2017
SEPTEMBER 2017
Hashim Akib gave us a demonstration
On 8 September we met at our usual place of Putnoe Heights Church and we welcomed a full house to see Hashim Akib give us one of his demonstrations. This is not the first time he has visited us, but his subject this time was a wildlife picture in acrylics.
He began painting on a canvas covered with a bright turquoise colour. The subject – a leopard at Chester Zoo – looked magnificent as it relaxed in front of some tropical foliage.
Hashim explained his technique of using large flat brushes with a variety of colours which he 'stroked ' over the canvas in different directions until it was covered. He highlighted the light and dark areas which he would need as he proceeded. At this stage it was quite difficult to see how the animal would appear, but with his hand moving in all directions, it did become easier to see the leopard coming through as the demonstration progressed.
The audience was amazed to see the creature emerge from the jungle gradually, to become the beautiful animal it is, especially as the initial colours seemed probable for the sunject.
A wonderful aand instructive evening.
Diane Bell
JULY 2017
PICNIC AT THE PANACEA
Saturday, 8 July, dawned into a beautiful day. By noon we were setting out chairs, putting up tents, and beginning to lay out the food. Sliced tasty ham, French sticks, cheese…and as people began to arrive with lot of salads, pies, savouries, a feast appeared!
It was hot. But we relaxed in the shade. Under the apple tree was popular. New members and old chatted together. Inevitably the youngest guest was absorbed in her I-phone. Some of us did a tour of the house. Most of us did absolutely nothing except eat, drink and talk together, enjoying the food, getting to know one another better.
Some fitness addicts played boules.
Mostly we just chilled.
Pauline Brown
July meeting with Botanical artist, Sandra Wall Armitage
On 7 July we met at our usual place of Putnoe Heights Church to be shown how to execute a floral painting by botanical artist, Sandra Wall Armitage.
She gave us an outline of her career and its development into the present. She has been a teacher, a greetings card illustrator and demonstrator. She explained her tools, and methods for under-drawing in preparation for her picture, as well as telling us which paper is suited to her work.
She then went on to demonstrate her methods to an audience who had many questions for her.
An interesting talk on a very hot evening, so we thank all our members for turning out.
Diane Bell
London day trip
Saturday, 1 July, ten of us went to London. A beautiful day and our first stop was The Mall Gallery to see the Wildlife Artist of the Year Exhibition. We loved the walruses of Magdalenefjord, wonders in watercolour by Claire Harkess, the John Dory crafted in birch plywood by Bill Prickett, the huge orangutan (260cm high) by David Cooke in bronze. Animals and birds in abundance, like the wonderful hippos painted in oil on aluminium. If you’ve never been to this exhibition, do go next year.
After lunch in St James Park we went to the Portrait Gallery to see BP Portrait of the Year. The variety of styles and the quality of work was incredible. This exhibition continues so you can still see it.
Both these exhibitions were free. A little weary but happy we caught to No. 91 back to St Pancreas.
Pauline Brown
JUNE 2017
Outdoor Painting
We started our outdoor painting on Thursday in warm sunshine, at the historic Foster Hill Road cemetery. The Friends made us very welcome, and the maintenance workers even moved their truck so that we could get a better view of the chapel. The Pavilion in the Park was an excellent lunch venue nearby.
We'll be meeting again at the same spot, at 10 am on Thursdays, for the next two weeks.
Teresa Moon
Chris Christoforou
On 2 June we met at our usual place of Putnoe Heights Church for an illustrated talk by Chris Christoforou about Beauty in your Backyard.
He encouraged us to look close to home for inspiration for our pictures – neighborhood cats, dogs, farm animals and their environs. He explained that he takes many photos to get the best view he can and then crops them, to close in on the subject or place it well within the scene to be painted. This could give rise to a wide variety of views of the same subject.
He also takes photos of wild animals and puts them into his pictures choosing similar colorings to get the best results, such as a pheasant or fox placed in an autumn woodland scene.
He explained that some of his pictures were composites, for example, when he photographed a working gun-dog with a female pheasant in its mouth and he would substitute a male pheasant to achieve greater interest, or used an interesting woodland scene to add in a fox, pheasant, owl or toadstool.
This gave us food for thought in that we don't have to go far and wide to discover something interesting to paint. It may be on our doorstep. It depends on how we look at the view.
Diane Bell
MAY 2017
Portrait sessions
It's our last portrait session this week. We won't be meeting again until 14th September.
Now the sun has finally arrived, we will be painting outdoors every Thursday throughout the summer.
Lucy did this quick sketch of us last week. Hope she works it into a nice print by September.
Teresa Moon
Sharon Hurst demonstrates fantasy painting
On 5 May we met at our usual place of Putnoe Heights Church for Sharon Hurst's demonstration based on her fantasy paintings.
We may have wondered what she would tell us on this theme but she came prepared with a sketch which she went on to paint for us, clearly explaining all the time her methods and techniques. She explained basic coloring's for skin tones and how she lay washes and glazes over each other to bring her picture to life.
She worked painstakingly to ensure a face appeared from the paper which was life-like and, when the picture has been completed, she promised to put it on her website for us to see. Her enthusiasm for the subject affected all of us and, for the portrait painters among us, was a lesson in blending and tonality.
She told us about, and justified, her use of the brushes and type of paint. This is always useful for our artists as many of them like to try new equipment, while using that which has been tried and tested .
Diane Bell
APRIL 2017
Guy Scott doing portrait
We enjoyed a demonstration of portraiture last night, Friday, when Guy Scott chose to paint our Chairman, Andy.
Guy was the Director of Art at Stowe School for many years so his presentation was clear and understandable for all. He has much experience in the world of art and has exhibited all over the country, so we looked forward to his demonstration.
He began by outlining his techniques and explaining why he worked in the way that he does and the materials which he uses. He gave us tips on various aspects of working in acrylics, before he began to paint a sketch of Andy. The picture seemed to emerge from the canvas in an uncanny way, as so often is the way, but a likeness was captured to the delight and surprise of everyone, not least Andy himself.
Guy welcomed questions from the floor and answered fully. We all enjoyed the evening and, so too, I'm sure, did our guests.
Diane Bell
MARCH 2017
Annual Dinner
Our Annual Dinner was held at The Pheasant in Bedford on 31st March – a little later than usual. 32 people were there and from the chatter and camaraderie they all seemed to be enjoying themselves. Ralph Pointer came over from Northampton to meet up with members he’d known for years when outdoor painting or at Portrait Sessions, One of our new members, Pam, brought her husband who we all thought would make an interesting model. We don’t know exactly how he felt about it!
Some of us got involved in the Pub Quiz afterwards and realised we weren’t as smart as we thought we were. But, hey,. We rather liked it. And we all went home smiling.
Thanks for organising it, Mary.
Pauline Brown
Alexandra Drysdale talks about light in art
On 3 March we met at our usual place of Putnoe Heights Church to hear Alexandra Drysdale talk about the science of light in art.
She began with a brief explanation of light as perceived by scientists throughout history, and showed us how this has been used in paintings by artists demonstrating their skills in this field. Light has been used to enhance the wide variety of materials worn by sitters from metals to velvet's and satin's, or to show religious subjects indicating where the presence of God appears.
We were shown many famous paintings through history and in to modern times, which proved a valuable lesson in using light in our work.
Diane Bell
FEBUARY 2017
James Green airbrush demo, BAS February meeting.
We met on 3 February for another demonstration, this time of an art form which most of us have not tried – airbrush.
James Green, a trained graphic artist, introduced us to this unfamiliar form by showing us the techniques and equipment which we would need if we wanted to take up airbrushing. He showed us the differences between direct spraying, giving a sharp edge to the shape, and indirect spraying which gives a blurred edge.
He stressed the need to keep the air brush pen clean and explained the compressors which are needed to blow the air through the pen. Some artists have a different pen for each colour they use in a painting, but James doesn't do this. He demonstrated how he builds up layers to achieve an intensity of colour, and some of the materials he can manipulate to achieve a wide variety of effects. Lines, blocks and shading were all demonstrated to show us what is possible.
He went on to explain the value of masking film, and then proceeded to show us how to use it to build up a picture of a ripe and rosy apple. From a circle with colour pencil marks on it he used yellows, greens, orange, red and blue to achieve a final picture of a delicious-looking apple. He removed the film to enable him to give a shadow to ground the fruit, which finished the evening in an amazing way.
Diane Bell
JANUARY 2017
Bedford Art Society January meeting.
Our first meeting of the year at Putnoe Heights Church, was a slide show given by Maxine Copeland, a local artist, who took us through the art of lino printing.
She showed us the type of lino she uses and went back in time to explain how printing had first started with basic hand prints found and preserved in caves around the world.
We also saw the differences between lithographs, etching, engraving and printing, each with their own techniques. She showed us how an image is built up with different colours and explained that time is a major factor in hand printing. She uses natural equipment wherever possible to achieve her pictures and assured us we need not have to use expensive items to make a good print.
She explained how some pictures have influenced her work and how some have to be rejected as they are not suitable for her type of work. Blocks of colour and linear scenes are the best so we saw some interesting pictures of Willington Dovecote, both inside and out, buildings on Woburn High Street, Moggerhanger House, the band stand in Bedford Park and bridges over the Ouse.
Maybe we will be inspired to try our own prints for our next exhibition.
Diane Bell
Hashim Akib gave us a demonstration
On 8 September we met at our usual place of Putnoe Heights Church and we welcomed a full house to see Hashim Akib give us one of his demonstrations. This is not the first time he has visited us, but his subject this time was a wildlife picture in acrylics.
He began painting on a canvas covered with a bright turquoise colour. The subject – a leopard at Chester Zoo – looked magnificent as it relaxed in front of some tropical foliage.
Hashim explained his technique of using large flat brushes with a variety of colours which he 'stroked ' over the canvas in different directions until it was covered. He highlighted the light and dark areas which he would need as he proceeded. At this stage it was quite difficult to see how the animal would appear, but with his hand moving in all directions, it did become easier to see the leopard coming through as the demonstration progressed.
The audience was amazed to see the creature emerge from the jungle gradually, to become the beautiful animal it is, especially as the initial colours seemed probable for the sunject.
A wonderful aand instructive evening.
Diane Bell
JULY 2017
PICNIC AT THE PANACEA
Saturday, 8 July, dawned into a beautiful day. By noon we were setting out chairs, putting up tents, and beginning to lay out the food. Sliced tasty ham, French sticks, cheese…and as people began to arrive with lot of salads, pies, savouries, a feast appeared!
It was hot. But we relaxed in the shade. Under the apple tree was popular. New members and old chatted together. Inevitably the youngest guest was absorbed in her I-phone. Some of us did a tour of the house. Most of us did absolutely nothing except eat, drink and talk together, enjoying the food, getting to know one another better.
Some fitness addicts played boules.
Mostly we just chilled.
Pauline Brown
July meeting with Botanical artist, Sandra Wall Armitage
On 7 July we met at our usual place of Putnoe Heights Church to be shown how to execute a floral painting by botanical artist, Sandra Wall Armitage.
She gave us an outline of her career and its development into the present. She has been a teacher, a greetings card illustrator and demonstrator. She explained her tools, and methods for under-drawing in preparation for her picture, as well as telling us which paper is suited to her work.
She then went on to demonstrate her methods to an audience who had many questions for her.
An interesting talk on a very hot evening, so we thank all our members for turning out.
Diane Bell
London day trip
Saturday, 1 July, ten of us went to London. A beautiful day and our first stop was The Mall Gallery to see the Wildlife Artist of the Year Exhibition. We loved the walruses of Magdalenefjord, wonders in watercolour by Claire Harkess, the John Dory crafted in birch plywood by Bill Prickett, the huge orangutan (260cm high) by David Cooke in bronze. Animals and birds in abundance, like the wonderful hippos painted in oil on aluminium. If you’ve never been to this exhibition, do go next year.
After lunch in St James Park we went to the Portrait Gallery to see BP Portrait of the Year. The variety of styles and the quality of work was incredible. This exhibition continues so you can still see it.
Both these exhibitions were free. A little weary but happy we caught to No. 91 back to St Pancreas.
Pauline Brown
JUNE 2017
Outdoor Painting
We started our outdoor painting on Thursday in warm sunshine, at the historic Foster Hill Road cemetery. The Friends made us very welcome, and the maintenance workers even moved their truck so that we could get a better view of the chapel. The Pavilion in the Park was an excellent lunch venue nearby.
We'll be meeting again at the same spot, at 10 am on Thursdays, for the next two weeks.
Teresa Moon
Chris Christoforou
On 2 June we met at our usual place of Putnoe Heights Church for an illustrated talk by Chris Christoforou about Beauty in your Backyard.
He encouraged us to look close to home for inspiration for our pictures – neighborhood cats, dogs, farm animals and their environs. He explained that he takes many photos to get the best view he can and then crops them, to close in on the subject or place it well within the scene to be painted. This could give rise to a wide variety of views of the same subject.
He also takes photos of wild animals and puts them into his pictures choosing similar colorings to get the best results, such as a pheasant or fox placed in an autumn woodland scene.
He explained that some of his pictures were composites, for example, when he photographed a working gun-dog with a female pheasant in its mouth and he would substitute a male pheasant to achieve greater interest, or used an interesting woodland scene to add in a fox, pheasant, owl or toadstool.
This gave us food for thought in that we don't have to go far and wide to discover something interesting to paint. It may be on our doorstep. It depends on how we look at the view.
Diane Bell
MAY 2017
Portrait sessions
It's our last portrait session this week. We won't be meeting again until 14th September.
Now the sun has finally arrived, we will be painting outdoors every Thursday throughout the summer.
Lucy did this quick sketch of us last week. Hope she works it into a nice print by September.
Teresa Moon
Sharon Hurst demonstrates fantasy painting
On 5 May we met at our usual place of Putnoe Heights Church for Sharon Hurst's demonstration based on her fantasy paintings.
We may have wondered what she would tell us on this theme but she came prepared with a sketch which she went on to paint for us, clearly explaining all the time her methods and techniques. She explained basic coloring's for skin tones and how she lay washes and glazes over each other to bring her picture to life.
She worked painstakingly to ensure a face appeared from the paper which was life-like and, when the picture has been completed, she promised to put it on her website for us to see. Her enthusiasm for the subject affected all of us and, for the portrait painters among us, was a lesson in blending and tonality.
She told us about, and justified, her use of the brushes and type of paint. This is always useful for our artists as many of them like to try new equipment, while using that which has been tried and tested .
Diane Bell
APRIL 2017
Guy Scott doing portrait
We enjoyed a demonstration of portraiture last night, Friday, when Guy Scott chose to paint our Chairman, Andy.
Guy was the Director of Art at Stowe School for many years so his presentation was clear and understandable for all. He has much experience in the world of art and has exhibited all over the country, so we looked forward to his demonstration.
He began by outlining his techniques and explaining why he worked in the way that he does and the materials which he uses. He gave us tips on various aspects of working in acrylics, before he began to paint a sketch of Andy. The picture seemed to emerge from the canvas in an uncanny way, as so often is the way, but a likeness was captured to the delight and surprise of everyone, not least Andy himself.
Guy welcomed questions from the floor and answered fully. We all enjoyed the evening and, so too, I'm sure, did our guests.
Diane Bell
MARCH 2017
Annual Dinner
Our Annual Dinner was held at The Pheasant in Bedford on 31st March – a little later than usual. 32 people were there and from the chatter and camaraderie they all seemed to be enjoying themselves. Ralph Pointer came over from Northampton to meet up with members he’d known for years when outdoor painting or at Portrait Sessions, One of our new members, Pam, brought her husband who we all thought would make an interesting model. We don’t know exactly how he felt about it!
Some of us got involved in the Pub Quiz afterwards and realised we weren’t as smart as we thought we were. But, hey,. We rather liked it. And we all went home smiling.
Thanks for organising it, Mary.
Pauline Brown
Alexandra Drysdale talks about light in art
On 3 March we met at our usual place of Putnoe Heights Church to hear Alexandra Drysdale talk about the science of light in art.
She began with a brief explanation of light as perceived by scientists throughout history, and showed us how this has been used in paintings by artists demonstrating their skills in this field. Light has been used to enhance the wide variety of materials worn by sitters from metals to velvet's and satin's, or to show religious subjects indicating where the presence of God appears.
We were shown many famous paintings through history and in to modern times, which proved a valuable lesson in using light in our work.
Diane Bell
FEBUARY 2017
James Green airbrush demo, BAS February meeting.
We met on 3 February for another demonstration, this time of an art form which most of us have not tried – airbrush.
James Green, a trained graphic artist, introduced us to this unfamiliar form by showing us the techniques and equipment which we would need if we wanted to take up airbrushing. He showed us the differences between direct spraying, giving a sharp edge to the shape, and indirect spraying which gives a blurred edge.
He stressed the need to keep the air brush pen clean and explained the compressors which are needed to blow the air through the pen. Some artists have a different pen for each colour they use in a painting, but James doesn't do this. He demonstrated how he builds up layers to achieve an intensity of colour, and some of the materials he can manipulate to achieve a wide variety of effects. Lines, blocks and shading were all demonstrated to show us what is possible.
He went on to explain the value of masking film, and then proceeded to show us how to use it to build up a picture of a ripe and rosy apple. From a circle with colour pencil marks on it he used yellows, greens, orange, red and blue to achieve a final picture of a delicious-looking apple. He removed the film to enable him to give a shadow to ground the fruit, which finished the evening in an amazing way.
Diane Bell
JANUARY 2017
Bedford Art Society January meeting.
Our first meeting of the year at Putnoe Heights Church, was a slide show given by Maxine Copeland, a local artist, who took us through the art of lino printing.
She showed us the type of lino she uses and went back in time to explain how printing had first started with basic hand prints found and preserved in caves around the world.
We also saw the differences between lithographs, etching, engraving and printing, each with their own techniques. She showed us how an image is built up with different colours and explained that time is a major factor in hand printing. She uses natural equipment wherever possible to achieve her pictures and assured us we need not have to use expensive items to make a good print.
She explained how some pictures have influenced her work and how some have to be rejected as they are not suitable for her type of work. Blocks of colour and linear scenes are the best so we saw some interesting pictures of Willington Dovecote, both inside and out, buildings on Woburn High Street, Moggerhanger House, the band stand in Bedford Park and bridges over the Ouse.
Maybe we will be inspired to try our own prints for our next exhibition.
Diane Bell