Dear Member
Another month has passed, with another thirty or so circuits of ‘the block’ for exercise! Lockdown continues and we do hope that you are keeping positive and healthy. Painting and other artistic endeavours, if you can get thoroughly absorbed in them, are certainly good at taking your mind off other things. I did see a programme on BBC Four ‘Andrew Marr on Churchill: Blood, Sweat and Oil Paint’. This summed up very well the benefits of painting during times of stress and I do recommend that you watch it on iPlayer if you missed it. Did you know that Andrew Marr is, (in my opinion and regardless of his modesty on the programme), a very good artist himself? I didn’t until a few years ago when I was given his book ‘A short book about drawing’ – entertaining and thought provoking, I recommend it as a good read.
CAC member Ruth sent in a picture that seems very appropriate at the moment. She entitles it ‘Hope’ – showing re-growth from a burnt tree just one month after the devastating forest fires in New South Wales, Australia. The CAC Committee had our monthly meeting by Zoom, a while back, and we discussed other resources that we could suggest to you. Most, inevitably, involve TV, computers or tablets. Here’s a list of things we came up with:
For portraits and life drawing:
- www.rawumberstudios.com
- Sky portrait artist – paint from life on Sundays
- BBC programmes – life drawing live.
General ‘art’ programs: - Channel 4 on Mondays – Grayson Perry talks with a variety of artists, with a themed topic each week.
- On TV, or catch-up on iPlayer, or YouTube – Have you seen the ‘original’ TV artist Bob Ross? His videos offer relaxing half-hour paintings, showing his techniques which make one think ‘I could do that’ (or Chocolate Box!)
- BBC 2 showed a programme on Matisse – have a look on iPlayer/catch-up.
- We mentioned SAA.co.uk last month. They have now put on their website videos for art club members, which you can view without being a member of the SAA. (Look at: Community/video on demand/inspiration/art clubs hub).
- Keith Hornblower was to be our demonstrator in June, painting an Icelandic scene in watercolour. Do look at his website for truly inspirational watercolours, as well as some demo videos (www.hornblowerart.com).
Tuesday Painting Workshops
We have had a really pleasing response, with many members sending in their paintings – keep them coming for the
next months’ themes! See extra pages attached, or extra PDF sent by email.
Tuesday Painting: Suggested TOPICS
| May 19th: Paint an object on your kitchen window ledge | June 30th : Seascape, using a palette knif |
| May 26th: Spectators | July 7 th: ‘The lockdown’ or ‘After the lockdown’ |
| June 2nd: A piece of cake | July 14th: Stairs or steps |
| June 9th: Street furniture/a street scene | July 21st: I would love to go here on holiday! |
| June 16th: Choose something small – paint it big! | July 28th: Mud, mud glorious mud. |
| June 23rd: Your garden (or window box) in June |
Please send me photos of any ‘Tuesday Paintings’ by the end of May or beginning of June ready for the next Newsletter. We will publish paintings on May and June topics next month and July ones if there are not too many. If you do a painting which is not on a ‘topic’ please feel free to send it in, too. Take the photo on your phone or iPad or digital camera and then email it to Robert. Include your name, the medium and any other notes you would like to add.
Apologies to the few members who do not have smartphone, computer or iPad/other tablet perhaps we can see your paintings when we start meeting again (whenever that is). Another possibility is to ask a family member/friend who is still able to visit you if they could take and send a pic (with Artist name!) using their phone.
Another painting challenge for you.
We would have had our ‘New Arts’ critique in May.
Could we encourage you to send in a ‘modern style’ painting or abstract by early June for the July Newsletter? We will publish them and ask members to vote for their favourite painting – and we will even award the usual prize of a £10 voucher!
Members’ news
We have learnt that a couple of our members have been very busy doing good work in support of the NHS. Ruth and Simoné have been using their dressmaking skills to sew scrubs for local hospitals.
Ruth has been making tops and trousers, which need a large surface for cutting out as you can see in this photo! Simoné has, at the time of writing, completed 35 scrub tunics – probably quite a lot more by now. The last 8
have been made using lovely fabric donated by John Lewis…they donated 6000 metres to the organisation which is called Scrubs Glorious Scrubs and was mentioned on the One Show recently. You’ll certainly see the staff coming in these, Sim! (I have just heard that Sim worked her sewing machine so hard that it burst into flames, and she had to buy a new one!!)
Our club has made a donation of £100 towards these endeavours – feeling sure that our members would approve. Wendy has a small exhibition of her and other artists’ paintings displayed in her garage for passing walkers to enjoy. Hands up, who hasn’t got a few teddy-bears in their window for
passing toddlers to spot?
If you have found yourself volunteering for something quite unexpected during this Coronavirus crisis, please do tell us. We are sure other members would like to read about it.
Tips Of The Month
- Watching Bob Ross has inspired Lyn to paint a layer of titanium white acrylic mixed with retarder gel over her canvas – working with acrylics, it gives time for really good blending of colours, for example in skies (right).
- To reduce the intensity of some colours try using pale lemon yellow or pale blue, instead of the usual, overpowering, titanium white.
- Use purples and blues for shadows on snow – reflecting the sky above.
- Draw something every day – you’ll get better and better.
And finally, The CAC Summer Exhibition. We have sadly decided that it will not be possible to run the exhibition
this year. We look forward to our 80th next year.
We gather that that Pinder Hall will have some ‘events’ this year, from a collection venue for the butchers next-
door-but-one, to a blood donor centre and plant sales.