HOLT 'at work' pics

here are some works in progress, action shots, can you recognise your own hands! I have put them up because we don't have any display space at that venue so its harder to show off the work you all do. I rather like the format of these photos in addition to the work that is shown.

The Last Days

JUST IN CASE you need to check the dates of our last lessons this term, after the rather erratic start after Easter....Monday last lesson is 21st July, Tuesday last lesson is the 22nd July and Wednesday last lesson is 30th July....

Venues, Dates and Times....

The new term starts on Monday 15th September 2014.  Cawston on Mondays 10-12.30, Hempton, Fakenham on Tuesdays 10-12.30, and Marsham 10-12.30 and Holt on Wednesdays 2-4.30 are all general Drawing and Painting/Mixed media classes, all abilities, with lots of positive tips and extra help for beginners if they want. Cawston on Monday afternoons 1-4, a three hour session, is a Portrait class, usually with a new model each week. Marsham on Tuesdays 2-4.30 is an Oil Painting class, mostly, though some people are deeply engaged in Watercolour!

This week......

I took these pics down to be reclaimed but had to take a photo because the swathe of colour looked so rich and gorgeous...










And these are from this week's work, close up views, using the idea of harmonious colour, and focal point.....

 and here are two of the above enlarged so you can see the full effect of simplifying the image. So this is the way to go to make a strong painting from simple objects, this work will continue for two or three weeks, we are looking for strong, finished paintings.

PURE COLOUR in the guise of STILL LIFE !

so here are some of the more recent still life exercises, using harmonising colour, and they are now a little more subtle, and I certainly think, quite fascinating to look at, because the original shapes sometimes show through and sometimes get lost, all going to show that you, as the artist can control the overall effect of the abstract shapes within your painting. Style will be affected by your choice of medium, so that watercolour will allow, more easily, a wet in wet approach and a looseness that acrylics won't, unless you choose to get away from keeping to the neat edges of your drawing, and use your acrylics much more loosely. If you want to try this at home try using a much bigger brush, to stop yourself being too pernickety and concerned with edges.
I have separated the above so that you can see each more objectively. The group pics have a different feel, and I really should have done each painting separately, but time doesn't always allow!
Don't forget to let me know if you are coming to any of the Summer Schools...........

PEDRO CANO

In the Ricote Valley there is a village called Blanca which is the birthplace of an artist called Pedro Cano. He works in America but is very loyal to his native village in Spain where he has built a museum where his work, and that of other artists, can be seen.
I was very impressed with his paintings so please do google him and have a look at his paintings. I cannot describe them and could not do them justice in words.
I am not easily impressed but I really like his work.

Spain

here is a view in the Ricote Valley, Murcia, on the left you can see water, and also a large pipe which raises water by some clever system high up to allow irrigation and water storage. Apparently Franco was very keen on building reservoirs and water systems. Seems sensible to me. Most Spanish homes have bidets. That's because Franco's brother had a bidet factory.

and here are some palm trees beside the sea. I think it was Gandia, Valencia.

SUMMER SCHOOLS

all the Summer Schools are going ahead. You have the information, just ask if you need to know anything else. Paul's Lino Printing will be on Thursday and Friday 3rd and 4th July, as scheduled, but remember that, by negotiation, other dates are available too, so just give us a call....01603 872441, to sort out days with Paul.

For those of you who are coming to Gressenhall or Natural Surroundings I will talk to you about equipment, and will give a sheet of (what I think are) HELPFUL TIPS for outdoor working, since if you haven't done it before it can be a bit daunting with many choices to be made.

There are of course still places on all the Summer Schools,  I try to organise things which are a little different from what we normally do, and which will give you the  chance to try something new. The LIFE DRAWING day, Monday 28th July, is going ahead, and we have the same model at the same venue, Marsham Village Hall. I couldn't make up my mind whether to have someone different, but chose the same model because if you came to the first LIFE DRAWING day you can then build on the experience you gained. Life drawing is a wonderfully intuitive way to improve your drawing and artistic practise, so do take advantage of this day if you are at all interested.

Home from my Hols!

Well I am home from my holidays and of course we had a fab time, weather patchy, lots of swimming, sleeping, eating and drinking. Very little site seeing, in fact probably the laziest holiday I have ever enjoyed!
I will put some pics up so you can see where we went.
Looking at the paintings below, from just before half term, I am thinking that I will be asking you to continue with this harmonising colour theme, in search of refining the subtlety of your colour use. Its not often that we are in a position to toy with colour in such a playful way, and I really like the idea  that your drawings move far away from the source material, and become paintings that stand or fall in terms of good, powerful and interesting composition and careful and thoughtful use of colour.