I am currently working on a self-initiated project to illustrate a book about King’s Lynn. It is a fascination town with much history. I felt inspired to create this project whilst invigilating at our summer exhibition in St Nicholas’ Chapel. One of the church staff was giving a guided tour about the church and was enthusiastically talking about the church’s history. This gave me the idea to create a book about the history of the town. I then spent many trips to King’s Lynn sketching around the town and taking photographs. Fortunately, when the first lock down happened, I already had a large number of images to be working from and have been able to continue since. I have so far created 10 drawings out of a list of 55 that keeps on growing as I discover more and more buildings to add!

When the book is complete, I hope to have it printed and perhaps crowd funded or sent to a publisher.

My process for creating each drawing involves:
1) drawing the outline in pencil
2) painting a wash of watercolour on areas to be in colour
3) adding detail to the drawing using colour pencil and graphite pencil

Izzy Wingham

Alexander of the second wave

What do you do if you are an artist and you are made to stay at home for a year?

Well, you produce art. And in my case, I’ve done so to such an extent, that the shed where I keep my finished works now resembles a crowd scene from a future dystopian world where random everyday objects have grouped together to start new lives of their own, and social distancing is strictly for the “Organics”.

Meanwhile, back in the real world. What is it that I have been making? I hear you ask.
My inspiration lately seems to be coming from the Classical world.

During the first lockdown, I created, from recycled milk bottles (one of my favourite materials) a life-size replica of a famous Michelangelo statue. When I say life-size, I mean the size of a person. Not the size of the original work.

I am keeping this one under wraps for the moment though. I don’t want to lessen the “Shock and Awe” value when it is finally unveiled at an exhibition.

All I can say is, it is surprising how much, from a distance, plastic milk bottles look like Carrara marble.

I have always been interested in Kinetic art. So, the next work that I produced, you may well have already seen. The mechanical Minatour called “Spode” (as in Spode china. You know? Bull in a china shop?) Anyway. The challenge with this one, was not constructing it, but in making the video that followed. Spode does not actually move on his own, but with the wonders of stop-go  animation he can be made to look that way. I did this using 300 separate still photographs to make the short film. The real task was synchronising the motion to the music. It kept me amused for many a long evening.

Finally, we come to my latest labour of love. I say that because I have spent more time producing this than anything else so far.
This one is entitled “Alexander of the second wave” (pictured)
I’m back on the recycled plastic here. Shampoo bottles, yoghurt pots, detergent boxes, whatever I could lay my hands on basically.
This is my re-creation of the mosaic of Alexander the Great that was un-earthed at Pompei. I am amazed at the level of detail in the original, considering it was made 2,000 years ago from tiny pieces of coloured stone. Apparently, they used a palette of 27 colours, compared to my measly 17. “Much respect. Romans”
Wouldn’t it be nice to think that in 2,000 years time someone might dig up one of our works of art, and try to copy it?
Oh, by the way. The second wave bit of the title is because I made it during the second wave of the pandemic.

Talking of which, being of mature years, I have had the jab now, and am feeling ready to face the world again.

And as for the shed full of “Non-Organics” Well, they seem to be multiplying of their own accord, and are now bursting out into the garden.
Only an exhibition can save us now.

Tom Sharp

During these difficult times I don’t think it is exaggerating to describe my studio as a life saver. I am able to walk to it every day, if I want to, and I take a flask of coffee and biscuit, and it brings me great joy and happiness to be able to create various pieces of artwork and keep myself busy.

There is no doubt that we will look back at the way we lived through this pandemic and wonder how we did it. For me, it has been having access to my own little space to do what I want, when I want.

Sandringham Church in van Gogh style

The added bonus of being a member of the WNAA has been the Challenges issued by our Committee. These have often set us off on a path which is out of our comfort zone; self-portraits being one, and Norfolk in the style of the French Impressionists another.

I have also found that to have the opportunity to prepare pictures for our Exhibitions online has been a challenge in itself. It’s obviously nothing like as exciting as being together in St. Nicholas Chapel, or Thornham Village Hall, hanging all the pictures, and placing the 3D Artwork on the plinths, etc. but at least it gave us a challenge and kept us busy.

I thought that the presentation of these online exhibitions was brilliant, and I thank Chandra and Steve and the committee for all their efforts on our behalf.

I was very pleased to be invited to join a local group down here in Snettisham, called Art 21 and, as we couldn’t have our weekly get togethers, they also issued us with challenges, which were both inspiring and difficult at the same time.

Self portrait

I was delighted to receive my first dose of the vaccine yesterday, and it was a very exciting experience. It is the first step along the road to recovery, in my view, and I just can’t wait to see my family and friends again and have the thing I have missed most- HUGS!

Helena Anderson

In the past many of my early mentors would deride the work of illustrators and graphic designers as ‘not real artists ‘. They were so wrong.
The art of illustration demands many creative skills. Not only in the handling of materials to produce an acceptable result for a paying client, but also it requires an imagination and storytelling ability which goes way beyond the mere copying of a subject, as so many artists tend to do. 

In the 70s I managed an art materials shop and gallery in the centre of Leicester. One of our artists was royal portrait painter, Bryan Organ who lived locally.

Ideas for David Attenborough (studies for Attenborough in Paradise) 2016*

In conversation one day I asked him “Bryan, what is the difference between a professional artist and an amateur? “

This was his reply. “A professional draws and an amateur paints”. I knew exactly what he meant through handling his work through our gallery. This interview with him explains the theory perfectly.

http://www.leicestersocietyofartists.co.uk/events/2016/bryan-organ-talk.php

He would find a subject and observe / dissect it from so many different angles via ‘working drawings ‘. 
For instance, he produced a major exhibition based solely around the life of a local pigeon fancier.  Small scale studies of the individual prized birds, the loft interiors, family portraits, and their lives which revolved around the world of pigeon racing.

Attenborough in Paradise 2016 **

He worked on a small scale using mainly pencil and gouache, creating endless studies which we framed and exhibited alongside several major finished paintings. These studies were the ‘nuts and bolts ‘ of Bryan’s art. The drawings showed the development of the theme throughout its entire process, to the major works hanging on the gallery wall.

How many of us just pick up a brush and paint a picture, and then move on to the next subject?
Where would the world of art be without the wonderful drawings of Leonardo Da Vinci? The Mona Lisa tells us little of the brilliant mind which existed behind a fairly ordinary portrait?

I spent many years teaching art to adults and children. There is very little difference when it comes to teaching art.
On enrolment nights the conversation would often go something like this-:

Such is the perception of ‘drawing ‘. Painting is drawing with a brush and colour. How can one exist successfully without the other?
It is all down to observation, and then using the information creatively. See, draw, understand, create.

So many people say, “I cannot draw,” yet they are capable of writing a legible letter in their own hand, so the dexterity is there.
 What they really mean is THEY CANNOT BE BOTHERED TO LOOK!
 By drawing you are undertaking intense observation of your subject, and therefore will have a far better chance of producing something which is far more intimate and creative in your finished work. 

How many of you even consider working from your own sketches? When drawing a subject, you can be very selective and note only the essentials which first caught your eye, as a possible subject ‘. Or you can study the finer details. A camera is nowhere near as selective and tends to ‘flatten everything out ‘. 
I do use my camera, but only to collect ‘information’. For instance, there is little point in sitting in front of buildings and drawing every single window, chimney and doorway. While travelling, time is often important, not to mention the weather conditions. 
I will take a photo, only draw from it, and then put it away, occasionally getting it out to check the local colour of such things as buildings, boats, street signs etc., By working from photographs you can easily fall into the trap of producing an exact copy of your photograph, and what is the point of that?

Mike Smith

*Organ, Bryan; Ideas for David Attenborough; Leicester Arts and Museums Service; http://www.artuk.org/artworks/ideas-for-david-attenborough-236360
**Organ, Bryan; Attenborough in Paradise (Portrait of Sir David Attenborough); Leicester Arts and Museums Service; http://www.artuk.org/artworks/attenborough-in-paradise-portrait-of-sir-david-attenborough-234869

Sometimes, as artists, whatever our style or medium it feels like a struggle to find the light. It gives life and form to our work, but we have to ask more than “where is the light coming from here?”

Pauline Prior-Pitt writes poetry which sings of her love of the Outer Hebrides…
It was no surprise to find Pauline is also an artist. As we leave summer behind and enter into winter Pauline is happy for me to share two of her poems which reflect her observations of how light changes with the seasons.

Summer Light

think of green water

no, turquoise
think of blue
more green than blue

no, more blue than green
but darker
ultramarine

no, deeper turquoise
emerald sapphire

think of them all

think of sand cream bays
when the tide is out
streaked with shallow pools
reflecting silver blue

no, make that milky green
though milky green is more
when the tide saunters back in
and water from the burn
mingles peat brown to violet streams

think bright green

no, brighter
a May green, like leaf buds
of rowan trees in spring
machair headlands turning
daisy white to pansy yellow
buttercup to clover pink

think all this together

Winter Light

Think mostly muted
as if seen through grey veils
Still think abundant green, duller
water-logged brown in places
moss green fringed fawn

think cinnamon and ginger
think peat brown dug deep, almost black
think grey burns, grey lochs
grey sea trailing white pray

Then think a low down sun
Think peat grass glowing crimson
on the moor

think marram glossing ochre
over pale sand against gold water

think brimming burns and lochs
holding ink blue light

Visit Pauline Prior-Pitt’s website

Michele Summers
Photos © Michele Summers

New Year’s Day 2020 feels like a lifetime ago now. I’m certain we all had plans, big plans, small plans, for the year – for me there were exhibitions, craft fairs, teaching, workshops and shows, with something booked all the way through from the beginning of March till Christmas. I was excited. This was going to be my busiest year ever. I worried whether I would have enough work, frames and mounts, worried about whether tools and lino would arrive in time for the classes.  I was worried it might all go well; I was worried it might all go badly – 

March arrived and setting up the first exhibition at Welney Wetland Trust was really good fun – it looked great and it felt like a lovely way to start the run of events. Corona Virus was on the way and I suppose there was a part of me assumed it would come and go and life would be much the same afterwards. It sounds so naïve now. 

One day I had a full calendar, a week later nothing – email after email came in to cancel all those carefully scheduled events, and with every media outlet talking about rising hospital admissions and so many people dying – although it hurt, my art seemed trivial by comparison 

I know lots of artists were inspired by the time in lockdown. I wasn’t – I was sad about my scuppered plans, unable to feel creative, and trying to manage a mother in care on end of life care, and an aging father who refused to stay in and was incredulous and annoyed when I pointed out he was high risk – the conflicting advice, the rising figures – I am sure we have all felt the stress and confusion of it.

Eventually I began to make new work, mostly of things I was missing, like walking on the beach. But what I have missed most is interacting with the people I love, enjoy, like and admire – the village that is the art and craft community – catching up with people you may have not seen since last year, setting up your stand or helping to invigilate or hang a show, the shared joys of selling or not, of swapping hints and tips and contact details of people who supply that wonderful thing, that perfect tool or run that wonderful fair. 

So, those few events that have gone ahead in 2020 with careful management have felt like gold dust, and one of the nicest has been the Open Exhibition at West Acre Gallery, which ran for most of September, and hosted a wide variety of 2 and 3 dimensional work from 27 local artists.

To quote the organiser, Abbey Stirling,’ In the mix we have painters, printmakers, sculptors, ceramicists, metalwork, needle felt and textile artists all bringing forth their unique skills for this mixed discipline exhibition, to showcase a truly diverse cross section of artistic talent. ‘

And on a very positive note there were a really good number of sales, both of original art works and also from the gift shop that ran alongside the main exhibition, selling cards and smaller pieces of the featured artists’ work. 

West Acre Gallery is the brainchild and baby of Abbey Stirling. Conceived as community Art Gallery it is entirely crowdfunded and sits amongst the ancient ruins of a 900 year old priory in Abbey Farm, West Acre, in what promises to be a thriving local artisan community which currently includes a craft brewery, woodworkers, framers, artists and a mosaicist with more studio spaces available to let. 

It is the kind of place that promises great things in the future, while offering some wonderful things right now.

This year more than ever this event has been a real treat – a bright light in a very dark year. 

I think lots of us are hoping the West Acre Gallery Open will become an annual feature – for more details about the gallery, to hire or admire it, to join their mailing list, or to find out what they have planned for the rest of the year, go and take a look at the Gallery website: https://www.westacregallery.co.uk

Sue Welfare

Chapel 7

This is a difficult and trying time for us all, so here is a little breath of Cote d’Azur to cheer you up.

After all the cancellations of my trips during the spring and summer, I decided to take the bull by the horns and try to make it to France in August to see my daughter. Not sure if I was brave or foolhardy, but the journey to Luton and onwards to Nice was extremely challenging, but so worth it. Continue reading →

To give you a little background – I only started painting in 2014 after I closed my business and retired. I ran a successful greetings card publishing business for over 23 years designing, selling and publishing greeting cards in many different languages all over the world. During my career I met artists, illustrators, graphic designers and photographers and this fuelled my interest in art.

I was brought up in an academic household where art was frowned upon and considered the easy option! I now know differently! Any early aspirations I had regarding art were soon drummed out of me.

So, in 2014 I started on my journey into art initially joining a local art club headed up by one of our members, Terence Rogers. I am still very much at the early stages, but I am very keen to develop and improve and have joined many on-line courses – some good, some bad. I haven’t yet found my ‘Artistic Voice’ but I am still looking!

The following is one of the very good and free on-line courses available which I would thoroughly recommend if it becomes available again.

‘FIND YOUR JOY’ Free On-Line Course by Louise Fletcher – June 2020
www.louisefletcherart.com

Lesley’s article ‘Creative Lockdown’ in the August edition of Update gave you an insight on how this course helped her break her creative block.

I signed up for a free newsletter from Louise Fletcher some time ago and every Sunday one pops into my inbox. I found many of her topics resonated with me so when she advertised that she was running this free on-line course I was probably one of the first to sign up.

Louise is a professional abstract artist who is inspired by the beauty of where she lives in the Yorkshire Dales. She is a straight-talking Yorkshire lady who I have found both inspirational and motivating.

This course ran for 8 days but it was very manageable and everything was recorded so you could catch up later if you got behind. Each day probably only comprised one hour of video/exercises and in addition, if you wish, you could spend more time on extra assignments.

Louise asks you some soul-searching questions e.g. What brings you true joy:

In life?
In other people’s art? (What art moves you/touches your soul? Why does it move you?)
In the feelings you get when you are working?

She also advises you to:-

set aside part of every painting session for experimentation and to get really comfortable with failure.

look at past work – good and bad, liked and disliked and to make notes/paste images into a scrap book.

She tells you to ‘Follow the Joy’ and ask what makes you happiest when painting, for example: –

certain colours, certain subjects, realistic details with a tiny brush, bold, big strokes with lots of sloppy paint, straight lines and geometric shapes, organic forms, country scenes, urban nightscapes, seascapes, florals, animals.
Also pay attention to whatever gives you joy AND DO MORE OF IT!
All of the videos and the exercises aim to make you feel more relaxed and happy with failure (it’s all part of the learning process) – in fact one of the exercises, is to make a really ugly painting which is actually great fun!
She also asks you to consider setting limitations for yourself (as too many choices can cause us to freeze) e.g. a limited palette- 3 colours plus black and white; to paint with a limited number of marks or a limited number of tools; to narrow down the idea behind paintings to something very specific.

I think we all have creative blocks and her answer is to show up every day and do something – maybe try mixing different colours and noting how you achieved them, or tidying your studio/workspace but most of all experimenting and practising. One of the analogies I have heard is that you don’t expect to become a concert pianist without practising your scales every day and the same applies to art if you wish to improve – keep practising!
The aim of ‘Find your Joy’ is to give you a glimpse of what is possible, to be relaxed and easy if paintings go wrong and to understand that this is all part of the learning process. To trust your instincts and stop comparing yourself to others. To be curious ‘I wonder what would happen if…’
Louise tells you that the things holding you back are in your own head and that putting soul and personality into your work is vital.
I really enjoyed this course and if Louise runs it again would wholeheartedly recommend it. She runs this free course as a precursor to a much more comprehensive and fee paying 10-week course but don’t be put off as there is no obligation for you to join the latter.

Esther Marshall

The Art Nouveau exhibition at the Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts in Norwich is a small but beautiful exhibition on the mezzanine floor. I visited in August. With plenty of space between exhibits, it’s easy to keep your distance from other visitors.

The exhibition traces Art Nouveau from its emergence in the 1890s showing that by 1900 it was a dominant force in new design. Its exponents were interested in symbolism and psychology combining them with imagery from nature.
They also sought to revive good workmanship, raise the status of craft, and produce genuinely modern design reflecting the utility of the items they were creating.

The curators have taken a broad view with examples of paintings, sculpture, architecture and household design from across Europe. Anything could be of the style, from a tiny brooch to a building.

Whilst it could be said to have its roots in English art and design it never really came to fruition in England. However, in Scotland the Glasgow School of Art developed its own approach.
The exhibition traces how it blossomed in Belgium and France. In Spain, the Catalan artists took it up with Antoni Gaudi being its most famous proponent.

By 1912 the movement was already fading leaving behind some of the most intensely ornamental buildings, furnishings accessories, jewelry and decoration in the history of art, so recognizable today.

It has an enduring appeal. For example, the posters, as shown in the exhibition, by Alfons Mucha, initially made famous by his depiction of Sara Bernhardt, are still sold. Some of the exhibits such as ceramic tableware and wall tiles still wouldn’t look out of place in the home today. The first world war ensured no revival and after the war the Art Deco movement gained prominence.

Coincidentally the Sainsbury centre has also extended the larger Art Deco exhibition which makes for a great follow on. (Chandra wrote about it for Update earlier this year. )

Art Nouveau is extended until 3rd January 2021 and Art Deco until 23rd September 2020.
So, you can have an interesting day out immersed in two art movements which had such a great influence across European art and design.

The cafe is open or,  if the weather is good, there are huge grounds sloping down to the water where you can picnic.

Michele Summers

We have all had such different experiences during lockdown. It would be interesting to compare how this has affected our creativity. I don’t know about you, but initially it seemed to suppress my freedom of expression and motivation and I had a real ‘block’. All that extra time and freedom to concentrate on painting and I couldn’t produce anything! Almost in desperation I joined a free online course suggested in Update – Louise Fletcher, ‘Find your Joy’ – and the very simple exercises she suggested bounced me right back to the way I love to work. (More about this course in the next issue of Update.)

I would say my way of working is based on feelings, memories and emotions conjured up by my experiences and surroundings. If you’ve seen my paintings you will know that more often than not they are heavily influenced by my garden or by our wonderful Norfolk coastline. I focus on the process. This can lead me towards unexpected results, which I don’t always expect to like!

So, even more than usual I have found myself considering and doing all of the following:

Using all those materials I’ve been storing away since I did this or that course a few years ago. Don’t hoard it, but be generous and expansive and splash it about!

Limiting the palette (which I always tend to do), but using colours I wouldn’t normally choose. Again, often left over from sets of paint given as a gift or as part of a course. I’m sure we’ve all got lots of unused colours.

I’ve run out of canvases, so have been using anything to hand – old bits of board in the shed, printer paper etc. It’s been good to work on a different scale and not worrying about what it all costs is very liberating. I’ve rediscovered old half empty sketchbooks and enjoyed filling the pages with experiments and notes, using different tools and media.

As I used to say to students when I was teaching, ‘you can’t get it wrong’, even if you don’t always like the results. Be prepared to fail, as this means you are taking risks and are more likely to be open to new ideas. But most of all enjoy yourself!

Lesley Williams