Dear Member
Recent Club Events
Monthly Meeting
The watercolour artist, Jake Winkle, came in March to demonstrate a street scene. He is a good communicator and explained his processes clearly. Most interesting, perhaps, was the way he took a photo of a scene with not very interesting light and shadow and a big white van in the foreground and used ‘artistic license’. You can see in the pictures, below, that he left out the van, introduced a splash of light on the foreground building and added shadows to the right-hand buildings – not to mention the café tables and people in the final scene.
He also shared his principle of simplification: to paint a large number of small shapes as a small number of large shapes. Look at the roof line of the right-hand buildings and you will see what he means! Many thanks to Jake for a very enjoyable demonstration.
Events in May
Sunday Painting
May 3rd, 10.30 – 4pm.
Join us for a sunny day out by the water at Bray Lake, off Windsor Rd, Maidenhead, a picturesque 50-acre lake surrounded by a mixture of grassy banks and a mature tree line. Small clubhouse on lakeside, possibly paddle boarders, windsurfers and sailing dinghies out on the lake. View across to Thames Hospice buildings.
Parking in lane approaching Bray Lake. Café, Toilets and refreshments on site.
Monthly Meeting
Thursday 21st May, 2 – 4pm in the Parish Centre, Church Gate, Cookham, SL6 9SP
This month we look forward to a demonstration intriguingly entitled ‘Marshes’ using mixed-media by Susan Clare.
A long while ago, during lockdown, Susan gave us an on-line demo from her home on the tropical island of Jamaica – so perhaps we can look forward to something quite exotic! You’ll have to come along to find out. She will be here in person, this time.
Coming Soon
Cookham Festival
Please register on our web page for ‘Seasonal Views of Cookham’ before Friday 25th April; We will email you the form and stewarding details. Setting up is still to be confirmed, it could be Wednesday 29th April PM and/or Thursday 30th April AM.
If you are registered you will be contacted asap. Exhibition opens at 10am on Friday 1st May then daily at various times, around the other advertised events also to be held in the church, until Sunday 17th May. Collection of you work: Monday 18th May 10am
Tuesday Painting Workshops
At Cookham Dean Village Hall, Church Road, Cookham Dean, Berks SL6 9PY, from 1.40pm to 5pm.
| Tuesday Painting: cost £2 A topic, appraisal, tea and cake |
Tuesday Extra: cost £2 Painting, tea and biscuits |
| May 12th: Insects | May 19th: Paint what you like |
| May 26th: Draw an image of your choice – up side down. This is a great way to see your subject in a different way, and to paint what you see, not what you think you see. | June 2nd: Paint what you like |
Obituaries
It is with sadness that we have to tell members that Janet Fois died on 24th March. Janet was an enthusiastic and talented artist, always a cheerful presence at Tuesday painting sessions and our other meetings.
She exhibited from 2002 and was a valued member of the committee from the early 2000s to 2021, serving as Membership Secretary, and later helping to organise our monthly meetings. She developed health problems and moved to Abingdon to be near family. Our condolences to her family and friends.
TIP OF THE MONTH
Canvas a bit floppy, before or after painting on it? Tapping in those little wooden wedges should pull it tight, but another technique is to wet the back, and as it dries it should shrink and become taut again. The wetting technique is also good for taking out dents in the canvas.
Yours sincerely
Robert Jones
Newsletter Editor