Welcome to the Filbert Splosh Newsletter. Your comments, suggestions or contributions are welcome.
Featured Artist: Rob Drayton
I love walking in the hills, and I would dearly like to capture some of the magic of the mountain landscape on paper. The two areas I know best – Wales and the Swiss Alps - are very different in shape and colour and climate, but they pose similar challenges. Or rather, they present similar artistic opportunities.For me, the main challenge is to capture the transient scenes that you get in poor weather – the shifting softness of the misty landscape, the sudden glimpses of crest and ridge through broken cloud. I think David Bellamy is particularly good at this in his ink/wash sketches and drawings. Equally I am drawn to the way that smaller features of the landscape provide opportunities for a much more abstract style, whether it is the smoothly repeating curves of the Brecon Beacons or the jagged, fractured scenery of the Alpine glaciers. I love Kyffin Williams’ representations of the tumbled boulders of Snowdonia, especially his watercolour sketches, which are so vibrant. Equally, though I admire Emrys Davies’ sombre powerful charcoal drawings of the typical elements of the Welsh scene – the cottage on the hillside, a fragment of stone wall.
Paul’s classes have liberated me, and I find enormous pleasure in using the thick graphite sticks on large pieces of paper - a far cry from the foolscap and HB pencil of my childhood. The ink-sticks cut from the hedgerow also give me a far more free and physical approach to using ink than I had thought possible.
The most important lesson that I have learnt is the recognition of tone (not line) as the foundation of the drawing. I am going to concentrate on graphite sketching for the immediate future, but my longer term aim is to learn the fundamentals of colour wash, so that I can confidently move on to ink/wash and wet-on-wet techniques, which I think will be my preferred way of tackling landscape.
Rob Drayton
If you would like to have your paintings featured here please email me a short statement of what drives you to paint (200 words maximum) and two or three images. You can post the information if you prefer.
SPECIAL OFFER
· The Super Duper Drawing course at Hampton Bishop on 18/19/20 July covers a lot of new ideas about drawing and uses lots of different mediums such as graphite, pencils. charcoal, chalk, pastel, pens and even making your own drawing implements! If you are interested in drawing, this is definitely the course for you. I have four places available on a three for two offer – you get three days for the price of two: You PAY £95 instead of £145, a bargain. All materials are included.
To take up this offer you must inform me by Thursday 12th July. Click here to email me now.
INVITATION
· From 9th to the 13th July I shall be in the Old House (the large black and white building in Hightown) in the centre of Hereford working with a student on a project to produce a piece of art to stimulate primary school children during their literacy hours. The idea of the art work is to paint elements of a picture on to multiple sheets of acrylic so that when they are stacked together they make a picture. The sheets can be shuffled and the will be backed by a mirror so the viewer can also become part of the scene. If you want to pop in at anytime and see how things are progressing I’d be really pleased to see you.
· The Old House is open on Tuesday through to Friday 10.00am until 5.00pm. Dates 10 July – 13 July inclusive.
Forthcoming Art Courses
July Courses
Using Perspective at Aston on Clun village hall on 15 July 2007 - All you need to know about perspective in fun and easy chunks.
Painting for Beginners at Cradley village hall on 16/17 July 2007 - Specially designed for beginners and those wanting to experiment a bit.
Super Duper Drawing at Hampton Bishop Village Hall on 18/19/20 July 2007 – All drawing techniques covered with lots of experimentation
Painting Holiday: Want to spend 3 days painting, have a great meal with wine for lunch and wonderful surroundings to work in? Why not consider coming on the Herefordshire Painting Holiday at Broadfield Court Vineyard. It should be a great way to spend three days. For details click here
O’Keefe in Coloured Pencil at Aston on Clun village hall on 29 July 2007 – large scale drawings, bold images great fun
Recommend a Friend
This is becoming popular way of earning a £10 voucher. If you recommend a friend, who has not attended one of my art courses and that person subsequently books and attends a course, I shall send you a £10 Marks and Spencer Gift Voucher. For details of how this works CLICK HERE
Let’s appreciate Art
And finally to you
Over the past year or so we have looked at art from many different perspectives, but there are so many aspects and elements in a work of art it is almost impossible to completely understand everything. Your own attitudes, beliefs and education as well as your ability to open your mind will affect the way you appreciate art. You can be as profound and wide-ranging as your capacity permits. Making judgements about art is a very subjective business, nevertheless comments such as: ‘that’s rubbish’, or ‘a brilliant piece of work’ should be avoided, unless of course you can substantiate your view. If you can, your view whatever that might be, is just as valid as anyone else’s.
The more you look, think and create, the more you will see, feel and understand what art is really all about. Remember art is very much like life, the more you experience it the more you realise it has to offer.
Happy Painting
Regards
Filbert Splosh
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