyone who attended found the day found it to be relaxing and fun experience.

MAX SHOWS HOW TO BE CREATIVE WITH ONE BRUSH

Max Hale loves a challenge and in the May watercolour demonstration he overcame lots! He demonstrated without the use of microphone or camera. The support was upright so there were a few 'dribbles' - but he made jokes about them.

 

 

Advocating the use of large brushes, he proved his point by using the one inch flat brush all evening. Max said that some artists spend time fiddling when they should be expressing feeling and using a time constraint can make your work freer.

He achieved vibrant colour through applying as few layers as possible and by pre-mixing colours as little as possible. They were mostly blended on the paper. Look very hard at the beginning and observe the tonal values advised Max. Work on the whole painting rather than resolving one part too soon. Leave the option to make changes after the paint has dried.

 

 

Max showed how to measure proportion, symmetry and draw ellipses and circles.

Other tips were: (1) give cast shadows hard edges and shadows formed on a surface soft edges

 (2) paint glass as if it were a see-through mirror.

 

 

From the initial pencil drawing to the finished picture, Max showed how to imorove your painting through attention to detail and  confident brushwork. Look out for his next article in the September 2013 issue of The Artist!

SUBLIME PAINTINGS AT ROY LANG'S WORKSHOP

Members who attended Roy Lang's Workshop on 14th May produced beautiful seascapes which follow the 'sublime' tradition. Sublime paintings became popular in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. They portray the power of nature and invoke heightened feelings in the viewer.

The subject was a dramatic marine scene with waves breaking over rocks. Roy has studied the sea intensively and he reproduces subtle lighting effects for example:

(1) light shining down onto water and wet rocks, (2) passing through waves and spray and even (3) light reflected from the sea bed. 

He demonstrates in oils, premixing the colours and using a variety of brushes and methods for applying the paint.

Those attending were: Caroline Beech, Glennis Courtney, Rosemary Cunliffe, Jill Gillespie, Anne Hamerton, Shirley Lester, Claire Palmer and John Shotter. Claire reported that she and everyone else thoroughly enjoyed the workshop.

Roy says that 'there's something magical about water'

and there's certainly something magical about his paintings.

 

Click on the links below for more about Roy's artwork.

 

Roy Langs's Website

A YouTube Demo

 

 

 

INVITATION TO SEE THE EAST BOLDRE PAINTERS' EXHIBITION AT LYMINGTON

 

Muriel Hiscott invites everyone to an exhibition by  East Boldre Painters, at the Walter Simmons Gallery in Lymington Community Centre* from 8th June to 5th July. Entrance to the exhibition is free .....should anyone be in the area, please come along!

 

Muriel says that she and June Green belong to the group which meets most Monday mornings.

 

 

*Exhibition Venue Address: Lymington Community Centre,  New Street, Lymington, SO41 9BQ