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June 2021 Newsletter

Post Category: Uncategorized
Post date: 21 May 2021


In April, eight club members took part in the Club’s first workshop held over Zoom. The artist Mark Warner was a good presenter, giving clear explanations with a sense of fun. He was very informative and helpful and had a look at every individual’s work. We all worked from the same image and followed him painting step by step. 

Although perhaps not as good as a live workshop, it was a rewarding session. We do think that one day we will get Mark to come to Cookham to give us a live workshop.
Above left by Mark, above right by workshop participant Satu.

Also in April, a Zoom demonstration with Valérie Pirlot was enjoyed by members. She painted a landscape in oils.
Valérie likes to work with water mixable oils. With these you do not work with smelly solvents and can thin down the paint with water and just use water to clean up afterwards. She suggests that if you wish to try these paints, just buy a tube or two and use them with your ordinary oils (with the usual solvents etc. not water). You should find they perform just like regular oil paints, with similar properties and drying times.

She made three versions of her resource photo: normal (left), with a grid and blurred (right). The grid can be added with software such as Artgrid (www.jacksonsart/artgrid) and a blurred version can be done with an ‘artistic filter’ in, for example, Photoshop.
Some points that Valerie made during the demo:

Likes to mix own colours, not buy too many separate colours. i.e. Same blue in purples and greens – brings harmony

Background colour – saves having to cover all the canvas – better to have a bit of colour than white peeping through. (See below left, with sketched outlines and the darkest areas blocked in.)
Worked from dark to light – in an abstract way.

Cd red, Naples y and perhaps something earthy to get reddish tones and ochres.
Best not to think what you are painting – just add tones – very light touches for the buildings.
White and coer blue for sky – adding more blue as go higher in the sky. Touch of red to get v light purple for the horizon layer of clouds.

Other clouds – start with v light grey, not white. Add bit more red, then add more yellow. White with touch of Naples yellow for very bright clouds. Slightly more purplish for shadows under clouds. (Finished painting, right)
Valérie summed up by showing us many of her other paintings – all based on looking for tones and not thinking about what the subject is.

An on-line demonstration has been planned for Thursday 17th June, 2 – 4pm.
Mark Fennel will be painting an impasto portrait in oils.

Here are two examples of his work which he has sent to whet your appetite.

One to look forward to – the Zoom link will be sent to you nearer the time.
Cookham Arts Club’s 80th anniversary.
We hope to hold our 80th Anniversary Party at the Parish Centre on Saturday 10th July from 12.45 to 4 pm, Covid permitting. We won’t know until nearer the time if this will go ahead. It would be preferable, if the weather is fine, to hold it outside in the garden. We would like everyone to bring food for our traditional scrumptious buffet. There will be a raffle with excellent prizes, quizzes etc. It is hoped that we will have Club members paintings hanging in the big room too. We will give you more definite information nearer the time.

‘Tuesday Painters’ are now meeting via Zoom. The meetings are organised by John Eckhart, and if you would like to join in, please send him a note ( jbeckhartforcac@gmail.com ) and he will add you to his distribution list.
We did hope to start ‘real’ Tuesday Painting sometime in June but we are not sure about this at the moment so we may have to continue Zoom painting a bit longer.

Tuesday Painting: Suggested TOPICS
May 25th: Bears (teddy, polar, brown or black) June 15th: Paint what you like
June 1st: Paint what you like June 22nd: Shelter
June 8th: Uplighting. A scene, people or still life lit by an unseen light source (see Caravaggio) June 29th: Paint what you like

TIP OF THE MONTH

Mark Warner, who ran our April Workshop, nearly always does his acrylic paintings on paper designed for pastels. He goes straight in with the acrylics, without priming the paper first and says if the paper cockles, just iron it on the reverse! He often uses a coloured paper and keeps a strip of it alongside his painting to check the colours of his paint on that background. So, if you have a stock of pastel paper which you don’t often use, why not try it with acrylics?

Obituary: It is with sadness that we have to tell you of the death of Gill Warren-Price. Gill has been a member for some years and exhibited in our Summer exhibition. She enjoyed coming to some of the demos and workshops.
She had been fighting cancer for a number of years. Our condolences to her family and friends.

Yours sincerely

Robert Jones email rdjforcac@gmail.com
Newsletter Editor

A few paintings have been sent in by members this month

A frightening warrior by Aiko Hester

Polly and the hat stand by Judy Trigg

Eye of a horse by Pam Hammond (pointillism)