Sometimes we all need a mindless distraction. However, downloading this app onto my phone made me think. In fact it sent me down a rabbit hole of colour definition and what is “hue”.
The app’s premise is very simple. You start off with some coloured squares which are arranged in terms of gradient of colour and hue, you press start, it jumbles them up and you must restore harmony. Continue reading
What a fantastic exhibition it was! Over 50 members entered their work and we had so much praise from the visitors.
Our exhibitions are an opportunity to show off our creativity, but it is also great to meet other artists and this is a real bonus of belonging to the WNAA.
On Monday 20th September, I should have been going to London for the re-opening of my Mother’s old Dancing School in south east London, which had been bought and restored by some of the Stars from Strictly. Unfortunately, it was cancelled due to covid restrictions, so instead of getting a refund on my train ticket, I decided to go to Kensington Gardens and take a look at the Van Gogh Alive exhibition. Continue reading
a colour of air by Martin Battye
The Cley Exhibition this year had been delayed due to the Covid Crisis – this enabled some artists to explore their ideas and creativity in a much more extreme imaginative way. Most notable were Martin Battye with his massive abstract paintings and Esther Boehm with ‘Ether’ an installation of great magnitude and sensitivity to the space, i.e. St Margarets at Cley.
The church in itself is stunning and the art must compete with this very beautiful ancient setting. Outside there were small installation pieces and on the outside wall of the church four massive wall-hangings suspended beautifully by Margie Britz all about the coast and beaches and stones and pebbles – very exciting.
At the Visitor Centre there were stunning charcoal framed pieces of moonlight and daytime and much more.
Detail of Ether by Esther Boehm
Stone to Stone by Margie Britz
Lydia Haines
www.martinbattye.com/
www.estherboehm.com
www.instagram.com/margiebritzart
‘Nowhere’. Cley 2021
Esther Boehm’s ‘Ether’ is a stunning work. Immediately visible on entering the church of St Margaret of Antioch at Cley, its repeated forms are both separate and work as a composite whole. White, suspended in the air above the baptismal font and above the tombstone of Francis Neale Gent (1711); in front of the magnificent west window, catching every nuance of light on and through the fluctuating sheen texture of each form. This maximises both visibility and the symbolic purity of white. Sometimes it even reflects the stone structure of the cinquefoil and arch of the window behind. Continue reading
The Sound of Silence
I love nature. We really are blessed with the abundance of flora and fauna we have around us here in Norfolk. From the deer roaming the parklands at Holkham, to the humble but beautiful house sparrows comically arguing on your bird feeders. I am lucky in that my house faces out towards an open field, and at the time of writing, there are many hares playing and boxing out there – they are so much fun to watch.
There are also so many birds, too many to list, but my favourites will always be the pheasants; I cannot get over how such a beautiful bird can be living here on my doorstep. I love it all and to watch all these wonderful creatures living their lives is a gift that I am very grateful for; and during lockdown, I was even more grateful. There is something about watching a wild animal going about its daily business that brings a huge amount of peace and joy to my soul.
I am currently striving to create more ‘movement’ in my artwork. It’s often difficult when drawing animals in a realistic style, which is what I ultimately get the most joy out of, but I have learnt over the years that it massively helps to choose the right reference photo in the first place.
Rivals
I would love to try a looser style at some point, as I hugely admire many people’s work who work in a more expressionistic fashion and I feel that there is greater opportunity to create something with movement within the marks you make on the paper, but it just does not come easily to me.
Perhaps it does not help that I work from photos, rather than from life? I think I should get outside a bit more now the weather is warming up and try and draw from life more often, even if it is just some small sketches. It’s not always easy when your preferred subjects are wild animals, but where there is a will, there is a way! Note to self – take plenty of hot tea!
Rather than choosing a reference photo of an animal that seems to be posing or sitting still, I am trying occasionally to choose images where the animal is actively engaged in some sort of activity or movement. This has helped me somewhat and makes my art seem a little more ‘alive’, but I feel that I have a way to go yet. Looking at the other members artwork is so inspiring and has been helpful in encouraging me little by little to try different things and bring new ideas to my easel.
Looking forward to the summer and the exciting things I am sure it will bring for us all.
Jacqueline Bright
If you happen to wander past my studio in the High Street, Heacham (Studio @ 55) you may ask yourself what exactly is going on here. The light could be on when most of Heacham is asleep. I may still be working. I have a deadline.
Each year a contemporary art exhibition takes place at Cley-next-the-Sea. Artists show their work in St. Margaret’s Church and churchyard, the NWT Visitor’s Centre or on the beach. (https://cleycontemporaryart.org/ Instagram @cleycontemporaryart)
Unfortunately, Cley 20 couldn’t take place but now, I can finally proceed with my work for Cley 21 which will take place from 1 July – 1 August.
The theme is “nowhere: not in or to anyplace, not anywhere – nowhere is now here.”
The installation piece I’m doing consists of eleven ‘skins’ that will be suspended above the baptismal font near the west window/entrance. Each ‘skin’ is made of tissue paper and acrylic medium and is approximately 2m long and 120cm at the widest point.
I set to work making a large form made of chicken wire and ‘Ciment Fondu’ that would serve as a mould for the ‘skins.’ They are translucent with soft edges reminiscent of alabaster or ice and will appear to be floating in space. I still have a lot of work to do before the hanging starts on 21 June, but you are welcome to visit me in my studio on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 1pm or by appointment.
Model of installation piece. The largest figure represents a person 6′ tall.
While I’m waiting for the acrylic medium to dry, I’m working on my second installation project of the year. It’s for the Raveningham Sculpture Trail which will run from 31 July to 5 September. (https://raveninghamsculpturetrail.com/sculpture-trail-2021/ Instagram @raveninghamsculpturetrail) I will be using the same materials but suspend ‘skins’ in a tree to create a cocoon-like effect. My childhood love of tree climbing got put into practice again making the templates for the piece.
Clay Modelling is running and so is my new kiln. It’s exciting having a kiln on site and seeing student work after a firing. As things ease up, more courses will begin so please do let me know if you would like to join in. My classes are limited to 4 participants so each person can develop their own ideas with a maximum amount of support.
Esther Boehm
Further information: Esther Boehm BFA (sculpture) • Studio @ 55 • 55 High Street • Heacham, PE31 7DW
www.estherboehm.com • eb@estherboehm.com
Pines and crevasses ( an I-pad image, from memory, of autumn colours on an escarpment in the Alps whilst travelling along the highway)
Here are two quotes that I believe are very relevant for artists today.
Paul Gauguin :
‘Don’t copy nature too closely – art is an abstraction as you dream amid nature, extrapolate art from it and concentrate on what you will create as a result’.
How I interpret this is: don’t slavishly copy what one sees in front of one (nature/photograph) but interpret it expressing one’s self in one’s own language on the final image. Continue reading
When I was studying at university, it was a time when health and safety was just beginning to be a big deal. We did wear our Mickey Mouse ears when using power tools and respirators when working with resins and solvents. However, this practice wasn’t generally carried out when one wasn’t working. Continue reading
“The Party’s Over” (what happened next?!)
What have I done?!
Setting a challenge to produce a piece of artwork so depicting how you feel about your favourite piece of music.
Well, it was a challenge for me, as I dare say for many of you.
I have named my paintings with a musical title and found one that I had done some years ago of a pair of shoes lying on a discarded evening dress with my favourite silver bracelet so I called it “The Party’s Over” (what happened next?!)
“Port de Soller”
Then discovering a picture that I had painted in situ in my favourite holiday destination “Port de Soller” with a couple gazing out to sea on a sunny morning.
I titled this one “On days like these” by Matt Monro or it could have been Neil Diamond’s “Love on the Rocks”.
After being undecided these last six weeks, I decided to actually listen to some music. So, whilst playing a DVD of Einaudi’s haunting piano music especially, L’Onde, I found a piece of gessoed MDF & grabbed my acrylic inks and I poured, painted, stippled, glazed areas letting the ink take me into the music.
The whole process only took a couple of hours and when I had finished it felt like the end of lockdown.
Maybe it’s a new me!
Hope all the members have enjoyed the challenge.
Jill Ilett