T H E

M A G A Z I N E

O F

T H E

S A A

Its all about

27-28th July

Jubilant Art
SAA members share an experience of a lifetime

Win a Painting Holiday worth 925

Dont miss your chance to win a fantastic painting holiday on Cornwalls Lizard Peninsula w w w. s a a . c o . u k
January 2012 PAINT

1 JULY 2012

AT YOUR SERVICE

Step inside the SAA

Enjoy a behind the scenes anniversary tour
Have you and your art group ever wondered what happens behind the scenes at the SAA, society for all artists, to get new products in our catalogue and online store? Or how we make the instructional DVDs with your favourite artists? Or who the team are that make the SAA work in such a seamless way?
If so, nows your chance to enjoy a tour of the Nottinghamshire based Head Office, warehouse, studio, meet the team and have the chance to test and try products too. Following successful recent visits and tremendous feedback from a number of local art clubs, we have decided to open our doors to twenty SAA affiliated art clubs and RSC groups. This is to celebrate our 20th anniversary and to thank all those art clubs that have been closely involved with us over the last two decades.

I would just like to say howb mu ch eve ryo ne at our art clu enjoyed the vis it an d how inform ative it wa s. It wa s rea lly int ere stin g to see how eve ryt hin g wo rked an d lovely to talk to the tea m too.
Grou Beryl Herbert, Lea den ha m Art p

All affiliated art clubs can apply

Apply today for your chance to be one of the lucky twenty art clubs chosen to enjoy a tour of the SAA Head Office in Newark, Nottinghamshire. Our interesting and informative guides will take you for a peek into our studio, where the likes of Geoff Kersey, Matthew Palmer, Vic Bearcroft and all your favourite artists have filmed and recorded their TV programmes and instructional DVDs. Youll also get a tour of our warehouse and see the thousands of products we stock, as well as how orders are picked, packed and sent out. Well also introduce you to the people who make the SAA work. You may have heard their voice on the phone or had your questions answered in an email. The staff at the SAA are the backbone of the company and we would like you to get to know them a little better, put a face to a name and vice versa.

Test and try art products too!

As well as seeing behind the scenes, you will be able to have a go at trying and testing up to ten art products of your choice touch and play with the materials in a hands on, fun session. This is completely free of charge and open to all SAA affiliated art clubs and RSC groups. The tour takes about three hours and includes tea, coffee and biscuits.

Apply today
To apply please email your affiliated art club details to [email protected] quoting Behind the Scenes Tour in the subject line. Or write to SAA, Behind the Scenes Tour, PO Box 50, Newark, Notts, NG23 5GY. The lucky twenty art clubs will be chosen by 31st July 2012 and notified within two weeks.

We look forward to welcoming you soon.

PAINT July 2012

Welcome
to your July issue of Paint!
In this issue we have the usual mix of articles to entertain and inspire you, together with artistic advice and tuition from leading artists. Were delighted to be featuring an article by Susan Neale who recently appeared in our Introducing pages. Susan, Artist in Residence at the Castle Howard Arboretum, shows how to capture the essence of summer trees on page 22, while the renowned watercolourist David Bellamy offers invaluable advice on painting atmospheric skies on page 28. Elsewhere in this issue you can enjoy advice and tuition from the likes of Matthew Palmer, Dee Cowell and Malcolm Cudmore. We always want to ensure youre making the most of the services on offer from the SAA, so on page 18 we remind you how to make the SAA website work for you. Use it to keep in touch with other members on the forum, and admire the work theyre producing in the galleries or be inspired to paint a new subject by looking at the photograph gallery. You can also use our Member Near You service to find new artist friends close to home or in other parts of the country if youre travelling around over the summer The judging for Artist of the Year 2012 has recently taken place, and on page 12 we show you some of this years awardwinning work. Our new Artist of the Year, Haidee-Jo Summers, was one of 13 SAA artists chosen to attend the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant last month, painting the flotilla of 1000 boats from a vantage point on the Millennium Bridge. On page 30 you can read how they got on, taking part in one of the most fantastic en plein air painting experiences of their lives and having a wonderful day despite the truly British weather! As usual we feature as much of your work as we can in Paint in this issue there are the Results of Rachel McNaughtons

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Contents
1 Front Cover Picture by Alan Noyes, Roast Chicken Man, watercolour, 28 x 38cm 4 Its all about Art Goes regional for 2012! Dont miss whats happening in Manchester 6 Front Cover Artist An interview with Alan Noyes 7 Ask the Experts What is an F grading in graphite pencils? 8 The Results ... See how you fared painting Bluebells with Rachel McNaughton 10 Try Your Hand at Cromford Canal with Matthew Palmer 12 Artist of the Year 2012 Congratulations to the winners 14 Keeping it Cool Dee Cowell enjoys using Derwent Artbars 16 Artists Library Henry Malt turns the pages on more inspiring titles 18 Web Update Making the SAA website work for you 19 Our Photo, Your Painting How were you inspired? 20 Coloured Pencils at the Ready Malcolm Cudmore talks about erasing more than drawing 22 An Impression of Summer Trees Susan Neale captures the essence of trees in their summer glory 24 Paint Gallery Every Picture Tells a Tale 26 Jubilant Art SAA members share an experience of a lifetime 28 Skies, Light and Atmosphere Turn your skies into absolute gems with advice from David Bellamy 30 My Favourite Colour Sue Deighton explains why she is addicted to Emerald Green 31 New for You Daniel Smith Learn to Paint Activity Kits 32-35 Professionally Speaking Drawn to Greece 32 The Art List 33 In the picture Vic Bearcroft 34 36 Of Course you Can Jo Hitchens reports on her first painting holiday 37 Painting in Cornwall Your chance to win a painting holiday worth 925 38 Dates for Your Diary 42 Lets Reflect Letters and more 43 SAA Challenge 2012 Paint your pet 44 Club Together Whats happening at a club near you? 46 Introducing Some SAA top tutors

Bluebells on page 8, your interpretation of Our Photo, Your Painting on page 19, an inspiring collection in Members Gallery on page 24, and of course more pet portraits that have been submitted to this years SAA Challenge on page 43. Finally, it would be great to see you at Its all about Art in Manchester at the end of this month; with demonstrations and workshops by all your favourite SAA artists its bound to be an exciting and inspiring show. Tell your friends and bring fellow art club members along to enjoy it with you. Details of how to book tickets are on page 4. Until next time, happy painting, and keep in touch!

Chandy Rodgers

The SAA PO Box 50, Newark, Notts, NG23 5GY Tel 08458 770 775 Fax 08453 007 753 Overseas +44 1636 643 500 email: [email protected] www.saa.co.uk

Chandy Rodgers
Publishing Editor

Sarah Edghill
Assistant Editor

Kate Mincher
Contributing Editor

Keep in touch by e-mailing: [email protected] or write to or telephone Head Office Advertising booking and enquiries: Telephone 08458 770 771 or email [email protected]

Some other great ways to chat to members, and see what is happening in the SAA include: Facebook: www.facebook.com/SocietyForAllArtists Twitter: www.twitter.com/The_SAA Blog: http://blog.saa.co.uk

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July 2012 PAINT

PROFILED

Front Cover Artist

Name: Age: Lives: Medium: Cover Picture: Alan Noyes 70 Suffolk Watercolour Roast Chicken and Potato Man Tell us about this wonderful front cover picture what inspired you to paint it?
I am always looking for unusual subjects or unusual angles on ordinary subjects and I never venture far without my camera and sketch book. Roast chicken and potato man is the result of a series of photographs taken whilst on holiday in France, which had been sitting in my computer for a year before I decided to attempt a painting. As you can see by comparing the original photograph with the final The photo that painting, a lot of inspired Roast Chicken and Potato Man imagination and artistic licence has gone on between the two. I whole story at a glance, deliberately set out to give the viewer some achieve a loose painting. I work to do. wanted to convey the Have you always used heat and the smell of the this distinctive wet into cooking as well as having wet technique with a bit of fun with the watercolour? shapes and the apron I think my technique bow. I worked with the developed as a result of a strong tonal contrasts. desire to escape 40 odd Energy can be instilled in Roast Chicken and years of architecture Potato Man , a painting by using a straight lines, right angles, watercolour 28x38cm, mixture of edges: hard details you cant be on this issues front cut mixed with lost and very detailed with a big cover found edges and the brush and a soaking wet mystery of very wet-inpiece of paper, although I do allow wet washes. The secret is to not tell the myself the odd indulgence and enjoy
Casting the Bell 36x26cm

requires continuous practice. Of course, when you have been doing it for some time, you get to know the idiosyncrasies of the medium but watercolour in particular has a mind and a will of its own. I try to let it do its own thing but offer a little gentle guidance.

Chatillon Roof tops, 26x35cm (top) and Sea and Sky, 53x76cm (above)

adding the occasional little fiddly bit of detail. The secret is to make it look as if it just happened whereas, in reality, there has been a lot of planning and preparation. I have used various media but always return to my favourite watercolour an exasperating mistress but one which rewards practice and perseverance.

How and where do you work best?

The process of creating a painting normally starts with a series of pencil sketches to establish composition and tonal values before committing to watercolour paper and even then it can be three or four attempts before I am satisfied with the final result. In my early learning days a tutor told me throw it away if youre not 100% satisfied its only a bit of paper. I have thrown away many bits of paper! The wet-in-wet technique is something I have developed over time. I do use conventional wash techniques but I also drop pigment onto wet paper, tilting and tipping the board,

When did you start painting?

I was around six or seven when I won my first painting prize, probably for keeping the paint inside the lines! After working as an architect I became a full time professional artist in 2006. Prior to that I juggled painting with working but when a contract on which I had been working for three years, came to an end, I decided to retire from the day job and start painting full time. Given the opportunity I paint every day, sometimes all day, sometimes just for an hour or two because painting is not like riding a bicycle, it doesnt come automatically after a while. Like any other skill it

Forceful 36x52cm

PAINT July 2012

ASK THE EXPERTS

Ask the Experts

There is often no right or wrong answer to a question about art all artists will find their own way to tackle a problem. Here we ask some of our Professional Associates to use their experience and knowledge to suggest ways to solve your artistic dilemmas
Flying Boat 52x36cm

Q Please would you explain the grading of F for graphite pencils? Margaret Hale Allan Kirk explains that all pencils are marked on a European scale. Its called the degree scale where H is hardest and B is softest. The scale usually ranges through 9H, 8H, 7H, 6H, 5H, 4H, 3H, 2H, H, F, HB, B, 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B, 6B, 7B, 8B, 9B. At one end 9H is the hardest pencil and at the other 9B is the softest. Slotted in the middle of the scale between H and HB is an extra F grade, usually called a Fine point. It is softer and darker than an H and not as soft as an HB. The F pencil is usually sold as a writing pencil. www.tarnincolour.com Murray Ince agrees that its generally accepted that the F stands for Fine. I have it on good authority that this is the secretarys choice of pencil for taking shorthand notes! Although the softer pencils from the HB through to 9B are the favoured pencils for sketching, different artists have their own particular favourites. www.murrayince.com Kathy Kavanagh explains that the various graphite pencil grades are achieved by altering the proportion of graphite to clay: The more clay the harder the pencil. However, two pencils of the same grade by different manufacturers will not necessarily make a mark of identical tone nor have the same hardness! I love to use the softest pencils to describe the contours of a face in my portrait work, they allow me to create a more subtle description of delicate shadows on a face and help me achieve a more natural and accurate representation of my subject. www.saa.co.uk/art/kathykavanagh Glyn Rand uses Faber-Castell 9000 graphite pencils for many of his portraits. I work with a complete range from 5H to 5B including the F graded pencil. The F pencil is a mid tone pencil, softer and darker than the H but not at all gritty or waxy, which is an unfortunate characteristic of many B pencils. It is particularly useful in some shadow areas of a portrait that do not need to be too dark. A good example would be the shadows areas in wrinkles on the face of an elderly person. It is essential to get wrinkle shadows just the right tone to be convincing. If the shadows are too light or too dark then the wrinkles will be devoid of form and look flat. If the shadows are too dark the wrinkles will look more like stripes rather than folds of flesh (they would of coarse still be devoid of form and flat). I love the F graded pencil, it is possibly my favourite: hard, yet smooth and fairly black. www.grandportraits.co.uk

Dolly 84x42cm

colour and of course the light, particularly in the south of France, has a tremendous vibrant quality.

How long do you spend on a painting?

That depends on how well it is going. Sometimes a day, sometimes a lot longer, it really takes as long as it takes. It is not unusual for me to leave a piece which has not been going too well, get on with something else and then return to the abandoned work, hopefully with a fresh eye. I always try to have a mental image of what I am trying to achieve: preparation, planning and sketching are vital.
Last Night of the Proms 35x26cm

allowing the colours to blend and develop as they mix on the surface of the paper. This is not a technique which lends itself to on site painting and I much prefer the control I have in the studio. When I do venture out of doors it is usually with a watercolour block or a soft pencil and a pad of cartridge paper. I find pencil sketches invaluable as a supplement to photographs; they have an immediacy which is lacking in a photograph and if you have sat and sketched the subject, you have a closer feeling for it. I enjoy painting contre jour and have completed a couple of Cambridge street scenes - perhaps this is the direction in which I am headed. French street scenes have a tremendous attraction and vitality the markets are always crowded, buzzing and full of
Bermuda Cottage 2, 35x26cm

You exhibit and sell much of your work. Is it hard to part with a favourite painting?
My work is in private collections in England, Bermuda and the States as well as in the collection of the Bermuda Masterworks Foundation and the Windjammer Gallery Bermuda. In the early days I found it difficult to let a painting go but, to be honest, there is nothing quite like the feeling of satisfaction when someone appreciates your work sufficiently to want to own it themselves. Roast Chicken and Potato Man was exhibited and sold at the Spring Exhibition of the Cambridge Drawing Society.

If you would like to see more work by Alan visit his saa web pages at www.saa.co.uk or www.alannoyes.com
Colliiure Caf 35x26cm

Thank you to our PAs for their advice, do take a look at their websites to see examples of their work. If you have a question about art, get in touch with us at Head Office (marking your letter Ask the Experts) or email [email protected]

July 2012 PAINT

PRACTICE RESULTS

Try Your Hand at...

Bluebells
You tried and here are some of the results
Marian Ferguson
Well done on the wet in wet background and the suggestion of flowers further away. A few more in between ones would be good to create depth. A bit more variation in the colour of the main flowers would have made them look a little more natural and the stems need a little more red in the mixture. I like the way the bells cluster together naturally but I think the leaves need a slightly stronger green and to curve more. Try not to bunch them from a point at the base of each stem.

Margaret Thomas
Rachel McNaughtons picture that featured in the March issue

Thank you for sending in your paintings of Bluebells following Rachel McNaughtons demonstration in the March issue of Paint. Here is small selection with comments from Rachel

You have handled the wet in wet background well and the background flowers are delicately suggested, gradually building up colour as you work forward very well. Perhaps a little more pale purple shades would help. I especially like the negative stems! If I was being really critical I would say that the bells are a bit too chunky and perhaps a few stronger leaves would be in order.

Barbara Ball
You have gone in for a close up on the flowers and got the shape of them well but the colour needs a little more of the soft mauve shades. Having said that you have varied the blues you have used which is great. Dont be afraid to let the flowers overlap because the stem centre front looks a bit squeezed in as though you tried to avoid going over the stems and flowers behind. The suggested flowers in the background have worked well.

Vaughan Rees Barbara Rolfe

I really feel down among the flowers in this painting and I especially like the break in the background blues where the light seems to shine. Well done on the colour variation although perhaps a little more of the delicate mauve shades would have felt a bit more natural. Dont be afraid to let the flowers overlap. You have really caught the feeling of weight of the flowers on the stem and they have a good natural looking curve to them. The background blooms recede well so the wet in wet was expertly handled. Maybe the leaves are a bit spindly? But I like the varying greens and the way the stems fade out lower down. You are quite comfortable with leaving things to the viewers imagination which always makes a more interesting painting. Well done!

PAINT July 2012

Jane Bradshaw
Lovely choice of colours and good to see that you have varied the blues making the flowers seem more alive. The distant suggested ones are delicately done and I like the spattering. Perhaps some of the green leaves could have been a little stronger.

Penny Robinson
Delicately done Penny. I love the way things disappear into the misty background although you could have had a lot more flowers suggested in the distance. You could still add them now with pale tones and create a whole forest of them! It is good that the stems overlap and you are not afraid to let the flowers touch. All these things help to make a more natural looking rendition. Lovely

Maggie Baker
The dry brush on some of the leaves is nicely done although I think perhaps the foreground flowers are a little heavy and dark meaning that you had to paint very dark behind them. Allow the flower stems to overlap and intertwine. Paler flowers in the background are nicely suggested but, in one or two places, follow the shape of the yellow areas a bit too much.

Ann Lovejoy
A very delicate painting with some lovely mauve bluebell colours in the flowers which also have good use of light and dark. The background ones would be slightly smaller, of course, but I think some of these are a little too small. It is probably better to get the feeling of recession with paler colours rather than reducing the size. A little more delicate mauve/blues in the first background washes would have given a better feeling of masses of flowers further back. Although you have curved the stems beautifully a little more curve on the leaves would help.

Patricia Butler
Lots of blooms here and you have let them overlap in a nicely natural fashion. Perhaps the first background washes could have been a little stronger. In one or two places there are gaps in the stems especially when they join onto the flowers. Letting the stem touch the flowers, even if they are still wet, will make a natural looking join. The shape and curve of the leaves is well done but one or two need to be a bit stronger.

Linda Roscoe
You have handled the wet in wet background beautifully creating a lovely soft atmosphere. Take care with the shape of the bells. Look carefully at the real thing because they are quite narrow and slimmer than you have painted. A few more wet in wet or pale ones in the background would have given a better feeling of depth (you could still add those now with pale watery blues). Let the stems and flowers overlap as they would in real life and I think the leaves need to be stronger and not in bunches.

To enjoy more paintings by Rachel and to find out about her classes and summer workshops visit www.artbyrachel.co.uk Dont miss her next exhibition at Wetherby Town Hall - July 6th - 7th Visit www.saa.co.uk for details of Rachels instructional DVDs: From Flower to Watercolour and Putting Colour into Watercolour

July 2012 PAINT

TUITION

Try Your Hand at...

Cromford Canal
Join Matthew Palmer on the banks of the Cromford Canal, Derbyshire
I hope you are tempted to try your hand at painting this scene and look forward to seeing the results.

Materials
SAA Gold Brushes: Sizes 14 and 6 round Size 02 rigger 12mm flat Matthew Palmer Tree and Texture brush set Paints: Matthew Palmer Natural Colour Set: Grey Yellow Blue SAA Artists Watercolours: Lemon Yellow Burnt Sienna Opaque White or Gouache Watercolour palette: Matthew uses his Easy-Clean Palette Watercolour Paper or Block: Matthew uses his Fontaine Watercolour Block Also: SAA Masking Fluid Kitchen roll

1
horizontal strokes, then apply the pale Natural Yellow first in the lower half of the sky, followed by the Natural Blue from the top, working down to meet the Pale Yellow. The trick is to make these colours blend together, creating a gradient sky. At this stage, while it is still wet you could use a piece of kitchen roll to roll out a few clouds. When dry, use the medium Tree and Texture brush for the distant trees. Note how the trees are grey in the distance, so start with the pale watery grey mixture. Then move into the dark green and finish at the bottom with the bright green.

Do a simple outline sketch and add masking fluid to the building, the edge of the large tree and across the horizon line.

2a

Tip: when using the Tree and Texture brushes, stipple the paint on the brush by bashing it in the palette then lightly dab the excess paint off on tissue and gentle stipple or tap the paint onto your painting. While the tree area is slightly damp, use your rigger brush to paint a few misty trees in Natural Grey. Once all the background is dry, using a darker shade of brown and grey, paint in the mid ground trees (a mixture of Natural Grey and Burnt Sienna). Take your time to create layers and layers of different height trees. Tip: always paint tree trunks and branches in the direction they grow. Using the smallest Tree and Texture brush, gently stipple a pale mix of 80% Burnt Sienna and 20% Natural Grey, applying gentle pressure to paint in the tree tops and a few bushes, giving extra layers and creating more depth to the scene. Tip: try to paint plenty of dark colours around the building to help it stand out. Next remove the masking fluid, just by rubbing it with your finger, then use a pale Natural Yellow and your size 6 brush to paint the walls and chimney and Natural Grey for the roof. To add detail to the building start with a pale Natural Grey and your size 6 brush to paint the shadow / darker side of the building. Natural Grey is my own pre-mixed shadow colour, Paynes Grey will not have the same effect here.

Tip: use older brushes or the SAA masking fluid brush set, to prevent the fluid spoiling expensive brushes. I use soap to coat the brush hair first, this acts as a barrier. While the masking fluid is drying mix up the following washes: - Natural Blue for a realistic sky - a pale, watery Natural Yellow for the base of the sky - a pale watery Natural Grey for the top of the distant trees - a dark green mixed from 20% Lemon Yellow and 80% Natural Blue, use plenty of water - a bright green mixed from 50% Lemon Yellow and 50% Natural Blue - Natural Grey for the misty tree trunks and branches To start painting, wet the top part of the paper, down to the masking fluid, using the size 14 brush and painting in

3a

roducts For all p visit d, please feature .uk .saa.co www

2b
To find out more about Matthews paints, palette, brushes and watercolour block turn to page 11 of your latest Home Shop catalogue, issue 94.

3b

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PAINT July 2012

4a

You should have the colours already in your palette: - Natural Blue - a dark green - the stone colour from the building - Natural Grey Begin by wetting the water area, after all water should be wet!

4b

Paint the sky reflection first, using the size 14 brush and begin from the bottom of the paper, working upwards in horizontal strokes. Try to get this to fade to nothing. While the paper is still wet, paint in some green, again using horizontal brush strokes at the furthest point of the water and at the front right. Again, while the paper is still wet, use a smaller brush to paint the building reflection in the Natural Yellow. Loosely try to mirror the building, painting it in the same way you did the building itself, then change to Natural Grey for the shadow side and the doors.

Take your time adding lots of detail to the building. A flat brush is great for painting in the random brick-work, use a pale Natural Yellow for this.

Tip: achieve the effect of open doors by painting the top and bottom of the opening darker and blending the watercolour away with a damp brush. Paint the grassy banking with two strong mixes and a size 6 brush: - a dark green mixed from 20% Lemon Yellow and 80% Natural Blue - a bright green mixed from 50% Lemon Yellow and 50% Natural Blue Start with the waters edge first, using the darker green and fill the rest of the areas with the bright green. Use the small Tree and Texture brush to lightly stroke in a few blades of grass - I used a card mask to give a clean edge. You can add dry brush and darker greens to give texture and depth to the grass. To paint the water, you are actually painting the reflections because water is transparent.

Tip: if the paper is drying on you don't worry, dry it off 100% then re-wet the area. The Fontaine watercolour paper is great at handling this. Complete this stage by adding random horizontal ripples with Natural Grey to add some movement to your water then leave to dry.

6b
do this, just gently blending the paint with a touch of water. Once this first coat is dry, use the small Tree and Texture brush to add shadows to the tree - note the depth this creates. Use the shadow colour and lightly tap a random wiggly line, then clean the brush in water, and just using it damp very gently tap the shadow green away, moving the brush upwards as you go. Finally a few finishing touches: - stipple some neat Lemon Yellow over the large trees for extra detail - add dark branches to the tree with a Burnt Sienna and Natural Grey mix - use the Opaque White with a rigger brush to give light to the water, a few ripples and sparkle

Meet me at

6a

Manches te r

The final stage is my favourite - I love painting trees and adding all the detail, this is when the painting comes alive. The green for the two large trees is: - bright green: 70% Lemon Yellow and 30% Natural Blue - shadow green: 40% Lemon Yellow, 50% Natural Blue and 10% Burnt Sienna to add just a touch of darkness to the green Use the large Tree and Texture brush to mix up a lot of this strong mixture, tap off the excess paint from the brush and gently tap or stipple the flat part of the brush onto the painting. As always, take your time. Keep looking back at the shape of the tree as its composition is everything. Try to blend this into the area where the masking fluid was. I used a damp size 6 brush to

- oh and don't forget the birds

If you would like your painting to be considered for inclusion in Paint along with a brief critique by Matthew, you can now upload your entry onto the competitions page at www.saa.co.uk Alternatively you can still enter by email (subject Cromford Canal) to [email protected] or by post to SAA, PO Box 50, Newark, Notts, NG23 5GY. Please note that your paintings can only be shown online if you have uploaded them yourself. Closing date 12th August.

For details of Matthews watercolour workshops visit www.mattartist.co.uk or call 01623 742567 Mansfield, Nottinghamshire: Autumn Landscape - Saturday 4th or 18th August Southam, Warwckshire: Winter Landscape - Saturday 17th November Compton, Guildford. Surrey: Winter Landscape - Saturday 24th November Watercolour Painting Holiday to Cheddar Gorge - 4th-7th September

July 2012 PAINT

11

AOY

Artist of the Year 2012

Yet again our judges were overwhelmed by the standard of the entries for this years competition
The 2012 Artist of the Year award went to Haidee-Jo Summers, who, coincidentally before the judging took place, was featured in the May issue as our front cover artist. I entered lots of paintings in the competition, because Id produced so many during the previous year, and had never entered before, she says. Although she was thrilled to have won the award, Haidee-Jo admits the news is still sinking in. I really hope it means lots more people will find out about my work and visit my blog, she says. I paint almost every single day but I think winning will give me the push to pursue avenues of work that I have been putting off until now, like hiring models. It will give me a new level of confidence too, for trying different styles, entering competitions and maybe approaching galleries. Ive scribbled a message to myself on a cupboard in my studio; it says Have no fear, youre Artist of the Year! I hope that will be my motto for the year and even beyond. She was thrilled that this oil painting caught the judges eye because its a particular favourite. Its of Camille my 13-year-old daughter, she explains. Last year we moved to a small house in France. It was a time of great change for her moving to another country, learning a new language, making friends and becoming a teenager all at the same time. Im proud to say she handled it brilliantly. This is a special picture because I painted her relaxing on the sofa and it reminds me of an important time in her life.
Richard Harpums Professional Artist of the Year painting Hera II, Valetta, Malta Camille, the 2012 Artist of the Year winning painting by Haidee-Jo Summers

Richard Harpum was taken aback when he receive a call from SAA Chairman John Hope Hawkins to say he had won Professional Artist of the Year with his acrylic painting Hera II, Valetta, Malta. I was very pleasantly

surprised, he says. But I often find that the paintings that win competitions are not the ones I expect, so it proves that you should enter anything that you think is good enough, in the hope that the judges will pick it out from the crowd! Richard, who paints mainly with acrylics on canvas or board, says his primary focus is landscapes, although he also does still lifes and portraits. Hera II was painted while he was on holiday in Malta last year and was inspired by a Turkish gulet with the Valetta skyline behind it. I believe most people buy paintings because they really like them, and there is no greater compliment for an artist, he says. But a prestigious national award such as this one will obviously help to add credibility to my work, and it does wonders for your self-confidence and makes up for all the rejections which are a fact of life for most artists! Ruth Harris was so overwhelmed when she received her phone call, that she was struck dumb. I literally couldnt say anything for ages! she remembers. It was a lovely surprise, but a huge shock and I hadnt expected it. Ruths watercolour, Cosmic Poppies, won her the Amateur Artist of the Year award, and although she entered six pictures, she admits this was one of her favourites. I mostly do floral paintings because I love colour and

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PAINT July 2012

Amateur Artist of the Year, Cosmic Poppies by Ruth Harris

flowers seem to give me the best of everything, she says. Ive even taken up gardening so that I always have a supply of flowers to paint! Ruth, who began painting 15 years ago when her children started school, insists she was awful at art as a child. But I loved Watercolour Challenge on TV, and really wanted to try something creative, so it started from there. Ive had an exhibition at a small local gallery, owned by a friend, and in the future Id like to try and paint even more, and hopefully make a little bit of money from it. The thought of turning professional is very scary, so Im happy to keep it low key and local. I try to sell the occasional painting and its nice to do that, but Im just painting because I love it. Michael Potter also paints for the joy of it, but he has made the decision to turn professional, and, having picked up the award for Young Artist of the Year with his self portrait Study 1, it looks as if hes made the right decision. Im 23 and have been painting full time for two years, having decided to take a break after doing an architectural degree, he says. I enjoyed the architecture and still see it as part of my long-term plan, but I wanted to go back

to painting and sculpting, which is what I have always loved. Michael is painting full time in order to build up a portfolio, and has already had several portrait commissions. Ive been fortunate in the people Ive met who have given me work, he says But Im determined to grab every opportunity offered to me, and this award will hopefully lead to other things. It was a great honour to win. Ive used the SAA for insurance for the last few years, and this year I just thought Id try setting up a web page and entering Artist of the Year. Its very exciting to have your work recognised, and always nice to be appreciated! Winning the June Atherton Award for her acrylic painting Aberdulais Falls was very timely for new artist Pam Nickson. I had been feeling a bit low when I picked up the message about winning, but this news gave me the encouragement I needed to keep going, she says. I started painting a couple of years ago and am going to an art class with a fellow SAA member Peter Owen, who has been very encouraging. I am continually painting and am hoping to get somewhere with it, and the award has given me a reason for carrying on. Ive entered local exhibitions and have had my work up in Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, and Im now
June Atherton Award winning painting Aberdulais Falls, by Pam Nickson

Junior Artist of the Year winning painting, The Look of Me?, by Fiona Gill

feeling encouraged to keep getting out there and trying to sell my paintings. As time has gone by Ive realised its not about being perfect, its just about doing the best you can, and if that best is good enough then youll find success. Finally, at 16, Fiona Gill from Teeside has a great artistic future ahead of her. Her oil portrait The Look of Me? which won her Junior Artist of the Year, was based on a picture of Victoria Eugenie of Battenburg that she came across on the Internet. I loved it so much I wanted to try and paint it myself, she says. Id like to make a career out of art, although Im not exactly sure how yet. I like painting lots of subjects, but probably portraits are my favourite, and I was quite pleased with how this one turned out. In future issues of Paint well showcase more of the winning entries from all categories by both amateur and professional artists. In the meantime, if youd like to take a look at some of the wonderful work that was submitted, visit the SAA website, click on the Competitions tab and follow the links to the Artist of the Year pages.

Young Artist of the Year painting Study I, by Michael Potter

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TUITION

Keeping it Cool
for a free style painting using Derwent Artbars
Dee Cowell uses these versatile bars to create a painting packed full of movement and atmosphere
Derwent Artbars allow you the freedom to work in so many different ways : You can use them as pastels, or draw with them, use them as watercolours for wet-into-wet washes. You can even use them like acrylic and apply them with a painting knife! By dissolving them in water they become ink so you can use them with a calligraphy pen for fine detail. They are brilliant for creating exciting textures and there are 72 amazing colours to choose from!

Materials
Derwent Artbars: Deep Aqua Ultra Blue Vivid Pink Tertiary Purple Opaque White Watercolour paper 140 lb in a block Large flat brush Small detail brush Derwent Grate n Shake Derwent Spritzer Derwent Scraper or painting knife Water jar Kitchen towel Old toothbrush
roducts For all p ase visit red, ple featu .co.uk ww.saa w

Wild Horses
For this painting I am using a very free style and therefore suggest sticking to either cool colours or warm colours rather than a combination.

Using the Grate n Shake and three colours Deep Aqua, Ultra Blue and Vivid Pink, I grated the colours with the grater lid directly onto the paper. Using the Derwent Spritzer, and holding it high above the paper, I sprayed the paint. As it dissolved, I brought the Spritzer closer so that the air pressure moved the paint around making interesting shapes. With a large wash brush and lots of water, I

wet the paint and allowed it to run down the page gently mixing together. I added more paint to increase the tones in the corners of the painting. I wanted to get rid of the white and have a glow in the background. The choice of colours is to depict the excitement of the moment where these animals are galloping through the waves. I allowed it to dry completely with the help of a hairdryer.

I lightly sketched in the three horses. I divided the photograph, which is

always a black and white copy so that I can see the tones, into four and lightly did the same on the dried painting. With my hand I roughly judged how big a space on the page I would need to use. I then used a traditional method of drawing (or you can use the grid method) and added stick figure shapes ie what the spine and legs are doing, and then I used the NEGATIVE spaces to help me get the shapes right. I worked with a dark purple (Tertiary Purple), which, as it is watercolour, can be blended or lifted out later.

Here is the original photograph should you want to have a go

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PAINT July 2012

Gerald Lacz / Rex Features

5
paint. I started with the dark tones any colour that is dark! Purples and blues, then added turquoise, dark pink anything cool. It is all about using colour to depict the tones.

Although the horses are white I am trying to create atmosphere and excitement by using different colours. I like to under paint with the Artbars and allow little glimpses of background blues and pinks to peek through the

4a

With a damp flat brush I gently wet the colours to get them to merge, but always allowing the colours underneath to peek through. It makes for a very dynamic painting! I allowed this to dry before adding more paint, and used a scraper or painting knife to scrape into the existing paint to create textures. I used the side of the Artbars and lay dark colours horizontally into the sea at the bottom of the painting. I then wet this and used the painting knife to move the paint around to create the movement in the water. The details of the eyes and highlights were drawn in with Tertiary Purple and Opaque White. I scraped some Opaque White into the Grate n Shake, added some water to it and made a thick opaque paint, which I dipped into for the manes and tails and a few highlights. Finally I dipped an old toothbrush into the White and spattered it onto the painting to create the spray.

4b

at Dee Cowell is an art teacher and Professional Associate with the SAA. She is Manches te r President of the Crowthorne and Sandhurst Art Society. She teaches and demonstrates across the South East and West. She has demonstrated for Derwent, Daler Rowney and Atelier at various exhibition venues. To enjoy more of Dees paintings visit www.3dddart.co.uk/index1.php and to find out about her teaching activities visit www.virtual-artstudent.com/ Dee will be demonstrating Derwents Artbars at Its all about Art in Manchester on 27th 28th July.

Meet me

For further details of all the products Dee has used in this article turn to page 22 of your Home Shop catalogue 94 or visit www.saa.co.uk Details of Dees new DVD Dynamic Flowers can be found on page 5 of your Home Shop Catalogue 94. 18.37 for non members and 15.60 for members. Stock code: DCFD.

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IN REVIEW

Artists Library
Hold onto your brushes as Henry Malt introduces the latest art instruction titles to wet our artistic appetites, from the wettest wet-in-wet watercolours through to a master-class in drawing, sitting nicely alongside some very clever compilations of wisdom from several earlier publications
Gosh, this is a fantastic book! In her introduction, Jean credits Jean-Louis Morelle, whose very technical book of a few years ago was one of the first to fully explore what is one of watercolours best tricks, but here she looks at its creative possibilities. If you love the wet-in-wet technique, prepare to be amazed, humbled even. Its also a very difficult book to describe in words and, in a way, that is a further indicator of its greatness. I dont want to go overboard on this but, usually, I can tell you whats in a book, what the paintings look like, and give you at least a hint of the flavour of it. Jeans work, however, is so intensely visual that there arent the words to describe it. The only way I could really go about it would be to write a tone poem and hope that you could make the leap for yourselves. Anyway. OK, its not a technical book, and my usual approach of going through the chapter headings in order to get a sense of a books progression wont work either. Glorious washes, magical water flow, suggestive seduction, light and life you see what I mean? Its a vast ocean and Im adrift without a sail. Ah, but here we are: My techniques explained, right at the end. Salvation! Oh, its only a page and, although the short paragraphs do sum up some of whats gone before, frankly, if you need this kind of explanation by page 175, youve probably missed the point. Look, Ill tell you what Ill do. Ill choose as many representative illustrations as I can and leave it to you. If they leave you thinking, I want to do that, then buy the book. Itll enthuse and inspire you like few others. Do be prepared to hang on tight, though.

d ooks an For all b lease p atured, dvds fe o.uk w.saa.c visit ww

Jean Haines Atmospheric Watercolours

Jean Haines
Search Press 15.99 (19.99 non members) Stock code: JHAWB 176 pages Hardback Page 3 of your Home Shop Catalogue 94

Henrys favourite

Although not strictly a book, well, not a book at all, we thought this new DVD deserved a mention here as a new title for you if you are looking to develop your flower painting skills. Using Derwents popular Inktense and Artbar ranges, Dee takes you through four different flower projects, demonstrating an exciting range of techniques which will help bring your flowers to life. Dees enthusiastic approach to teaching will inspire you to create vibrant dynamic flower paintings which will look like they have been plucked straight from your garden including Delphiniums, Poppies, Pansies and Irises.

DVD: Teaching Art 15.60 (18.37 non-members) Stock code: DCFD 70 minutes Page 1 of your Home Shop Catalogue 94

Dynamic Flowers
Dee Cowell

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Art Answers Watercolour Painting

ed George James
Search Press 8.99 (non-members 9.99) Stock code: GJWPB 224 pages Soft/flexible cover Page 2 of your Home Shop Catalogue 94

This really rather nice little book is a compilation of wisdom from several earlier publications, including The Complete Watercolour Artist and The Watercolour Techniques Sourcebook. I only mention that in case you have a particularly well-stocked bookshelf. Even so, you might still want this, because its been particularly neatly put together, and completely re-edited. As is common with this kind of thing, each two-page spread is complete in itself and you can quickly look up such things as, What is the wet-on-dry method? and find a fully described and illustrated answer in a bite-sized chunk. With its flexible, wipe-clean cover and (largish) pocket-size format, this is also a book you can easily carry about with you. Im usually sceptical about books that claim to be take-outable, but I really think you might want to do that with this one. Although its sort of obvious from the title, it still comes as something of a shock to open this and discover the contents are totally monochrome. This is entirely due to the fact that there are so many books on painting flowers that weve largely forgotten that, to get a proper representation, you need to be able to draw them as well. Margaret looks at materials and basic techniques before progressing to a series of demonstrations that develop your technique and abilities in a nicely progressive way.

David Bellamys Skies, Light & Atmosphere in Watercolour

David Bellamy
These are three of the elements that most characterise Davids painting, and they are also some of the most difficult to pin down. Together, skies, light and atmosphere are the three elements that give life to a landscape. Skies, at least, are a subject that can be described: they have clouds, subtleties of shading, simple or dramatic shifts and contrasts of colour, and a great deal can be achieved by the judicious use of washes. Light, though, is a bit more tricky because here we are moving into the area of suggestion. Even a shaft of light isnt something you can paint in; it has to be suggested by what it obscures. Bright sunlight is indicated by the use of strong bright colours. Thats the thing, we dont actually see light at all, just what it does. If light is a slippery customer, atmosphere is a wriggling fish slapping about in the bottom of the boat. You and I both know what we mean by the term: its the sense of how it was, it has to do with the weather, the light, the... well, you know. David calls it, the icing on the landscape cake and thats about as near as you can get to a definition. What he does in this section is to work from specific situations fog and mist, rain and wind, tranquil, bucolic scenes and explain the techniques he used to tell the viewer what theyre looking at. If you want me to sum up what the books about, Id say its about putting life into your landscapes, something David is really rather good at.
Search Press 8.99 (9.99 non-members) Stock code: DBSLAB 80 pages Paperback Page 3 of your Home Shop Catalogue 94

Drawing Masterclass Flowers

Margaret Eggleton

Search Press 10.99 (non-members 12.99) Stock code: MEDFB 96 pages Paperback Page 2 of your Home Shop Catalogue 94

This is another compilation, this time from the successful Leisure Arts series from Search Press and, once again, unless your shelves are groaning, its unlikely youll have everything thats here. Rather than just binding together a set of vaguely related volumes, the editors have chosen to create a structured guide to flower painting that takes the beginner through all the processes, from choosing materials and getting to grips with the basic techniques, to more complex compositions and painting flowers in the landscape.

Watercolour Flower Painting step-by-step

Wendy Tait, Jackie Barrass, Richard Bolton and Ann Mortimer
Search Press 10.99 (12.99 non-members) Stock code: VAWFPB 144 pages Paperback Page 2 of your Home Shop Catalogue 94

Some of the authors are represented more than others due to the nature of the original books, but the result is a harmonious whole that progresses nicely.

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WEB NEWS

www.saa.co.uk
There are so many exciting new things to discover at www.saa.co.uk so please take the time to have a fresh look around and make the most of the SAA website Where to start?
At the Home Page, log on to your profile that way you can access everything you need to on the site.

Feel like showing off?

We are thrilled to announce that all members can now put their paintings on the SAA gallery pages it is simple to upload your paintings and what better way to showcase your work alongside fellow members and to enjoy constructive comments from your friends at the SAA. For the competitive amongst you, all the SAA painting competitions can now be entered on the online gallery. You can of course still send in your entries and they will be included in the judging, but your paintings can only be shown online if you have uploaded them to your profile yourself. Unfortunately we cant do that for you only you have access to your profile pages. There is even a special Art Club gallery where affiliated clubs can upload paintings to their SAA webpages along with exhibition information and up to date news about their group. If you are looking to join an art club this is a great place to find out more about ones near you. There are now over 10,000 paintings by SAA members in the different galleries on the website, the majority of which are for sale at prices starting from under 50. Be sure to spread the word that this is an excellent place for anyone looking to buy affordable original paintings. We are actively promoting the website to potential buyers so if you are thinking of selling your work, upload it now.

Home and Away

Members Near Me
Now is the perfect time to get in touch with fellow members near you, and find new friends to paint with this summer and, if you are off on your travels, tap in the postcode where you will be staying so that you can contact local members for advice on where to paint and what to see and do in the area.

Exhibitions
There is bound to be an exhibition taking place near you this summer use the exhibition pages to find out about SAA affiliated exhibitions either locally or at your holiday destination.

You can search by artist name, professional or non-professional, subject matter, medium and even price. It is a brilliant way to see what other people are painting and comment constructively on each others work if you see something you love be sure to tell the artist concerned. A huge thank you to all of you who have uploaded photographs to the Free Reference Photo gallery which is growing daily if you are in need of inspiration be sure to browse the album and by adding your own photographs you will help inspire new works of art by fellow members.

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COMPETITION

Our Photo
Your painting
In May we invited you to paint Steve Murphys photo (right) Early Morning on Worthing Beach here is a small selection illustrating artistic licence at its best. To enjoy even more click on the Competitions tab at www.saa.co.uk
The photograph reminded Alison Warne of many early morning beach walks on the east coast, so she added a pinky morning light using quite light washes, and wet in wet. Early Morning, watercolour, size unspecified

Mary Davies made two attempts at this painting as she wasnt very happy with the first, but wonders if we are ever happy with our own paintings? She feels that this one is an improvement, and was pleased with the sky and the vibrancy of the colours. Waiting for the Tide, mixed media 28 x 20cm

Linda Bestwick explains how she altered the composition slightly - I moved the boat closer to the nets and extended the nets to the edge of the picture. My eye kept being drawn to an empty space before the changes and I feel this is more easy and pleasing to view. I limited my colour palette to mainly blue and orange and used masking fluid to retain some highlights. I hope you can feel the chilly sea breeze! Low Tide, pen and ink 19 x 13.5cm

Peter Hayes-Watkins wanted to make the boat more of a focal point and therefore eliminated the rocks and nets to the left of the picture. I live by the sea and enjoy painting dramatic skies and wave-scapes which I have incorporated into my picture here. Pull Her up Further, mixed media 38 x 29cm

Your photo?

Thank you to Roger Blackwell for his photo Beach Huts at Southwold presenting your latest challenge.

How will you interpret this photo?

1 Share your painting 2 Tell us why and how 3 Please give it an original title Enter online to enable fellow members to enjoy your paintings. Visit www.saa.co.uk, log onto your account and click on the My Profile tab. Next click on my Competitions and follow the instructions. A larger version of this photo is also available under the main Competitions tab. You can enter by post to Head office or email [email protected] but your paintings can only be visible on the web when you have uploaded them yourself. Closing date 25th July.

Your photo?
If you have any photos you would like to share with fellow SAA members please upload them onto the Photograph Gallery at www.saa.co.uk. Each issue we will select one image for Paint.

Frances King loved the whirls of the nets, so painted her version of the scene on a moonlit night to cast white light on the upper nets, fishing rod and boat flags. Nets at Night, watercolour pencil 28 x 25cm

Richard Lee, who thinks boats are a great subject to paint, really liked the photo so didnt try to change the composition too much. The Boat, acrylics 35 x 46cm

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TUITION

Coloured Pencils at the Ready

Now you see it now you dont!
In his final article in this series Malcolm Cudmore illustrates how erasers are as important to him as his pencils
One of the great features of using coloured pencil is that I can adjust everything Im doing right up to the point of completing a picture. As well as adding layers to develop the work I can also reduce, soften and even completely remove marks that Im unhappy with or are too prominent. It is, perhaps, not so well known that regular pencil erasers work well with CP. If your surface is smooth, most marks can be removed or modified. However, the more textured the paper, the more the pigment is absorbed into the surface and the harder it is to remove. Pencil marks that have been dissolved with water or other solvents cannot be removed with erasers. There are many kinds of pencil eraser. I mostly use soft rubber ones. Experiment with a range of different types to see what works best with your particular pencils and paper. A regular eraser is a rather blunt instrument! It has to be moved about to be effective and it is impossible to be precise with it. However, the effects of a regular eraser can be controlled by cutting it to shape with a sharp blade or by using a mask made by cutting a hole (the shape of the area you want to remove) in a spare piece of paper and putting it over your drawing. Hold the mask in place (like a stencil) while using the eraser and it will save the edges you wish to protect whilst erasing the area within the hole. Several pencil manufacturers sell a thin metal plate about the size of a credit card which has a range of shapes and lines cut into it. This is a versatile, reusable mask and assists precision erasing. Another method of removing small marks is with a piece of clear self adhesive plastic (the kind used to cover exercise books). Carefully hold the plastic (adhesive side down) over the offending mark and use a slightly blunt pencil, empty ball point pen or embossing tool to press the adhesive onto the mark you wish to remove. This is a very effective method but there are dangers. Be careful unless you want to risk spoiling your hard work as pigment will be removed from anywhere the adhesive touches the paper. Long term UKCPS member, Syd Whitehead, has come up with an ingenious modification. He sticks a rectangle of sticky backed plastic over a slightly larger rectangle of plastic card from which a rectangular hole has been cut (something a little bigger than a plastic slide mount is perfect). The sticky surface can be moved into place over your work without causing damage. There is enough stretch in the sticky film so that, when you press down with a point, it will touch the paper exactly where you need to remove the mark. When too distorted or dirty, the self adhesive plastic can be replaced. Another very useful eraser is Blu-Tack (or similar product). Although too soft to remove heavy marks, it is very like a putty rubber and can be shaped to a point to soften precise areas or rolled over a larger area to reduce the density of colour or tone. My essential secret weapon is an electric eraser! I have several - from the expensive to the extremely cheap. When the switch is operated, the eraser spins round. With practice, the eraser can be used to remove very small marks. If the end of the cylinder of rubber is kept square, the edge can be used with precision to remove marks or clean areas that you want to keep white. Use the eraser to draw negatively into areas of tone. If the end of the eraser is shaped to a point against some sandpaper, it can be used to remove, soften or adjust the tiniest areas. I regularly use this technique to sharpen highlights or soften more subtle, reflected lights. I would be lost without it. NB - I keep a large, soft paintbrush handy to brush away the debris created by erasing. To reserve specific fine lines in your drawing use a metal embossing tool to indent the surface of the paper. Animal

The Bridge House, Ambleside - CP on Bristol Board, approx 25 x 35cm

Detail from The Bridge House, Ambleside an electric eraser was used to keep the white woodwork clean and lighten the upper edges of stones

Detail from The Bridge House, Ambleside - an electric eraser was used to draw the foliage into the background and Blu-Tack was used to indicate rocks beneath the surface of the water

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Detail from Moo-vergne an electric eraser was used to soften reflected lights under the cows muzzle, and to tighten up the barbed wire. Scratching was used to indicate whiskers and eyelashes Moo-vergne CP on prepared wooden panel, approx 61 x 91.5cm Close up demonstrating embossing with an embossing tool.

can use a white or light coloured non water-soluble pencil as a resist to protect edges or areas where you dont want the wash to stray. Erasers are as important to me as my pencils. I regularly use them to draw into background tone where I might want (for example) foliage in the foreground to enhance the feeling of depth in a picture. This is how the foreground grasses and barbed wire were done in Moo-vergne and the bare shrubbery in the foreground of The Bridge House, Ambleside. The backgrounds were rendered first and the foreground features were erased before redrawing them with slightly more saturated colour for clarity and definition. I do hope you will experiment with the techniques Ive described in this short series. In the next issue of Paint, Ill show how they can all be of practical value in a Try Your Hand challenge.

To find out more about the UK Coloured Pencil Society vitit www.ukcps.co.uk For further details of Malcolms work, exhibitions, courses or demonstrations, please go to www.malcolm-cudmore.com where you can subscribe to his free newsletter. Alternatively call him on 07912 793204.

artists use this to mark the position of whiskers or other precise highlights. Botanical artists use it to reserve hairs on plant stems or veins in leaves. The tip of your pencil will miss the surface of the paper in the narrow trough that youve made (just like a crayon skips over the surface of a brass rubbing). Work over an indented line carefully to prevent coloured dust falling into the trough. It is, however, easy to work right up to the line of indentation if you want to go darker in the background behind the whiskers. In my work on wooden panels, I use a scalpel blade to scratch into the CP covered surface to create highlights or other bright white marks. Youll need to be brave with this technique as it is not really possible to undo the scratches! With care, it is possible to use the same technique on heavy smooth papers. If using water-soluble pencils and creating washes with your pencils, you

Materials
See page 56 of your Annual Home Shop catalogue 2012 (issue 92) or visit the Home Shop at www.saa.co.uk for details of many of the tools Malcolm recommends here, including the Battery Eraser, Craft Knife, and the Essential Drawing Tools Set which contains embossing tools and a metal mask.

My armoury of erasing tools including electric erasers with shaped ends, metal eraser mask, plastic mount with stickybacked plastic, scalpel, odd shapes of regular eraser and 3 soft paintbrush for removing debris from work

An Awfully Big Adventure CP on prepared wooden panel, approx 36 x 41cm showing the value of scratching and softening with erasers for the realistic rendering of skin tones

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TUITION

An Impression of Summer
Susan Neale explains how to tackle trees in the height of their summer glory
Trees in summer leaf can be a daunting prospect to paint, as the sheer jumble of colour, light and movement can be confusing and it is tempting to go for a one size fits all tree colour. As the current Artist in Residence at The Arboretum Trust, Kew at Castle Howard, I am inspired by the unique and interesting variety of tree species that the collection contains within its 127 acres. The secret of successful painting in whatever medium you choose - is to simplify what you see by painting an impression of the scene in front you, rather than recording all the detail in a specific manner. This can be achieved by using creative brushstrokes and mark-making. The French Impressionists were ground breaking in simplifying what they saw, from Van Goghs vigorous and expressive brushstrokes to the tiny dots and optical mixing of Seurat. Here I will show you how to paint a selection of trees while capturing the filtered light of an evening sun. I chose to use a sponge for this process, to achieve the right mix of colours and texture, and prefer to use a natural sponge as it has a lightness of

Materials
Paper: Arches Aquarelle NOT 140lbs Brushes: Winsor & Newton Watercolour Sable Round no 7 Winsor & Newton Artists Watercolours: Ultramarine Cerulean Blue Lemon Yellow Cadmium Yellow Indigo Cadmium Orange Winsor Violet Winsor & Newton Cotman: Sap Green Also: A natural sponge White gouache Assorted soft pastels
roducts For all p isit please v atured, fe k aa.co.u www.s

application and doesnt get too soggy. Tube paints are a necessity for this exercise as you need the thicker bulk and consistency for the sponge to pick up and deliver onto the paper. I use Winsor & Newton Artists Watercolours, but this technique could easily be adapted to gouache or acrylics. Squeeze a little paint out and add a small amount of water to it, just enough to moisten the paint. Keep the sponge on the dry side, wiping off any excess moisture, then pick up a little paint and dab it onto your paper so you achieve small dots of paint.

Using a sponge this way is also great for painting blossom on trees, for hedgerows, herbaceous borders, autumn colour and pebbly seashores! After drawing a light sketch of the trees using an HB pencil, paint a wash of Ultramarine and Cerulean Blue for the sky, add a little more water to the wash to dilute and paint the sky colour to just go over the tops of the trees. When the sky is dry, mix together some Lemon Yellow and Cadmium Yellow and add a little water to the mix. The consistency should be slightly sticky. Apply to the trees using the sponge and leave a few gaps of the white paper to show through. Now mix a little Sap Green into the previous yellows. You are aiming for a lime green colour; remember to leave a little of the yellow to show through to suggest sunlight. The next stage is to add depth and summer richness to the trees, so this time stay with the Sap Green and add a little Indigo.

1 2 3 4

Tip: The wetter the sponge the bigger the marks you will make I generally work light to dark. However with an addition of white gouache you can add light touches to a darker area of paint. Soft pastels are also an effective way of re-introducing the light back into the picture with dots and dashes of colour. It is a good idea to practise first on a spare piece of paper to get the consistency of this sponge technique right.

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Trees

3 5
Tip: Colour mixing is about the correct amounts of each colour and the order of mixing Try and consider where the darker areas would be, often in the lower half of the tree and the side away from the light source. Using a small round paintbrush paint the trunk of the tree in Cadmium Orange and while it is damp use Winsor Violet for the shadow on the left. Use the violet to paint in some branches. The trees need a full tonal range - light, medium and dark - which is always applicable to any representational painting in whatever medium. At this stage I added a small foreground area with Sap Green, Cerulean Blue and the green and Indigo mix for the shaded area. The finished summer tree. If needed, add some white gouache to some Lemon Yellow and sponge that on in places if the paint seems a little heavy or dark. Tip: Use dots and dashes of soft pastel colours over the existing paint to increase the impression of light on leaves - pale greens and yellows would be a good choice. This technique is also good for the suggestion of rays of sunlight filtering through the leaves. Finally, experiment, have fun and enjoy your sponging!

For details of Susans work and teaching call 01347 823279, email [email protected] or visit www.thehayloftstudio.com The Arboretum Trust is hosting two masterclass workshops, in the summer and the autumn, where Susan will be showing how to paint the beautiful trees that grow there. For details call 01653 648598, email [email protected] or visit www.kewatch.co.uk

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Members Gallery

3 4

9 8

10 JULY: EVERY PICTURE

TELLS A TALE
1 Diana Riordan 'Wet, Windy & Wild' (Tiree) Pastels, 30 x 40cm 2 David McEwen Report Card Oils, 61 x 91cm 3 Louise Charles-Saarikoski A Lion's Tale Pencil/Charcoal, 21 x 28.5cm 4 Stephie Butler Street Life Watercolour, 34 x 52cm Special thanks to Steve Evans for the kind use of his photo

11
5 Derek Baker Bill and his New Baby Pen and ink, 29 x 42cm 6 Gill Bustamante Silver Mare Oils, 76 x 101cm 7 Elena Steers The Wedding Photo Pastels, 30 x 30cm 8 Alix Baker Mildred, What do You Mean "Go and Bother the Cake Stall"? Watercolour, 20 x 20cm 9 Maureen Crofts Blacksmith at Work Pencil/charcoal, 28 x 38cm

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10 Gavin Mundy Thames Rescue Acrylics, 30 x 41cm 11 Arwyn Quick Tea by the Sea (Scarborough) Acrylics, 31 x 41cm 12 Clare Wilde The Day we Met the Lovely Collie and Picked up Lots of Litter Acrylic Inks, Acrylics, 92 x 35cm 13 John Dale On Ward Oils, 61 x 61cm 14 Sue Bagshaw First Fishing Trip with Grandpa Acrylics, 51 x 51cm

15 Ali McNab When I Grow up I'm Going to be an Artist Oils, 50 x 50cm 16 Terence Rogers For Jim! Acrylics, 45 x 45cm 17 Mike Jeffries Push and Pull Oils, 66 x 51cm 18 Marlene Snee Bella Watercolour, 29 x 20cm 19 Diana Hudson Fetch Watercolour, 41 x 30cm 20 Maggie Riordan Sweet Slumber Acrylics, 58 x 48cm

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21 Michelle Howard Wild Horse Watercolour, Watercolour Pencil Size unspecified 22 Anthony Haughey Watchmaker Acrylics, 61 x 47cm 23 Marion Bailey Chain Reaction Mixed Media, 27 x 18cm 24 Susan Clarke Fishy on a Dishy Watercolour, 30 x 23cm 25 Tamas Szikszay Bright Future Acrylics, 120 x 90cm

HOW TO ENTER THEMES AND CLOSING DATES FOR MEMBERS GALLERY

As we are unable to showcase all the Gallery entries in Paint we have now made it possible for you to enjoy many more by visiting www.saa.co.uk under the Competitions tab. If you would like to showcase your entries alongside those of fellow SAA members please visit the website, sign in, click on the Competitions tab and follow the instructions for the relevant competition or gallery. Alternatively you can send good quality photographs or photocopies by post to Head Office marked Members Gallery stating title, medium, size (cm) plus your name and membership number. Note: Please ensure that any work you submit is your own; if you have used another artists painting, tuition or photograph as your inspiration please be sure to credit them accordingly.

September (7th July) Home Sweet Home November (8th September) Brave New World

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EXPERIENCES

Jubilant Art
Looking for ways to immortalise the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant last month, the BBC approached the SAA to help find artists to capture the excitement and spectacle of the day. Thirteen SAA members were chosen to take part, and spent Sunday 3rd June on the Millennium Bridge painting the largest fleet of ships ever assembled on the River Thames
The BBC had set up easels at the Tate Modern end of the bridge, and its camera crew and presenter, Anneka Rice, were waiting to film and interview the artists as they arrived during the morning. Robert Newcombe, from Buckinghamshire, admits he felt both excitement and apprehension. The conditions were challenging - a strong, cold wind, leaden skies and damp conditions but, from a painter's perspective, very atmospheric, he says. Half the painters were facing upstream towards Blackfriars Bridge whilst the other half, including me, were facing downstream towards Southwark Bridge. As a watercolourist, the delights and drawbacks of en plein air painting rapidly became apparent. We had an artists dream view of this historic spectacle but the wind often blew easels over, hands became clumsily cold holding the brushes and the damp conditions meant watercolour washes took an inordinate time to dry. I realised that capturing the moving panorama of boats would be impossible so I photographed the parts of the Pageant I wanted to include later in my paintings. In spite of the weather it was the most memorable en plein air painting experience of my life.

David Pilgrim painting the Pageant in the rain and his finished painting above

Despite the challenging weather conditions Robert Newcombe enjoyed capturing the atmosphere of the Pageant

David Pilgrim, also from Buckinghamshire, felt privileged to be invited to paint the Pageant. As a keen plein air painter this was an opportunity not to be missed, and I'm extremely grateful to the SAA for helping me get involved, he says. The first of my paintings was done facing east from the Millennium Bridge, before the boats arrived. I thought I'd try and make something of the gathering crowds and use the structure of the pier as a compositional framework. I used the notes of colour from the crowds to enliven the scene which would have been predominantly grey without them. The high visibility jackets of the event stewards were particularly useful! Painting the boats themselves wasn't easy as they moved quickly and once one type had passed through they were replaced by another so it was important to try and observe as much as you could. I ended up mixing in a few boats from each section. It was a case of simultaneously working directly and from memory. The SAAs Artist of the Year, Haidee-Jo Summers, was painting beside David on the bridge. There were artists using oils, acrylics, watercolours, pen and ink and gouache, she says. The atmosphere was fantastic. I did a practise painting of the bridge before the boats reached us and had to work fast as the drizzle turned to rain. Later the wind got stronger so I had to hold my umbrella the whole time I was painting, doing

only a couple of brushstrokes at a time. Like Davids, Haidee-Jos painting is a medley of boats from the different sections of the Pageant. I have the Gloriana, some rowing boats, the Royal Barge, a lifeboat, a narrowboat, a gondola and anything else that caught my eye! she explains. By that time the rain was coming in sideways, my palette was getting wetter and the water was swirling round my feet. I'm going to leave the two paintings I did on the bridge

Haidee-Jo Summers was glad she had an umbrella

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James Milroy practising painting the flotilla

Crowds lining the banks of the Thames near the Millennium Bridge

Haidee-Jo Summers is working on a studio painting based on the two paintings she managed to do on the day

exactly as they are and am working on a studio painting based on them both. Mary Smith, who came down from Derbyshire for the weekend, was particularly proud to be painting alongside fellow SAA members. I enjoyed the experience as we were all going through the same thing together, she says. I was keen to portray her Majestys Diamond Jubilee in a warm glowing light using the reds and gold on the Royal boats - even if the weather was not the best. It was a huge challenge to complete a finished picture because my lovely Atelier acrylics, which under normal situations are a joy to work with, couldnt form any adhesion to the surface in the rain. In some respects Stroud artist James Milroy

had an advantage over the others taking part, because he often works in public and is well known for his busy crowd scenes; last year he painted people waving flags for the Royal Wedding. For several weeks I had been practising drawing boats of all kinds, including some I knew would be taking part in the flotilla, he says. I also trained myself to paint even faster than usual so that Id have the stamina and energy to concentrate on the task for the whole day. We had a fantastic time on the bridge but it was an ordeal too. We didn't see any boats until 4pm, then when they came the heavens opened and everything we painted got washed away. But I've got a sketchbook filled with boats so may do some paintings from it at a later date. Ali Cockrean could also have done with Haidees big umbrella. She had painted as much as she could before the arrival of the boats, but stopped work to take in the breath-taking sight as the flotilla started coming into sight. Like millions of people along the banks of the Thames I waved and cheered! she says. But I hadnt noticed how heavy the rain was until I returned to my easel. There were rivulets of water creating their own tiny destructive course through the paint. I saw the images blur and simply wash away.

Amazingly, the rain didnt dampen Alis spirits. As an expressionist artist, I prefer to work from memories and the rain couldnt wash away the images in my head, she says. But suddenly Anneka Rice was at my side: What happened here? she said. Live on BBC1, in front of millions of viewers, I revealed my lost work. Was I worried? No, I thoroughly enjoyed myself, every single wet and windy second of it, and felt honoured to have been part of such a unique and historic occasion.

The rain didnt dampen Ali Cockreans spirits

More information about these talented SAA artists can be found on their websites: www.robertnewcombeartist.com www.davidpilgrimart.co.uk www.haideejo.blogspot.com www.alicockrean.co.uk www.jamesmilroy.co.uk www.mary-smith.co.uk
Mary Smith enjoyed painting alongside fellow SAA members

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TUITION

Skies, Light and Atmosphere

capture the mood and enhance your landscapes
David Bellamy illustrates how, with just a little forethought and knowledge, you can turn your skies into absolute gems
Spending time studying skies can enhance your landscapes immeasurably. Skies can affect the mood of a landscape painting and greatly influence the light, yet many artists barely give them much consideration. In this article my aim is to show you a range of skies with the techniques used to create them, and also show how to consider the composition of the sky and the way it should relate to the landscape. Occasionally I come across a sky that fits in well with the scene I am sketching or painting, but most of the time I need to introduce a completely different type of sky to get the most out of the composition in terms of mood, logic and compositional considerations. Photographs of a scene can often be devoid of sky detail simply because the exposure system cannot cope with the brightness, and this is where experience plus a wide selection of sky reference material is vital to success. Ask yourself what sort of mood do you wish to create that would work with the composition. Do you want a cool, warm or neutral sky? What time of day might work best? Next, you need to consider actual colours to use, and whether to work on wet or dry paper. With just a little forethought and knowledge you can turn your skies into absolute gems, and as with so much to do with painting, it is often the simplest approach that gives the most impact.
Creating white clouds. These clouds were created simply by working round them to leave the white paper untouched. To suggest a more ragged edge with a windswept look I used rough paper.

moments and then pull out light clouds by pressing a tissue into the wash where you want the cloud to appear. Press hard at the top of the cloud where you will need the sharpest edge but try not to have the edge of the cloud sharp all the way round: fading it out at the bottom will make it look more natural. Wispy clouds can be achieved in a similar way, only using a damp brush instead of tissue. You may need to repeat the stroke once or twice, depending on how wet the wash is when you pull out the light wisp of cloud. The negative painting method is excellent for creating cumulus and other forms of white cloud against a darker sky, and I often prefer a rough surface texture for this technique as it helps to create ragged edges to the cloud, especially if I want to suggest a windy day, for instance. Make sure you have a generous amount of liquid paint mixed

up on your palette before you start applying the sky wash. You can paint this onto a wet or dry surface. A wet one will give you soft-edged clouds, but in this case test it on the side first to ensure it is not too wet and thereby not giving your cloud edges much definition. If this should happen let it dry and later re-wet the area where you need a sharper definition, and try applying the paint again.

Sky composition
Your skies will always benefit from some planning beforehand in how they will appear. In most landscapes the sky should enhance the land features without trying to dominate, and help to highlight the centre of interest, especially in those features that jut up into the sky, such as mountains, crags, castles, trees and so on. Positioning of large cloud masses, the brightest part of the sky, or the most colourful, can
Silver linings. Begin with the upper part of the sky and make sure it is dark enough to highlight the tops of the clouds, working round the cloud shapes. Then it is easier to apply the cloud wash stopping just short of the cloud edge. Soften this secondary edge with a damp brush.

Various types of cloud

You can improve and vary your skies considerably with your approach to painting clouds. Small or thin, streaky clouds can be used to break up large expanses of sky, wispy cirrus clouds can be bent to direct the eye towards a focal point on the ground below, and dense stratus can be useful where you want to throw the attention elsewhere onto a land feature. Cumulus clouds come in such a variety of shapes and sizes that they can be made to range from dark, threatening masses to light, airy white puffs scudding across a blue sky. One of the simplest ways of introducing light clouds is to paint an overall sky with a medium or dark tone, leave it for a few

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Sunset, Newport Bay. First a weakish wash of Alizarin Crimson was laid over the sky and when this had dried I overlaid stronger colour, but creating a streaky effect by avoiding the linear gap above the gamboges. The soft-edged clouds were rendered with French Ultramarine and Alizarin Crimson, into the still-damp wash.

greatly affect the overall composition of the painting. As with the land elements, it often pays to do little thumbnail sketches to ascertain where is the optimum position for the main clouds and light, and do this in conjunction with the ground features. When you see an interesting sky make a rapid sketch: you need to work fast as clouds dont stay in the same position for long. For this I find watercolour pencils can be extremely effective.

Sunsets
Sunsets can make exciting paintings but may appear garish if too many bright reds and yellows are included. Often they are best painted in two or three stages, normally allowing each stage to dry before going on to the next. You need to fix clearly in your mind the exact point of where the sun will be, whether you are including it or not. Establishing this helps you to determine if any silver lining will appear at the top or the bottom of a cloud, for example, or when

rays of sunshine are emanating from a particular point. Note that distant objects on or near the horizon are usually starting to get lost in strong atmosphere, while closer objects may stand out strongly as silhouettes. In really strong atmospheric conditions the horizon may disappear completely and sky will gradually merge into land. One of the dangers of working from photographs of sunsets is that all the non-sky features may simply appear as black silhouettes, whereas when you are on the spot you can usually see some colour, form and detail in those features, if only vaguely.

Shafts of sunlight. These were created by drawing a soft damp sponge diagonally down the watercolour, applying more pressure in the centre of the shaft. Note how background ridges can appear vaguely through the beams of light. The trees and foreground rock were painted later when the paper was dry.

Shafts of sunlight
A dramatic way of highlighting a centre of interest is with a shaft of sunlight. This effect can be achieved in a number of ways, but here Ill just cover what I consider the most effective method. This involves laying a dark or medium-dark wash across the area where the shafts of light will appear. Once this has dried

completely, take two strips of thin card and lay them along the line of where the shaft of light will appear, one on either side, revealing the area where the centre of the shaft will be created. With a soft sponge and clean water draw the sponge down between the two strips of card as many times as are needed to create the shaft, then dab with a tissue to remove excess water. Next, reposition the card strips at the same angle but slightly further out from the centre-line of the shaft, and sponge again gently. The idea is to create soft edges to the shafts, so one gentle stroke might be sufficient to achieve this, otherwise continue until the required result is achieved. By putting a little planning into your skies you will find this will give your landscapes a much greater buzz, and sense of life.

Beaulieu Estuary. This is a two-stage sky where the orange and yellow colours were applied first and allowed to completely dry. The paper was then wet all over and then a mixture of Cadmium Red and French Ultramarine laid across the top to drift down with the board at a shallow angle.

Turn to page 16 of this issue for a review of Davids new book David Bellamys Skies, Light & Atmosphere by Henry Malt, more details of which can be found on page 3 of your Home Shop catalogue 94 or visit www.saa.co.uk 8.99 for members (9.99 non members) stock code: DBSLAB To see more work by David visit www.davidbellamy.co.uk and for free painting tips see his blog http://davidbellamyart.blogspot.com

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COLOUR

My Favourite Colour

Emerald Green
Every artist has a favourite colour a shade they use all the time, and which features strongly in their work. Here Sue Deighton explains why she could not be without Emerald Green
I paint a range of subjects and use a wide range of colours, selecting four or five to suit the chosen subject. I love bright colours and lately I have been exploring birds as a subject matter, especially parrots which are gloriously coloured. Like many experienced painters I select the three primary colours - Permanent Rose, Aureolin or Cadmium Yellow and Cobalt Blue - and add a strong green to the threesome. This is either Phthalo green, Viridian green or, more recently, Emerald Green. Emerald Green has fallen out of use, which could be because it originally contained the chemical element arsenic which is violently poisonous. It was sold under the name of Veronese Green and sometimes called French Green. Fortunately we have modern pigments so it is around again for us to use in all mediums. I have loved this colour ever since I can remember: I was born a redhead and I always looked good in emerald green, plus my dad was Irish, and my first car, a Mini, was emerald! It is a sharp grass green colour, and I first saw it in the paintings of Paul Cezanne. Then I looked at the work of Pissarro, Cezannes mentor, and there it was again - used in touches to give life to landscapes and treescapes. Most artists, galleries and art lovers shudder at the mere thought of this green: it is tricky to paint with because it looks unnatural and can be too powerful. I also find there is a snobby aversion to it visually, or there was until David Hockney launched his exhibition at the Royal Academy this year. This Yorkshire Artist has glorified Emerald Green in his landscapes of my homeland around East Yorkshire, so who knows - maybe this lovely colour will have a revival in popularity?

Sinbad Sinbad is a Born Free rescued lion now living in Shamwari Game Reserve in South Africa. This painting was done as a demonstration to an art society from a sketch in my sketchbook, and he shows his tongue because his teeth were removed when he was a cub. In my sketch he was sitting in grass, the reds and golds being complemented by the greens of the grass. The prominent brush strokes follow through from the lion colours to the greens. The neat Emerald Green can be seen in the foreground, in other areas it is mixed with the lion yellows and white. At the top left and bottom right Phthalo Blue is added to the green and this bluer green complements the yellows.

Meet me Sue Deighton will at be appearing at Its all about Art in Manchester on July 27th and Manches te 28th where she r will be running drawing workshops.

Parrots Inspired by a postcard bought in Tenerife, this painting was also a demonstration piece. However the original painting was too dark and complicated, so I simplified the background by lightening the sky which picked up the branch colours. Red and green are my favourite complementary colours, and these parrots are a perfect example of complementary colours in nature. The violet branch shadow complements the yellow in the sky and lessens the harshness of the greens visually. The Emerald Green here has been lightened with yellow and a little white, while the dark greens have had Burnt Umber added. Dont be scared off by strong colours; have a colour mixing session like the one Ive done above For these two paintings I have used Atelier Interactive Acrylic paint on paper, the Emerald Green featured was an old tube of Liquitex Light Emerald Green used along with the Atelier Acrylic paint.

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NEW FOR YOU

New For You

EDITOR RECOMMENDS Looking through the latest Home Shop catalogue these new Learn to Paint kits jumped out at me as the perfect solution for a rainy day

Daniel Smith Learn to Paint Activity Kits

With the English summer living up to its annual reputation these neat little packs are the perfect way to while away the soggy wet days at the same time as brushing up on your paintings skills. They come complete with everything you need to produce four paintings complete with simple-tofollow instructions on the included DVD. They are available in spring, country, garden or floral varieties and each kit contains four easy-to-trace line art images, a sheet of graphite paper to help you transfer the image, 12 Try-it Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolours (enough to complete each painting), four sheets of 5 x 7 watercolour paper, a watercolour brush and even a plastic watercolour palette. If you have children or grandchildren coming to stay, or any restless visitors for that matter, these kits could solve all your problems. Pop the DVD on to play, and leave them to it the only thing you need to provide is water! Each exercise takes about half an hour to complete. They really do make a brilliant gift for children or adults and if you want to be able to get on with your own painting this summer they offer the ideal way to get your visitors hooked too. When you run out of the paint swatches provided, you can either experiment with your own colours, or stock up on your favourites in the Daniel Smith Range from www.saa.co.uk. At just under 9 per kit for members, these make a very affordable gift for friends and family and the perfect way to introduce them to your favourite pastime. For more information visit www.saa.co.uk or see page 13 of your Home Shop catalogue, issue 94.

C o m pet it io n
For your chance to win one of 10 sets we are giving away simply solve the following anagrams:

Salary mil Rare beg

Grad limo Sore Tor

A Daniel Smit h Learn to Pain t Activity Kit

10 TO BE WON

WIN

Clue: something to paint

Please send your answers by email to [email protected] or by post to Head Office, along with your name, postcode and membership number marked Paint Activity Kits closing date 28th July.

I invited my nine year old daughter to paint the crocus she enjoyed every minute of it. It is worth watching the instructions at the beginning of the DVD before you get started as they explain how to use the paint swatches properly and offer some helpful tips for using the graphite paper.

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PROFESSIONALLY SPEAKING

The Professionally Speaking pages are aimed primarily at our PAs, Professional Associates. However, we are sure they will be of interest to all SAA members, with articles by and about PAs, looking at all aspects of their work. As always we welcome your feedback. Do get in touch if theres an issue youd like to see discussed or if you have any experiences relating to becoming a professional artist. Email [email protected] or write to us at Head Office

Drawn to Greece
For the last five years former Royal Worcester ceramic painter Chris Hughes has spent his summers in Greece, running painting holidays. He admits that its not a bad way to earn a living
My wife Jane and I spend six months each year on the beautiful Northern Sporades island of Alonisoss, in a house we had built on an ancient olive grove. We both work: I teach watercolour painting, Jane organises websites, books lessons and looks after Carob Tree House, its garden and the apartment we also rent. Its certainly not all work and no play. We rise early to beat the heat and, like most Greeks, siesta in the afternoon. Early evenings are often spent swimming, walking or just gazing at the deep blue of the Aegean. The heat and rocky, undulating terrain dictate life moves at a different pace here, with GMT or Greek Maybe Time a consequence of this. Because the journey to the island involves flying and then ferries, it is normally the more adventurous tourists who arrive. I first taught on this island over 25 years ago. The students have always been of varying abilities and come from all walks of life in 1985, two of my

Surrey ladies, both intrepid octogenarians, used walking frames for their daily swim. With our two very young children fast asleep, we spent evenings over wine and ouzo and heard life stories that literally made us gasp. Harry from Bolton had flown more than 50 missions over Dresden as a bombardier; he had lost all his mates and recently his best friend his wife. This guy was remarkable, hed never painted before, was totally accident prone and forever getting lost; but with his soft spoken charm and humility he was unforgettable. Since this years classes started in early May the rollercoaster ride of meeting, teaching and getting to know total strangers has been as various as ever. Two doctors, a chemist, a psychiatrist, a government technology advisor, an Irish social worker and a six foot Russian blonde to name but a few. Natalia was a 30year-old ex-model and high jumper. She had individual watercolour lessons for two weeks, whilst her wealthy Muscovite husband studied homeopathy and yoga. Finding a great Internet translation site I managed to write various key phrases in Russian for the painting tuition, but her English was actually pretty good. Being such

a small island, word soon spread about the beautiful blonde and Panniyiotis the electrician confronted me in Dimitris Ouzouri: "Why you not call me to fix your fuses?" he asked with an envious smile; I told Andreas our plumber she had booked more lessons for next year: The leak in your sink I will fix then, was his mischievous reply. The longer we spend here, the more we become enchanted by the Greeks. They are incredibly loyal, take friendship seriously, take kindness for granted and are happy to be helped even by the Germans and the European Union. From Carob Tree House we are surrounded on all sides by pine forest, as we gaze at the incredibly blue sea and the deserted islands of Skantura and Peristera, with Skyros on the horizon. Young rare Elenora falcons flit around, observed by a large pair of buzzards. We pinch ourselves each morning to make sure we are not dreaming and then wrestle for the binoculars as dolphins begin jumping near the rocks below. Whether I am working in oils, on porcelain or in watercolour my painting technique centres around my drawing style. I advocate developing a sketchy, soft pencil line, sometimes broken with a rubber. A little shading in definite strong areas; softer lines in the distance, heavier in the foreground. All this helps my students to be bolder, more confident and decisive when applying the watercolour, which is essential in the ultra-fast drying of the Greek sun! When we return to our Worcestershire home in October, it will be commissions, porcelain painting, demonstrating and teaching up until May, and then its back to Alonissos again. It's tough.... but someone has to do it. For further details on Christopher Hughes' painting holidays, visit www.paintingalonissos.com or email [email protected]

Chris Hughes

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The Art List

A prolific and talented relative newcomer to the art world, Julie Cross has raised thousands of pounds for charity and set up her own charity art website

I started painting nearly six years ago as a result of a wonderful 40th birthday present from my mum of a watercolour painting course! I was smitten, and then greatly encouraged by winning the SAAs June Atherton Award for Best Beginner in the 2007 Artist of the Year competition. My enjoyment of painting and longing to learn more about art just burgeoned from then on. I have always loved animals, so it naturally followed that many of my paintings featured wildlife, and another great catalyst for my art career was being a finalist in the David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year competition for four years, starting in 2008. The David Shepherd Wildlife Fund raises funds to protect endangered wildlife in Africa and Asia, and I was delighted that, not only was my work hanging in the Mall Galleries in London, but that it sold and benefitted the charity. I also had two watercolours exhibited and sold at the Mall Galleries later in 2008, as part of Sue Ryder Cares Art Liberating Lives exhibition. Those London sales started me thinking about how I could tie in my new love of painting, and unexpected early success, with raising money for charity. In 2009 I held my first solo exhibition in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support at the local town hall. It was a steep learning curve but the exhibition was a great success, with 33 paintings sold, raising 4,000 for the charity in just one day. I was so pleased that not only did people like my work enough to want to part with hard-earned cash work that I had great pleasure in creating but the money raised went to such a good cause. It was an all-round win-win situation. Macmillan Cancer Support were obviously delighted with the money, and I was subsequently asked to supply art to be auctioned for the charity. This had the added benefit of increasing exposure to my works, and I enjoyed painting local scenes that I might not have otherwise been prompted to paint, thinking that they may appeal to buyers at the local charity auctions. People started to ask about my next exhibition, so this time we planned for a larger solo exhibition at a private gallery which would last the whole weekend. My Macmillan co-ordinator, Clara White, couldnt have been more helpful

and helped to publicize the event. As 2011 was the 100th anniversary of Macmillan Cancer Support, the tag line for the exhibition was Help Us Hit the Hundred. The aim was to sell 100 art works over the weekend, to celebrate the 100th anniversary, and I had a selection of framed originals all priced at 100 or less to help us hit the target. I was even interviewed on local radio much to my horror! We didnt hit the hundred but were delighted to sell 56 paintings over the weekend, raising 10,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support. We even raised 1,000 with the raffle at the private view, thanks to the sterling efforts of some rather determined friends! As my husband and I were adding up the totals and sorting out the post-exhibition catalogue, we had the idea of creating The Art List, via my website, as a way of continuing to raise money for charity between exhibitions. The idea was that Id sell some of my paintings on this with people paying through JustGiving pages. Although the Art List is still in its infancy, it is slowly accruing sales. It really came into its own at Christmas; as a result of my exhibition last October, I had numerous requests for paintings and prints probably for last minute Christmas presents and it was great that people could donate straight away on JustGiving over the Christmas holidays, rather than send me a cheque which then had to be sent on to the relevant charity. I am convinced that the reason so many works have sold is because of the charity angle. Cancer touches most of our lives, and at my exhibition so many people told me their personal tales and I saw more than one person trying to stuff a 20 note into a collection box! A lady who

commissioned a painting from me also bought another from The Art List and was delighted that all the money was going to the cancer charities. Just as I feel a buzz being able to raise money from something I enjoy doing so much, people are delighted that when they pay for an art work all the money goes to a good cause. Ive now sold 89 paintings at my two solo exhibitions, with all proceeds going to Macmillan, raising a total of 14,000. I plan to keep updating The Art List and add work which I think has general appeal, as and when it is created. I dont paint specifically for The Art List, but I have started to produce fine art gicle prints to sell on it, which I hope will prove popular. I also continue to raise funds for charities further afield, especially animal charities like those which started me on my road to fundraising. I am now the Exhibitions Trustee of the Association of Animal Artists (www.associationofanimalartists.com), and we donate a proportion of our exhibition sales to charities. I dont plan to have another solo exhibition until 2013, but with this and The Art List, I think I will be busy enough with my paint brushes, and I wouldnt have it any other way. To see the work on The Art List visit www.juliecross.co.uk Julies main JustGiving charity page is at http://www.justgiving.com/TheArtList-Macmillans

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PROFESSIONALLY SPEAKING

In the Picture
Vic Bearcroft
In this issue we step into the studio of artist Vic Bearcroft as he talks about his artistic journey
Back in the time when I had a proper job, a work colleague once told me that if I were to paint for a living, I wouldnt enjoy it any more. Others have often commented that my life must be so easy, as all I do is sit around drawing and painting. I can quite categorically say that neither of these observations is true. I suppose my interest in drawing and painting animals stemmed from my early role as a crocodile hunter in Kenya, where my dad was serving in the RAF. Although my art might have improved over the years, my dress sense probably hasnt. My influences from being a youngster until now have been many and varied, from art to literature and films. David Shepherd was a great influence in my early attempts at wildlife painting - my parents had his Wise Old Elephant print over the mantelpiece - and remains so today for his conservation work; Im proud to have been twice selected as a finalist for the David Shepherd Foundations Wildlife Artist of the Year, selling work to raise funds for the Foundation. Images of Africa have never been far from my mind, and I grew up reading stories like King Solomons Mines, Tarzan, Heart of Darkness and Wilbur Smiths African adventure novels; plus there was never a shortage of 1950s movies about Africa on Saturday afternoon TV to fire my imagination. After delving into the world of Rudyard Kipling with The Jungle Book and Just So Stories, I developed a passion for Asian big cats tigers and leopards, especially the black leopard, which I painted recently in acrylics, giving it the title of one of my favourite classic novels, Heart of Darkness. Im not an organised artist far from it I have a shambolic mind that flits from one thing to another quite easily; which does give me the advantage of being able to work on several paintings at the same time, which was essential when I was writing my forthcoming book, Drawing and Painting Wild Animals, and illustrating it in various media. My studio, which used to be a dining room many years ago, is, like my mind, very cluttered.
The intrepid crocodile hunter in Kenya Vic painting

The most organised my materials get is to be thrown into boxes, which are usually differentiated between pastels, acrylics, oils and watercolours - but not always! However, I seem to know where things are when I need them. We have many rescued animals, but our black cat Marley is the only one interested in art, and he can often be found with his curious cat nose in some paint box or other, or trying to out-roar any big cats I might be painting. After painting dog and cat portraits for many years, I decided about 10 years ago to concentrate more on wildlife art, and was amazed to be voted Best in Show by the public at my first wildlife art exhibition. My artwork has since won awards at other exhibitions, and, as I write this, my pastel painting Makaku, a western lowland gorilla, has been selected as a finalist in the BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year 2012. A significant part of my work as a wildlife artist involves conservation for the animals that I paint. This began with a visit to a wolf sanctuary in California, whilst on holiday, where my partner, Liz, and I were able to get some great photographs of the wolves there. Every year after that we attended the California Wolf Centres annual fundraising event, taking prints to auction, on one occasion raising $3000 for

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two limited edition prints! Then we found the UK Wolf Conservation Trust in Berkshire, and decided it would be a great place to hold wolf painting workshops where people could meet and walk with wolves, paint them and raise money to help keep wolves wild in Europe. I managed to bond with one of the wolves Torak so much so that every time we meet he greets me with a big sloppy kiss, even though he is now as tall as me! This has also led me to run workshops at the Wildlife Heritage Foundation a big cat sanctuary in Kent which has breeding programmes for endangered cats like the Sumatran tiger and Amur leopard. In addition, my artwork is now used to raise funds for smaller dog and cat charities in the UK, which, for me, is a very important and satisfying aspect of my work. Teaching and demonstrating has always been a great way of meeting like-minded artists, and I get a real buzz out of inspiring others to get involved in wildlife art and to take an interest in the plight of these beautiful animals. Thanks to the SAA, I am now able to reach a much wider audience, which means more people getting interested in animal painting in general, and pastel painting in particular, and I have met many wonderful people and made some good friends along the way. Both myself and Liz, who has recently published her first novel, find it impossible to sit still and let the world go by, and we are constantly looking for new ideas for paintings and exciting projects to work on. Perhaps one day well join forces and create something with her writing and my illustrations. Watch this space!

Vic and Torak

Marley 'roaring'

Meet me at
Vic is appearing at Its all about Art in Manchester on July 27th and 28th and is Bristol & running a series of wildlife Manches ter workshops in the autumn. For more information call 01636 651699, email [email protected] or visit www.vicbearcroft.co.uk See page 5 of your Home Shop catalogue 94 for news of Vics brand new DVD Painting a Puppy and Kitten in Pastel. 15.60 for members (18.37 non members). Stock code: VBPKPD

Makaku

Vic at the Wildlife Heritage Foundation

July 2012 PAINT

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PAINTING HOLIDAYS

Of Course You Can!

Jo Hitchens won a painting break with Art Holidays in Dorset at Boscombe Spa Hotel, in the January 2011 issue of Paint. Here she explains how she enjoyed her first ever painting holiday
I just couldn't stop giggling. I had just received a call from the SAA saying I had won a painting holiday with Art Holidays in Dorset. I came back down to earth that night when I found a note from my nine year old daughter saying she didnt want me to go. Uh-oh....could I really do this? Yes, and about time too! said friends and family. As the first holiday without the kids since my eldest arrived 13 years ago, they had a point! But then the nerves began what if everyone else was better than me? What if I came back with a handful of disappointing scribblings? I talked to Christine at Boscombe Spa who patiently listened and encouraged and I extended the stay from two to three nights to make the substantial journey more worthwhile.

Now how to choose the right tutor and course? Having seen a book by Anne Blockley, I wanted to do something experimental and Flowers in a Surprising Way with Frances Shearing seemed to fit the bill. Date set, train tickets booked - no getting out of it now! Full of nerves, trepidation and excitement I set off. After being met at the station I was introduced to the others - some newbies like me, others more seasoned art-holiday makers. We quickly gelled and felt comfortable with each other. During our stay Fran demonstrated different techniques before encouraging us to try them ourselves. She started off with a splatter picture which, using a mixture of positive and negative painting, she transformed into flowers. We were encouraged to familiarise ourselves with the shapes of various flowers and become more confident in drawing them (this was the basis of all our work, using photos, fresh and dried flowers). Over the next two days Fran demonstrated everything from drawing in ink using pens, kebab sticks and sharpened coffee sticks to creating and using stencils for acrylics and watercolours. Inspired, we continued working well after Fran left someone commented she'd never been on

a course where people were so motivated to work. We learnt how to use cling film during the drying process, and how gum arabic can lift colour. On our last day Fran demonstrated the use of masking fluid combined with leaves and clingfilm. She also advised and encouraged us on our unfinished pieces before realising it was past noon and we needed to finish packing! A final delicious lunch and a ride to the station finished my break. I've learnt so much and had huge fun experimenting with new techniques. I've been encouraged to think outside the box, and, amongst great company, have developed and gained confidence in my abilities. Christine and John provided everything I could wish for from a very warm welcome to fantastic food, a large comfortable room and a lovely warm, well lit and equipped studio. Fran proved herself a patient, encouraging and inspiring tutor I could have stayed much, much longer! Thank you Christine, John and Fran at Art Holidays in Dorset and thank you SAA.

To find out more about painting breaks at The Studio, Boscombe Spa Hotel, near Bournmouth, visit www.boscombespahotel.co.uk or telephone Christine or John on 01202 393234.

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Painting in Cornwall
Your chance to win a five night painting holiday worth 925 on Cornwalls beautiful Lizard Peninsula at the Mullion Cove Hotel
One lucky SAA member will be invited to choose a break with either landscape artist ray Balkwill (RWA) 7th 12th October, or with watercolourist Louise Bougourd (SAA PA) from 14th 19th October
Each course comprises five nights dinner, bed and breakfast and four full days of painting. Tuition will be personal and handson with students helped to progress in their chosen medium. The course will also include demonstrations, talks and critiques. These are practical painting courses in which students will be encouraged to sketch and paint on location as much as possible. Set in a stunning position on the coast, the Mullion Cove Hotel offers a treasure trove of locations nearby including Mullion Cove, Cadgwith, Kynance Cove, Porthleven and the creeks around the Helford Estuary. Courses start on the Sunday evening with a welcome drinks reception and students depart after breakfast on the Friday. Students will need to bring their own painting materials.

Whats so special about Mullion Cove Art Courses?

Small groups means plenty of one on one time with the artist. Spectacular painting locations - Cornwall is well known for its scenery and the Lizard is home to some of the countys most beautiful sandy coves, quintessential fishing villages and dramatic seascapes. A warm, welcoming and comfortable place in which to relax at the end of each day. The Grose family, fifth generation hoteliers, really know how to look after their guests and the hotel is blessed with producers and fishermen on its doorstep who provide the chefs with the raw ingredients for the beautiful daily changing seasonal menu. To find out more about Mullion Cove Hotel and the painting courses on offer this autumn visit www.mullion-cove.co.uk or telephone 01326 240328

Louise Bougourd watercolour painting holiday: 14 19 October

Cornwall has a special place in Louises affections as her family spent many happy holidays there in her childhood. She draws inspiration from the dramatic scenes on offer and strives to capture the essence of each scene with vibrant use of watercolour. Louises lively style of teaching is infectious as she captures the excitement and vibrancy of the scene. To find out more visit www.louisebougourd.com or visit her SAA web pages at www.saa.co.uk/art/artist/132098.html

Ray Balkwill landscape painting holiday: 7 12 October

Ray Balkwill, RWA is a well-known West Country artist who paints marine subjects and landscapes in watercolours, pastels and oils. He is a popular teacher and has been running painting courses for over seventeen years. He is a member of the St Ives Society of Artists and a strong advocate of painting en plein air and his main objective is to try and capture the mood and spirit of a place. To find out more about Ray visit his website www.raybalkwill.co.uk

C o m pet it io n
Dont miss your chance to win this fantastic painting holiday
How well do you know Cornwall can you find the ten popular towns and villages concealed in this word search?

a five night painting holiday worth

WIN

925

How to enter?
Send your list of the ten names along with your name, membership number and postcode, marked Cornish Treats to [email protected] or to Head Office, SAA, PO Box 50, Newark, Notts, NG23 5GY. Closing date 30th July. The winner will be invited to share their experiences with fellow SAA members in a future issue of Paint.

July 2012 PAINT

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DIARY DATES

Exhibitions and Dates for Diaries

BERKSHIRE: Jul 21st-Aug 4th. Wokingham Art Society 57th Annual Summer Exhibition, St Pauls Parish Rooms, Reading Road, Wokingham, RH41 1EH. Open daily 10am-5.30pm, late nights Thurs til 8pm. Admission free, disabled access, car parking and refreshments available. Contact: 0118 9731556 www.wokinghamartsociety.org.uk Aug 14th-26th. Cookham Arts Club 71st Annual Exhibition, Pinder Hall, Cookham Rise. Open daily 10am-6pm, closing at 5pm on final day. BUCKINGHAMSHIRE: Aug 1st-30th. Newtons Tulips in the Garden. A solo exhibition by Angela Stanbridge at the Three Hares Gallery, Cowper & Newton Museum, Olney, MK46 4AJ. Open Tuesdays - Saturdays 10.30am4.30pm. (Closed Sundays & Mondays). CAMBRIDGESHIRE: Aug 3rd -5th. Huntingdonshire Art Group Summer Exhibition, Queen Elizabeth School, Post Street, Godmanchester, PE27 2NB. Open 10am-5pm daily. Free admission. Visit: www.huntsartgroup.org CORNWALL: Jul 6th-8th. Exhibition by Matt Thomas PA. Sembal House, St Austell. Open 10am-4.30pm. Free entry. Multi media artist. Jul 21st-Sep 22nd. Camel Art Society Summer Exhibition, Church Hall, Port Isaac. 10am-5pm daily, entry is free. Jul 30th-Aug 11th. Padstow Art Group Exhibition, Padstow Church, Church Street. 10am-5pm daily, free entry, donations to church funds. Aug 5th-11th. Portreath Art Club Annual Exhibition, Millennium Hall, Penberthy Road, Portreath, Nr Redruth TR16 4LR. Open 11am-8pm daily, free admission, wheelchair access. Contact: Ann 01209 717358. Aug 18th-27th. Lerryn Art Group Annual Exhibition, Drill Hall on the Riverbank at Lerryn. Free parking nearby and free entry. Contact: Sheila [email protected] Aug 19th Sep 2nd. Padstow Art Group Exhibition, Memorial Hall, Riverside, Padstow. 10am-9pm daily, free entry. CUMBRIA: Jul 30th-Aug 11th. Windermere Art Society Annual Exhibition, Rayrigg Rooms, Rayrigg Road, Bowness on Windermere, LA23 3LT. Disabled access and adjacent parking. Entry free, open daily 12pm-8pm. Contact: Jean Osliff 01539 446141 Aug 7th-11th. Cartmel Art Society Annual Exhibition, Cartmel Village Hall. Open 10am-6pm daily. Admission 1 to include refreshments, children free. Free parking, wheelchair access. Contact: 01539 532154 [email protected] Aug 17th-28th. Sedbergh and District Art Society Annual Exhibition, Sedbergh School Library, Loftus Hill. 10am-5pm daily. Contact: Sheila Hollaway [email protected] DEVON: Jul 7th-13th. Floral and Coastal Fusion. Four artists including Derek Ratcliffe and Neil Hampson, East Devon Art Academy, Old Fore Street, Sidmouth, EX10 8LS. Contact: 01395 516284 www.eastdevonart.co.uk Jul 14th 27th. Looe Pastelist Exhibition, Polperro Village Hall, The Coombes, PL12 2RH. Open daily 10am-5pm, parking 100mtrs away, disabled access. Admission by voluntary donation. Jul 21st & 22nd. Exeter Art Society Exhibition, The Hub, Cathedral Green, Exeter. Open 10am-4pm daily. Jul 23rd-Aug 4th. Dartmouth Art Society Exhibition - The Olympics, Flavel Church, Mayors Avenue, Dartmouth, opposite Tourist Information Centre. Admission free, open 10am-5pm. Contact: E de Vries 01803 770193. Jul 24th-28th. Summer Exhibition, Strand Centre, Dawlish (United Reform Church) open 10am-5pm Tues-Fri and 10am-4pm Sat. Professional artist Sonya Marshall will demonstrate on Tues, Thurs and Sat between 11am-1pm. Refreshments available. Free entry, wheelchair access. Jul 28th-31st. Lundy Art Group, Appledore Annual Exhibition, St Marys Church Hall, Appledore. 10am-5pm daily. Free admission, refreshments available, public car park opposite. Jul 28th Aug 12th. Topsham Art Group Annual Exhibition at Topsham School, Orchard Way, Topsham, EX3 0DN. Open daily 10am-5.30pm, closes at 12.30pm last day. Aug 4th-9th. Seaton and District Art Society 40th Annual Exhibition, Seaton Town Hall, Fore Street, EX12 2LD. Open 10am5.30pm daily. Admission 50p. Refreshments, wheelchair access, parking in car parks off The Underfleet. Contact: Peter Lund 01297 22110 www.seatonartsociety.co.uk Aug 8th-11th. Chagford Art Group Exhibition, The Jubilee Hall, Chagford, TQ13 8DP. 10am-5pm daily. Admission free, disabled access, pay and display parking nearby. Contact: Fay Lewis 01297 480975 [email protected] Aug 16th-27th. Teignmouth Art Society Summer Exhibition, Victoria Hall, Bridge Road, Shaldon, TQ14 0DB. Open daily 10am-5pm (opens at noon on Sundays). Parking nearby and wheelchair access. Aug 25th-27th. Bishops Tawton Exhibition, Instow Parish Hall, Quay Lane, Instow. 10am-5.30pm, free admission, disabled access, local parking, refreshments. Aug 25th-31st. Exeter Art Society Exhibition, East Devon Art Academy, Old Fore Street, Sidmouth, EX10 8LS. Open 10am4pm daily. DORSET: Jul 14th-22nd. West Dartmoor Art Group 12th Annual Exhibition, Peter Tavy Village Hall near Tavistock. 10am-6pm daily except 22nd closes 4pm. Free admission, refreshments, charity raffle for Devon Air Ambulance and Dartmoor Rescue. Contact: Barry Martin 01822 615619 [email protected] Jul 16th-21st. Art Exhibition at Church House, Wimborne, 10.30am-4.30pm. Four artists, Margaret Hasted, Lesley Fuller, Christine Sanders and Kate Holt, raising funds for Wimborne Minster Charities. Stairlift available. Jul 21st-29th. Sherborne Art Clubs 81st Annual Open Exhibition, Digby Hall, Hound Street, Sherborne, DT9 3AA. Open daily 11am-5pm, closes at 3pm last day. Free entry and disabled access. Contact: Ian Pennycook 001935 872331 Jul 24th-30th. Twenty4Art Exhibition, The Peacock Gallery, Upton House, Upton, Poole. Free admission and parking. Jul 25th-Aug 13th. Highcliffe Art Fellowship 50th Anniversary Summer Exhibition. Methodist Church Hall, Lymington Road, Highcliffe, BH23 5EG. Open 10am5.30pm (closed Sundays). Free entry, disabled access, refreshments available. Contact: Dennis Ford 01425 275418 [email protected] www.highcliffe-art.info Aug 25th-27th. Twenty4Art Annual Charity Exhibition, in aid of Julias House Hospice. At Pamphill Parish Hall, Pamphill, Wimbourne. Admission by recommended donation of 1, children free. Open 10am-4pm. Free parking. Sales, demonstrations, refreshments, cards, gifts, raffles. Contact: 01202 576036 Aug 25th-Sep 1st. Mosterton Art Groups 24th Annual Exhibition, the Skyrm Room, Beaminster Public Hall, DT8 3EF. Open 10am-5pm (4pm on the last day). Free entry. Disabled access. Parking in adjacent public car park. Contact: Margaret Dawe 01308 862572 Aug 25th-Sep 8th. Boscombe Art Circle Annual Exhibition, The Priory House (rear of the Priory), Christchurch, BH23 1BX. Open 10.30am-4.30pm (not Sundays), admission 40p, no disabled access, free parking. Contact: 01202 885870

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Visit www.saa.co.uk for more exhibition dates

EAST SUSSEX: Aug 25th-27th. Wannock Artists Annual Exhibition, Wannock Village Hall, Jevington Road, Polegate, BN26 5NZ. Preview 24th 7pm-9pm, open 25th and 26th 10am-5.30pm and Mon 10am-4pm. Free admission, disabled access, parking in road, refreshments. Contact: 01323 725891 EAST YORKSHIRE: Jun 30th-Aug 28th. Spectrums 7th Annual Art Exhibition, Floral Hall Caf, Hornsea. 10am-4pm. Free entry, disabled access and free parking. Refreshments available with a magnificent sea view! Contact: Valerie Reeves 01964 563207 or [email protected] Jul 16th-27th. Bridlington Art Society Annual Exhibition, Gallery @The Spa, Bridlington. Members on hand to discuss the work and the society. Admission free. Contact: Gilli Smith 01262 424510 www.bridlingtonartsociety.co.uk ESSEX: Jul 14th. Writtle Art Group Exhibition, Writtle Village Hall, Writtle, Chelmsford. Open 10am4pm. Refreshments available. Contact: Lin Wells 01245 352082 [email protected] www.writtleartgroup.blogspot.com Aug 18th & 20th. Annual Open Exhibition, Christ Church Hall, next to the Co-op supermarket in Wickford. (not open to the public on Sunday). No tables, only individual works, free entry to view. To submit work contact Doris on [email protected]

GLOUCESTERSHIRE: Aug 24th-27th. Tetbury Art Society August Exhibition upstairs in the Market House, town centre, Tetbury, GL8 8AN. Open 10am (2pm Friday) - 5pm daily (4pm Monday). Free admission, car parks and refreshments nearby. Contact: Barry 01666 503923 www.tetburyartsociety.org.uk HAMPSHIRE: Jul 7th-8th. Kestrel Art Club Exhibition, Toby Carvery, Winchester Road, Basingstoke. Open 10am-9pm, admission free. (Exhibition on the 1st floor via staircase). Jul 23rd-Aug 4th. Milford Art Group Annual Exhibition, All Saints Church Hall, Church Hill, Milfordon-Sea, SO41 0QH. Open Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm (4pm last day), Sun 11am-4pm. Free admission, refreshments available, ample parking, disabled access. Aug 9th-27th. Ringwood Art Society Annual Exhibition, Greyfriars Community Centre, Christchurch Road, Ringwood, BH24 1DW. Mon-Sat 10am-4.45pm, Sun 1pm-5pm. Some free parking available, disabled access. Aug 22nd-Sep 2nd. Andover Art Society Annual Summer Exhibition, Craft and Design Centre, Weyhill, SP11 0QN. Open 10am-4pm daily. Entry and parking free. Refreshments available. HERTFORDSHIRE: Jul 17th-28th. Welwyn Garden City Art Club 88th Annual Summer Exhibition at Main Hall, Oaklands

College, The Campus, Welwyn Garden City, AL8 6AH. Free entry, wheelchair access. Open 10am5pm except Sun 22nd Jul. Last day close at 4pm. Contact: 01438 714528 www.wgcartclub.btck.co.uk ISLE OF WIGHT: Aug 1st-8th. Isle of Wight Art Club Summer Exhibition at Quarr Abbey 10am-4.30pm daily. KENT: Jul 8th-18th. Temple Ewell Art Workshop Summer Exhibition, Crabble Mill Lower Road River, Dover, CT17 0UY. Open daily except Mondays, free entry, parking and disabled access, refreshments available. Contact: 01304 206892 Jul 21st-30th. Tunbridge Wells Art Society Exhibition, 61 The Pantiles (lower road), Tunbridge Wells, TN2 5TE. Open 10am-5pm daily. Admission free, parking nearby, wheelchair access. Contact: Philip Arrand 01892 533523 Jul 28th-Aug 10th. Romney Marsh Art Society 54th Annual Exhibition, The Marsh Academy Annexe (next to New Romney FC), Station Road, New Romney, TN28 8LQ. Private view 28th at 10am, 12noon open to the public, then 10.30am-4.30pm daily. Free parking in the visitors car park. Aug 15th. Belvedere Art Group Exhibition, St Augustines Church Hall, DA17 5HH. 2-4pm. Free entry, refreshments available and a raffle.

Contact: Carole Hunt 01322 556876 Aug 25th-26th. Malling Art Club Exhibition at Offham Village Hall, Church Road, Offham. Open 10am2pm daily. Free entrance, car parking and refreshments. LANCASHIRE: Jul 26th-29th. Bolton-le-Sands Art Society Annual Exhibition, St Marys Church Hall, Main Road, Bolton-le-Sands (opposite library). Open 10am-6pm daily, closes Sunday at 4pm. Free entry, refreshments. LINCOLNSHIRE: Jul 13th-15th. The Marshchapel Arts Exhibition at St Marys Church, Marshchapel. Refreshments, easy parking, disabled access and toilets. Entry by catalogue 1.50 on the door. Contact: Paul Hicks 01472 389874 www.marshchapelarts.co.uk Jul 13th-15th. Nettleham Art Groups 8th Annual Art Exhibition, The Old School (near the church), Nettleham, LN2 2PE. Open Fri 24pm and 6.30-8pm, Sat 10am4.30pm and Sun 11am-3.30pm. Admission 50p. Disabled access and plenty of parking. Contact: Ian Straw 01522 753558 Jul 14th-21st. The North Lincs Art Society Annual Exhibition, St James Minster, St James Square, Grimsby. Open 10am-4pm daily. Entry free. Preview evening Fri 13th July from 7pm, pop in for a glass of wine and nibbles.

and to upload your exhibition information

July 2012 PAINT

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DIARY DATES

Exhibitions and Dates for Diaries continued...

Jul 15th-21st. Lindsey Art Association Exhibition of miniature paintings at Cleethorpes Library, Alexandra Rd, Cleethorpes, DN35 8LG. Open weekdays 10am4.30pm, Sat 10am-2.30pm and Sun 11am-3pm. Jul 18th-Aug 15th. Artlinks on Tour Exhibition at The Willoughby Memorial Trust Gallery, Moreleys Lane, Corby Glen, nr Grantham, NG33 4NL. Open Tues Sun 12noon-5pm Jul 27th-Aug 5th. Fraser Scarfe and Greg Kapka The Shire Seen. At Lincoln Cathedral Chapter House open 9am-5pm. Limited free parking, wheelchair access, refreshments available. Cathedral entrance fee may apply. Contact: Fraser Scarfe 07946 408118 Jul 28th-Aug 19th. Boston Art Group Summer Exhibition, St Botolphs Church, Wormagate, Boston, PE21 6NP. Open 10am-4pm daily. Free entry, disabled access, public car parks nearby. Refreshments available. Aug 11th-18th. Skegness Art Group Annual Exhibition, St Marys Church, Church Lane, Winthorpe, Skegness, PE25 1EJ. Open daily 11am-5pm (last day finishes at 1pm). Entry 1, ample parking and disabled access. Contact: 01754 810003 Aug 17th-19th. Horncastle Art Group Annual Summer Exhibition, Stanhope Hall, Boston Road, Horncastle LN9 6NF. Open 10am4pm daily. Car parking, disabled access, refreshments and raffle. Admission 50p. Aug 20th-26th. Robin Gooch Exhibition, 26 Main Street, Kirkby Green, Lincoln, LN4 3PE. 10am5pm daily, other times by appointment. Free entry, wheelchair access to part only. Contact: 01526 322839 Aug 25th-27th. Mablethorpe Art Group students and tutors Exhibition, Mablethorpe Community Hall, Stanley Avenue, Mablethorpe (behind Lidl). Entry 50p, children free. Refreshments available, good parking and disabled facilities. Contact: [email protected] Aug 25th-27th. Withern Art Group Bi-annual Exhibition at the Alford Methodist Church. Refreshments available. Free entry, parking, disabled access and WC. Aug 25th-31st. St Matthews Annual Exhibition, Bridge Road, Sutton Bridge. Open daily 10am6pm, except Sun 12noon-6pm and final day 10am-3pm. Refreshments available. WC and disabled access. Free entry. Contact: Geoff De Roux 01406 540219 or email [email protected] MIDDLESEX: Jul 14th-Aug 11th. Enfield Art Circles 80th Annual Exhibition, Capel Manor Horticultural College, Bullsmoor Lane, Enfield, EN1 4RQ. Free entry. Open daily 10am-5pm (closes 1pm on 11th Aug). Parking onsite, disabled access, cafeteria, gardens accessible. Contact: 0208 360 1423 or visit www.enfieldartcircle.org Aug 18th-Sep 1st. Pinner Sketch Club 70th Summer Exhibition, Pinner Parish Church Hall, Church Lane, off High Street, Pinner. Open 10am-6pm Mon Sat and 12noon6pm Sundays. Admission free. Contact: Ann Kopka 07801 638616 [email protected] www.pinnersketchclub.co.uk NORFOLK: Jul 31st-Aug 5th. Wymondham Art Society Annual Exhibition in the Wymondham Art Centre, Church Street, Wymondham. Open 10am-5pm Tues Sat and 1-4pm Sun. Admission free. Contact: Granville 01953 600606 NORTHAMPTONSHIRE: Jun 22nd-Jul 1st. Oundle Art Group Summer Exhibition, St Peters Church, Oundle, PE8 4AL. Open daily 10am-4pm (excluding church services). Free entry. Contact: Jane Sanders 01832 226495 or visit www.oundleartgroup.org Jul 2nd-27th. Bridge Street Gallery Exhibition. In Gallery 1 Black and White/Monochrome. In Gallery 2, paintings by local artist Peter Dix. Rothwell Arts and Heritage Centre 14-16 Bridge Street, Rothwell. Mon, Thurs, Fri and Sat 10am-12.30pm. Contact: 01536 710180

Aug 1st-31st. Bridge Street Gallery Exhibition of works by local artist John McGains see above for venue and opening times. Aug 20th. Kettering and District Society for all Artists Watercolour Demonstration with Geoff Kersey 1.30-4pm at Woodcroft Scout Centre, Woodcroft Way (off London Road), Kettering NN15 6NQ. All welcome. Contact: David 01604 77438 NOTTINGHAMSHIRE: Jul 28th. 3 in 1 Art Exhibition, Beeston Methodist Church, Chilwell Road, NG9 1EH. Free admission, disabled access and parking, local parking nearby. Refreshments available. Donations to church charity welcome. Contact: Mike Spicer 07950 024893 or [email protected] Aug 11th-19th. Worksop Society of Artists Summer Exhibition, Ryton Park Primary School, Sparken Hill, Worksop, S80 1AW. Open 10am-4pm daily. Ample parking and free admission. Artists on site most days. Contact: Anne Funnell 01909 488704 or visit www.worksopsocietyofartists.co.uk SOMERSET: Jul 14th-20th. Encounters at the Sidcot Art Centre - Exhibition by well known local artists. Sidcot School, Winscombe, BS25 1PD. Open daily 10am-4pm. Free admission, refreshments on sale. Contact: [email protected] Jul 23rd-Aug 6th. Timsbury Art Group Exhibition, Chapter House of Wells Cathedral. Open normal Cathedral opening times. Contact: Sue Macey 01761 470951 Aug 11th-25th. Clevedon Art Club 56th Open Exhibition, The Science Atrium, Clevedon Community School, Valley Road, Clevedon, BS21 6AH. Open 10.30am-6pm, Sundays 2-6pm. Admission 1. Entry details www.clevedonartclub.co.uk/[email protected] or 01934 834341. STAFFORDSHIRE: Jul 7th - 8th. Bramshall Art Group Annual Exhibition, Parish Hall, Church Lane, Bramshall, Uttoxeter, ST14 5BQ. 10am-5pm. Refreshments available, parking

and wheelchair access. Contact: 07968 503051 Jul 28th, 30th, 31st & Aug 1st Newcastle Watercolour Society Annual Exhibition at The Congregational Church Hall, King Street, Newcastle-u-Lyme. Open 10am-8pm 28th, 30th & 31st and 10am-6pm 1st. Free entry, refreshments available, parking close by, disabled access. Contact: Ray Shore 01782 324468 or [email protected] SUFFOLK: Jul 9th-Aug 4th. Ipswich Art Society 135th Annual Open Exhibition, John Russell Gallery, 4-6 Wherry Lane, Ipswich, IP4 1LG. Open daily (except Sundays) 9.30am-5pm. Visit www.ipswich-art-society.org.uk Jul 21st. The Martlesham Art Group Summer Exhibition, St Michaels Church Hall, Martlesham. Open 10am-5pm. Coinciding with Music on the Green. Admission free, refreshments available. Aug 18th-27th. Lavenham Art Society August Exhibition, Lavenham Church, Church Street, Lavenham. Open 9am-6pm daily. Admission free, disabled access and free parking. SURREY: Jul 28th. The Railings Exhibition Pirbright Art Clubs Annual Outdoor Exhibition, in conjunction with Pirbright Horticultural Show, Lord Pirbrights Hall, Pirbright. From 1pm-5pm. Free parking. Contact: Maggie Read 01483 232205 or email [email protected] Aug 1st. Virginia Water Art Society presents Tony Jackson Talk Origin of Modern Art 1900 1920. 7.30pm-9.30pm, The Community Centre, Beechmont Avenue, Trumps Green, Virginia Water, GU25 4EY. Visitors welcome, 4 entry. Contact: Jean McDonnell 01784 741599 or visit www.virginiawater.org.uk/artsociety Sep 5th. Virginia Water Art Society presents Jean Haines Amazing Ways with Watercolour. See above for times, venue and contact details. WEST MIDLANDS: Aug 25th - 26th. Victory Painting Groups 7th Annual Exhibition, Victory Hall, Greyhound Lane, Lower Penn, Wolverhampton,

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Visit www.saa.co.uk for more exhibition dates

WV4 4UN. (Next to Greyhound pub). 11am-4.30pm daily, free entry, wheelchair access, free parking. Refreshments available. Contact: Graham Potts 01902 332966 www.victorypaintinggroup.co.uk WEST SUSSEX: Jul 13th-15th. Annual Exhibition of Adur Art Club at the Shoreham Centre, Pond Road, Shoreham-bySea, BN43 5WU. Admission free. Contact: Anne Maplesden 01903 207455 Jul 15th-29th and Aug 12th26th. Felpham Art Group Summer Sunday Sea Front Exhibitions on Felpham Beach (greensward) behind Culver Road car-park, Felpham. Open 10am4pm daily, weather permitting, free entry. Contact: Terry Collins 01243 830066 www.felphamartgroup.com Jul 25th-Aug 4th. Adventures Art Club Annual Summer Exhibition, The King Edward Hall, Lindfielf, Haywards Heath (opposite the pond) from 10am-7pm (Sunday 11am-6pm). Disabled access. Admission, including catalogue, 50p. Contact: Gillian Cockerill 01444 461376 Jul 25th-Sep 7th. Retrospective @ 50 Artist John Culver, Community Gallery, Littlehampton Museum, Manor House, Church Street, Littlehampton, BN17 5EW. Two hour free disc parking, collect disc from Museum reception. Free entry Mon-Fri 9am-4.30pm and Sat 10.30am-4.30pm. Contact: Lucy Ashby 01903 738100 Aug 25th-27th. Middleton Art Group Festival Exhibition, Norfolk Centre, Mill Road, Arundel (next to Lower Castle entrance). 10am-6pm, admission free, donation to St

Wilfrids Hospice appreciated. Car park opposite, disabled access. Contact: 01243 584399 [email protected] WEST YORKSHIRE: Jul 14th Sep 9th. Halifax Art Society Annual Exhibition, Main Hall, Bankfield Museum, Akroyd Park, Boothtown Road, Halifax HX3 6HG WORCESTERSHIRE: Aug 7th-28th. Birmingham Society of Botanical Artists Exhibition, inspired by monastic herbals, Worcester Cathedral, as part of Worcester festival. Admission free, disabled access and caf in the Cathedral. Contact: Sue Wilson 01527 550535 Scotland ABERDEENSHIRE: Jul 14th-Aug 7th. Artaboyne Exhibition, Aboyne 10am-8pm daily. Free entry, disabled access, parking and refreshments available. Visit www.artaboyne.co.uk EDINBURGH: Aug 11th-16th. Pentland Art Club Annual Exhibition, Currie Scouts Hall (next to Total petrol station), 47 Lanark Road West, EH14 5JX. Open 10am-8.30pm 11th, 12.30-8.30pm 12th-16th. Free entry, disabled access, free parking. Contact: Brian Glass 0131 4497585 FIFE: Jul 15th-22nd. Largo Bay Art Society Annual Exhibition, at Montrave Hall, Lundin Links, Fife, KY8 6AH. Parking and disabled access. Contact: 01333 360476 INVERNESS: Jul 17th-29th. The 68th Annual

Exhibition of The Art Society of Inverness at the Eastgate Shopping Centre. Open normal shopping hours. Visit www.artinverness.com Aug 1st 4th. Aviemore Art Associations 9th Exhibition, St Andrews Church Hall, Aviemore, Inverness-shire. Open 10am-4pm. Entry 1 adults, 50p children includes tea/coffee and cakes. Contact: Molly Sangster 01479 812608 [email protected] STIRLING: Aug 4th-11th. Stirling Art Club Annual Exhibition, Holy Trinity Church Hall, Dumbarton Road. Open daily 10am-8pm, closes at 5pm last day and closed Sunday. Contact: Peter Pinnock 01786 822775 Wales DENBIGHSHIRE: Jul 14th-Aug 4th. Denbighshire Art Society Summer Exhibition, The Studio, 10 Penrhos Road, Colwyn Bay (just off the Promenade). Open 11am-5pm. PEMBROKESHIRE: July 16th-29th. Pembrokeshire Arts Association Exhibition at St Davids City Hall, High Street, St Davids SA62 6SD. Open daily 10am-5pm, late nights til 7pm Tues, Weds and Thurs. Free admission, paid parking, disabled access. Jul 2nd-6th. Torch Artists Exhibition, Town Hall, Milford Haven. 10am-5pm, free entry and disabled access. Contact: Ann Clarke 01646 699402 Aug 31st Sep 6th. Torch Artists Exhibition, St Johns Hall, Tenby. Opening times 31st 2.30-5pm, 1st 10am-5pm, 2nd 1-5pm and 3rd-6th

10am-5pm. Free entry and disabled access. Contact: Ann Clarke 01646 699402 RHONDDA CYNON TAFF: Jul 3rd-7th. The Ystradyfodwg Art Society Treorchy Rhondda Cynon Taff Exhibition, The Parc and Dare Treorchy Rhondda Cynon Taff. Free parking and disabled access. Admission 1 with light refreshments. All welcome. SWANSEA: Jul 31st Aug 18th. Exhibition of pastel and metal work by Ann Davies alongside paintings and textiles by Silures Art Group Porthcawl at The Arts Wing, Swansea Grand Theatre, Singleton Street, Swansea, SA1 3QJ. Free admission, disabled access and parking at town centre nearby. Contact: Ann 01656 749012 [email protected]
If youre organising an exhibition let us know well in advance; ideally three months prior to publication, for example if your exhibition is in December, it would go in the November issue so we would need details by the beginning of August. Please supply concise information to include: date, name of event, full address (including county and postcode) and contact name and number. Please also indicate if there is parking, disabled access, refreshments and an entry fee. Space is limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

Would you like to promote your services to over 45,000 SAA members?
Contact: Elizabeth Moore Tel: 08458 770 771 Email: [email protected]

and to upload your exhibition information

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LETTERS & NEWS

Please keep in touch. If your letter is published here we will send you a gift from the SAA Ed invites you to keep in touch this summer
Have you contacted any fellow SAA members are you meeting up with any over the summer be they old friends or new ones you have made through Members Near Me or at an SAA affiliated exhibition or art club? We would love to hear about where you venture on your painting trips and any fellow members you meet up with. Or send us photos if you visit an SAA exhibition. Drop a line (and pictures) to [email protected] or to Head Office, marked Lets Reflect. If your letter and picture is published on this page you will receive a special gift from the SAA Keep in touch with fellow members on Facebook or Twitter and at www.saa.co.uk on the SAA Forum pages and Members Near Me facilty.

Art offers a break for carers

Alison Crump has taken up the challenge to encourage others to take up painting and is thrilled to share her experiences. I have had the most amazing day. The last time I contacted the SAA team, I received a call from the Chairperson. Next I received a parcel of free art materials as a donation to enable carers to experience painting, with the proviso that the art produced was exhibited. Well life never runs quite to plan so some years on and having relocated to the coast I have been offered the most wonderful opportunity. The SAA paints are in my garage but not for much longer. I am now Artist in Residence at Middlecombe Nursery, Congresbury, North Somerset, and today was the launch where I met the public for the first time during their annual Open Day for the National Gardens Scheme and yes I did inform, encourage and inspire . I had so much fun cajoling reluctant adults to participate when they were telling me that the children wanted to paint a bookmark - I loved watching their faces as the watercolour did its thing! One mother Alison spoke with was caring for her daughter and disabled son, Leo. Being able to empathise, having a son with behavioural problems herself, Alison sat her down with a paintbrush and provided her with just a few moments to herself. She then helped Leo paint a very bright caterpillar giving mum that much needed break from caring. Along with the Art Days at Middlecombe Alison is keen to see a new Carers Art Group and would love to hear from any SAA members interested in helping her organise a very messy Grand Wheelchair Paintathon while Carers have time to themselves and time out for the siblings and Young Carers. Suggestions as to non-toxic wheelchair-friendly paints would be helpful too! Email [email protected] if you are interested in becoming involved.

Renewable Energy?
Recently due to a blip in her bank account, Sue Millington found that her yearly subscription for Paint wasn't debited. When she received a reminder she wondered whether to renew as times were a bit tough. Then she comments I noted what I had gained with the last issue: I made a saving on booking tickets for Its all about Art in Bristol, I now follow the blog of the front cover artist Haidee-Jo Summers, and had a bid on the online auction for painters also recommended. I 'tried my hand' at the Avocet (first time I have painted a bird) and entered the competition (fingers crossed). If we day trip anywhere, I always look at our destination and see if any exhibitions coincide. I have sent for brochures on art holidays for next year and on top of all this Paint offers a few hours good read. This plus all the usual advantages of being a member makes it great value and yes I did renew!

Shipshape
Gold member Josephine Chisholm wonders if anyone could advise or recommend a company that specialises in safely shipping artwork to New York (some under glass, some on canvas), we're investigating costs and received a huge quote for shipping 10 pieces (not very large) - and any suggestions to reduce these enormous costs would be very helpful. www.josephinechisholm-artist.co.uk

Welcome to some of our newer members we hope you enjoy being part of the SAA
1 Freda Sidaravicius Iris, Watercolour 2 Ann Stares Cliffs (after a painting by Arnold Lowrey), Watercolour 3 Vivienne A Priest South African Rhino, Coulored pencils 4 Sandie Hughes Title unspecified, Watercolour 5 Gwen Leach Strawberries, Watercolour 6 Jim Martin Wells-Next-the-Sea, Watercolour

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SAA CHALLENGE

This Years SAA Challenge

Paint your Pet
As always we can only feature a few of your entries here, but do visit the website (click on the Competitions tab) to see more of your fantastic paintings
Most of the portraits we receive are of cats or dogs, so its always interesting to see something completely different, and we loved Marian Harris picture of Pip the budgie. I painted him using watercolour, she explains. I found him relatively easy to paint, although the feathers were challenging. I have always liked to paint detail, but have recently been experimenting with a looser style. A couple of readers have challenged themselves to try a different medium as well as a pet portrait. Anne Thomas mostly paints animals in pastel, But this picture of our muchloved Pebbles was done using watercolour, so it was a real challenge. Fran Dearing on the other hand normally paints in watercolours and oils and hadnt used pastels before. Ive always loved the look they give, so tried this portrait of Sandy from a photograph. It took me about two and a half days, and Im so pleased with it, I think its the best thing Ive ever done. Im no longer scared of pastels and Im finding it hard to go back to watercolours! Both Jenny Wells and Anne Wilkinson took up pencils for their portraits. Jenny used a mixture of Inktense and pastel pencils for her first portrait of Parker. Hes a German Shepherd puppy, and this painting was done from a photo when he was obviously having a bad day, hence we call him Grumpy Parker, she explains. Anne used pencil for her sketch of her Shar Pei. Yes, all those wrinkles are for real! This is my favourite sketch of Charlie and it was done partly from life and partly from a photo. I used pencil as it is really the only medium I have tried up to now! It took me several days to do and a lot of rubbing out!

it will take the focus away from this other bit! Here I blotted a lot with white gouache, and hope my future attempts will be more flowing. Another tabby was painted by Ann Taylor-Wright. This is my watercolour of Simba, she says. He has lovely tiger markings and it was hard getting the texture of his fur as I wanted it, but advice from the SAA forum helped with that - a big thank you to Steve! I worked on it for an hour each day and it took a week to complete. I wasnt happy with the first attempt so reworked it highlighting the colour; Simbas fabulous whiskers had to be emphasised, using gouache then thinning it down, which resulted in a good likeness. Finally Rita Fairchild also put gouache to good use in her portrait of her Jack Russell, Mollie. I used coloured pencils, with gouache for the white highlight on a coloured paper background, she says. Doing this picture was very relaxing and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Frances Harvey used gouache for her portrait of her horse Rufus, whos now 29 and has been with her for 25 years. Because I hadnt painted him before I thought it would be easier to go over any mistakes I made and there were plenty in gouache, she explains. It took me several afternoons to complete, but I did enjoy it and will perhaps try another one in watercolour next. Carole Wade also put gouache to good use in her first watercolour of her cat Chloe. As a painter I could keep painting for days making this bit a little darker, but then thinking that if that bit is too dark

Thank you to everyone who is taking part in this years Challenge we look forward to receiving your entries and are particularly keen to hear from you if youve never tried to paint your pet before.

New members will find some blank postcards in their membership pack simply paint us a picture and post it to us at Head Office with your name and membership number for your chance to be featured here. If you prefer, you can now upload your entry onto the SAA website simply sign in, click on the Competitions tab and follow the instructions good luck.

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CLUB TOGETHER

Art Club News

Selsey Artists get Adventurous!
Angela Benwell helps run a drawing and painting group for members of the Selsey Arts Society. They meet twice a month to draw, paint and share ideas; while a few are happy to do their own work, most like to have a set programme of activities to follow, whether it be still life, portrait drawing or painting with a theme.
For a recent meeting I decided to try something different, using collage, says Angela. I had an old Saga brochure containing an abundance of colourful photographs, and to begin with I found images containing bright yellow and gold colours and tore them up into small pieces and glued them in an off-centre position on a piece of paper then waited for everyone to arrive! The aim was to create a colourful collage moving from warm to cool colours. Angelas fellow members were surprised by the idea they had never attempted anything like it before and most were intrigued enough to take part. The picture was 20 by 24 inches and several group members threw themselves into the idea of creating their own colour chart. They needed a lesson in tearing the paper in the right way, and then interesting fragments of pictures from the brochure were added at random, says Angela. A piece of leopard skin, the coloured fabric of a Peruvian dress, a Chinese junk. The group worked on the collage for two sessions and at the end Angela used acrylics to tidy up the bits of white which showed. One lady became so hooked on the whole thing that I had to find her another brochure to take home to work on her own! says Angela. Now that the collage is complete the group is planning to use it to make a greetings card to raise funds for the Society, and members are keen to create another one. The Selsey Arts Society was only formed a year ago, and Angela says the standard of the work of its 16 members is already rising rapidly. Everyone is very keen, its so rewarding! she says. I think that the secret of our success is the variety of skills within the membership and the willingness of everyone to share and have a go at something which is out of their comfort zone.

THE GALLERY Mosterton Art Group

In 1987, a group of six neighbours in the small village of Mosterton, near Beaminster in Dorset, discovered that they shared a passion for the arts. They agreed it would be fun to start an art group, and meetings were held in the village hall. As numbers grew, the group set up an elected committee and charged an annual subscription from members to provide funds for activities. From the beginning the groups aims were clear and have not substantially changed over the years. They were: 'To promote and sustain
Old Man by Margaret Dawe West Bay by Jill Preston Norfolk Marshes by Barry Allsop

an interest in the visual arts and to provide means for extending knowledge and proficiency in these areas by lectures, demonstrations, exhibitions and practice sessions as arranged by the committee.' The first annual club exhibition took place the following year. Now, 25 years later, Mosterton Art Groups aims remain the same. Some activities have been added and others revised, extended, sharpened up, replaced, reinstated or refined. But the group has remained dynamic and, despite the normal ups and downs, it has shown a healthy approach to changes and improvements the secret of its continuing popularity. Member numbers have steadily increased from the initial half dozen to nearly 90, and people

interest in the arts has been welcomed there is a good mix of experienced professionals, proficient amateurs and rank beginners, all of whom value MAGs high standards and reputation for friendliness and lack of artist snobbery. There are regular tutor-led afternoon drawing and painting sessions, all-day workshops, outdoor painting days and visits to museums and galleries. Demonstrations or lectures occur on six separate occasions during the year, and the Annual Exhibition is now eagerly anticipated around the area while members relish the opportunity to display their work alongside that of their friends. A number of awards are offered by various sponsors to encourage their efforts. Even the AGM is followed by a delicious supper so is always well attended. Mosterton Art Group is currently buzzing and looking forward to the next 25 years! says Vice Chair Jill Preston.

September Seas by Heather Pope. And top, members on an outdoor workshop

come from the villages and small towns all around the area. Because everyone with an

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Its all about

Its all about Art goes region al this summer and ou r next show is at EventCity in M anchester on 27 th and 28th July. We w ould love to se e you there, so if your art club is plan ning to visit please come yourselves to us and introduce at the Editoria stand and have l your picture ta ken so that we can fe ature you in a future issue of Paint!

Come and mee t us!

Club Corner
The following art clubs are keen to hear from new members. Do get in touch with them directly if youd like to find out more about what they have to offer
BRISTOL Hanham Art Club has vacancies for new members. The group meets on Thursday evenings from 7-9pm at Hanham Community Centre, High Street, Hanham. This friendly group of mixed ability artists work in all mediums and plenty of in-house help is provided to new members. Beginners are very welcome, with initial SAA materials provided. Fees are 20 per term, with three terms a year of 12 to 14 weeks, but there is also a taster evening available for just 2. Professional artists visit to demonstrate several times a year, and there is an annual exhibition and sale of members works every October, which is well supported by the local community. For details contact Hilary Bailey on 01179 324067 or 07880 548481 or email [email protected] CORNWALL The Wednesday Afternoon Art Group in Padstow is looking for one or two new members. The group meets from 1.30-4pm on Wednesdays at the Memorial Hall, opposite the Harbour car park. Tea and biscuits are included and the cost is 4. The class is run by Celia Jayne and Mick Poole, who give useful suggestions and occasionally demonstrate, and are always keen to encourage members to try new mediums. If interested contact Celia on 01841 520715 or email [email protected] St Austell Society of Artists is a friendly society with around 40 members, which is always looking for more enthusiastic painters to join its sessions. There are free taster sessions and the society doesnt vet standards of work as a condition of membership. All you need is enthusiasm and a desire to paint. The group meets on Mondays from 7-9pm at the Church Hall, Charlestown, and every other week there are guest demonstrators. Members can put their work up for sale at four exhibitions a year. Annual membership is 30, which includes demonstrations. For information about membership call Trevor Wales on 01726 69703. HAMPSHIRE Lee On The Solent Art Group is looking for new members. The Group was founded 40 years ago and has 50 members, who meet on the second Tuesday of every month from 7.309.30pm with demonstrations given by visiting professional artists. Members also meet on a termly basis each Monday 10am noon for a Paint as you Please self-help session. Annual membership is 20; contact Jenny on 02392 550581 or email [email protected] Southampton Art Society meets on the second Monday in the month, is open to all and offers talks and demonstrations, which are free to members (non-member guests 3). Informal and outdoor painting sessions and workshops are held throughout the year. New members are always welcome. For information contact Val Smart on 02380 321762 or visit www.southamptonartsociety.org.uk LINCOLNSHIRE Silk Willoughby Art Group (SWAG) near Sleaford is a small but friendly group of enthusiastic amateur artists who meet in the village hall every Wednesday morning between 9.30am and noon. Members paint in a variety of mediums, mostly acrylics, pastels and watercolours. They have demonstrations by professional artists and workshop days when possible. New members of all abilities are welcome and should contact Colin Jones on 01529 303016 or email [email protected] for more information.

Art on the Box

Bexley Art Group has been taking part in Bexleyheath's Art Festival for some years, displaying paintings in one of the marquees. However, a couple of years ago the organisers realised that people were sometimes reluctant to stand and look at work for very long
They came up with the idea of asking members to produce work that tied in with a specific project. Last year it was 'On the Farm', says Secretary Marilyn Noad. We bought 20 small box canvases from a Pound Shop and gave them to members to work on their paintings at home. The first time club members saw each others work was on the day of the Festival, and each painting was numbered, with visitors invited to vote for their favourite. It was exciting to see how different the pictures were, and great to see how many people enjoyed looking at our work, says Marilyn. Later, at our Annual Exhibition, we showed the results of the voting and 23 paintings were sold over two weeks. As long as members continue to be enthusiastic we will do this every year. Perhaps in the future it would be interesting to set up an exhibition of all the previous years box canvases displayed under the subject titles and the year they were produced. For more information on the group visit www.bexleyartgroup.com

Dont forget...
...to use our free Art Clubs Need You service to find tutors to visit your group for workshops or demonstrations. Send details of your club name, number of members, main contact name, address, phone and email, preferred mediums and dates to [email protected] or by post to Head Office.

NORTH YORKSHIRE Copmanthorpe Art Club meets on Monday evenings from September to March and would welcome some new members. This is a small, but dedicated, group of artists who meet in a school, and more members would help to keep costs low. All standards and mediums welcome. Contact Granville on 07860 196578 or email [email protected]

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CLUB TOGETHER

Introducing
In each issue we introduce you to three of the SAAs most talented professionals and pass on their top tips for aspiring artists. These PAs are all available to come and run workshops or demonstrations at art clubs Carole Robson
I have always loved painting and being outdoors and much of my work reflects my love of the natural environment. When people asked what I wanted to be as I grew up, I remember saying that I never wanted to be a teacher its funny how things turn out. I trained at St Martins School of Art in London and worked for about ten years as a freelance book illustrator gaining a wide range of experience. I illustrated everything from gardening and craft books to book jackets and magazine fiction. When my partner accepted a job in Sweden, I took a break from illustration and spent a blissful year exploring and painting in the forests and flower-rich wild areas. On our return to England I found our country verges sadly lacking in colour but luckily discovered Marden Meadow, a Kent nature reserve that has been a constant source of inspiration. Nowadays our country verges have a greater diversification of flora and these have also become some of my favourite subjects to paint (though I do get some odd looks from passing motorists). Ten years ago I trained as a teacher and discovered how much I enjoy helping adults develop their work; in turn they frequently inspire me with their ideas. I

Ali Cockrean
My painting career started in childhood and by 13 I was taking commissions and exhibiting my work at local art shows. For many years I balanced a career in business with my passion for art, before turning professional in 2006. I became known for my large, colourful and textural abstracts, but in recent times my work has become more impressionistic in style and more subtle and reflective in nature, but is thankfully proving just as popular! Im an expressionist landscape artist, so capturing the mood and atmosphere of a place is the most important element of my painting. I paint from memory, rather than using photographs, so that Im only remembering the key influences. This results in images that often evoke strong memories in those who view them. All my work is done in acrylics on canvas board, and Atelier Interactive paints suit my style well. Using brushes to put down a base layer of colour, I then work layers of paint over the top, blending colour and tone with a palette knife to create depth and form. In my capacity as a tutor, delivering private lessons and regular classes, I come into contact with up to 70 regular

love the medium of watercolour because of its beautiful transparency but also love the experimental aspect of mixed media, especially resist techniques, which often produce unexpected and interesting effects. I teach painting courses for Kent Adult Education as well as my own private summer watercolour courses which run throughout July and August. I also visit art groups to demonstrate and teach workshops. TOP TIP: To loosen up your style, deliberately increase the size of your paintings. Stand up to paint when you can and when painting washes in watercolour, wet the paper in an interesting way (try using a sprayer as well as your brush). Tip the paper and let the paint flow! Caroles next exhibition is Florum in Sevenoaks, Kent from 8th-17th September. You can contact her on 07941 886589 or by email [email protected] For information about courses and to see her paintings, visit www.carolerobson.com
Carole Robson

Carole Robson

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Carole Robson

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Ali Cockrean

Ali Cockrean

knowledge of your particular subject encourages other people to approach you for advice. Being prepared in advance and giving your audience what theyve come to see is very important. Usually demonstrations are two-hour sessions, so with introductions and a tea break I normally complete a demonstration painting in around 90 minutes. They say its never too late to learn new skills and break new barriers and I am living proof of that. When I was over 50 I achieved a degree, started a teaching career and am now beginning to get noticed as a skilled painting demonstrator, showing off my skills to anyone wanting to improve their own knowledge of painting and maybe even start a new career for themselves. TOP TIP: I use 300lbs/640gsm Rough Watercolour paper for my Atelier Interactive Acrylic demonstrations, and to make sure my painting stays wet during a two-hour session, I use Atelier Interactive Binder medium to seal the paper, preferably the day before. Prior to painting I use a mixture of Atelier Interactive Retarder and Painting Medium to brush over the

Ali Cockrean

students a week, ranging from eight to over 80. I also travel around the South East giving talks and demos to art societies and clubs. I am passionate about encouraging others to paint and enjoy demonstrating the versatility acrylics offer. It is my strong belief that great art comes from challenging and breaking the rules and maintaining an adventurous spirit, and my approach to the subject excites and inspires others to have a go, introducing audiences to techniques with acrylics that they have never seen before. TOP TIP: Making art requires creativity, inspiration, confidence and technique. Be prepared to work outside your comfort zone all the time. That way you continue to grow and develop as an artist and constantly produce new and innovative work. You can contact Ali Cockrean on 07742 888302 or by email at [email protected]. To see further examples of her work visit www.alicockrean.co.uk

surface of the paper. Doing this slows the drying time considerably. You can contact Bob on 0151 523 5387 or email him on [email protected] or visit www.bobhughesartist.com

Bob Hughes
I am a traditional and digital artist, tutor and demonstrator for Atelier Interactive Acrylics. I have been painting and drawing for as long as I can remember. These last couple of years have seen a change in the way I paint, and my new medium is digital painting using pixels instead of the traditional mediums, so now my studio doubles up as a workstation as well. I believe that working in various mediums and embracing new technology enhances your skill levels. I travel to various parts of the north west and to North Wales, teaching and delivering demonstrations and workshops. My first experience as a demonstrator was a little nerve wracking as over 70 art enthusiasts turned up to watch. Thankfully it went very well and I have enjoyed every one I have done since. Having the confidence, skills and
Bob Hughes

Bob Hughes

Bob Hughes

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Painting inspiration every day of the week!

Watch the Painting & Drawing Channel every day between 4 and 5pm on Sky Digital Channel 195.
The channel is dedicated to the art of learning to paint and with 11 different programmes each week with many of your favourite artists there is no better time to tune in.

ES M M ! RA EK OG WE PR Y W ER NE EV

New programmes showing in August include:

Vibrant Acrylics with Hashim Akib
from Monday 6th August

Trees, Woodlands & Forests in Watercolour with Geoff Kersey

from Monday 27th August

Dont have Sky? Cant always catch the show?

Catch up on TV Anytime at www.paintingdrawingchannel.co.uk

Now showing on

Digital Channel 195

Seven days a week, 4-5pm or view online anytime at www.paintingdrawingchannel.co.uk