Welcome to our Weekly Challenge online gallery.
Following the recent developments here in the UK we have been trying to find new ways of carrying on with creative activities as a club, keeping our members in touch with each other and reaching out to our community. We're posting weekly artistic challenges inviting all members to create a work interpreting the theme and which will then be posted here for all to appreciate and enjoy.
This page highlights the Weekly Challenges from Sept - Feb 2021. For submissions prior to this please look at the Weekly Challenge Mar-Aug 2020 page.
All and any suggestions for topics for these challenges are welcome.
Send suggestions and challenge entries to: weeklychallenge@cliftonartsclub.co.uk
Following the recent developments here in the UK we have been trying to find new ways of carrying on with creative activities as a club, keeping our members in touch with each other and reaching out to our community. We're posting weekly artistic challenges inviting all members to create a work interpreting the theme and which will then be posted here for all to appreciate and enjoy.
This page highlights the Weekly Challenges from Sept - Feb 2021. For submissions prior to this please look at the Weekly Challenge Mar-Aug 2020 page.
All and any suggestions for topics for these challenges are welcome.
Send suggestions and challenge entries to: weeklychallenge@cliftonartsclub.co.uk
ON THE FARM
Portraying activity by domestic farm animals and the farmers
Spring is around the corner and the farmers will be getting very busy. What we want is to see them at their work. This could mean images of them on their farm machinery, herding or milking the cows or rounding up their sheep. Maybe they are in the farm yard and the ducks or free range hens are wandering around. It could be a vision of labourers sowing and planting.
The painting or drawing can be contemporary or historical. The latter would allow you to be influenced by some of the old masters. Copy a favourite painting if you wish, but if you do let me know the name of the original artist.
Portraying activity by domestic farm animals and the farmers
Spring is around the corner and the farmers will be getting very busy. What we want is to see them at their work. This could mean images of them on their farm machinery, herding or milking the cows or rounding up their sheep. Maybe they are in the farm yard and the ducks or free range hens are wandering around. It could be a vision of labourers sowing and planting.
The painting or drawing can be contemporary or historical. The latter would allow you to be influenced by some of the old masters. Copy a favourite painting if you wish, but if you do let me know the name of the original artist.
IT FEELS LIKE THE DEPTH OF WINTER BUT ...
Our gardens are quietly getting busy.
This week let's paint and draw the flowers in our garden. Catkins, snowdrops and Christmas Roses are to be seen in Anne Elliott's garden (this challenge is her idea) and maybe yours too. You may have crocus and even daffodils are showing their face.
This can be a still life or you can brace the cold and draw or paint en plein air - or photograph the scene and work from that.
Our gardens are quietly getting busy.
This week let's paint and draw the flowers in our garden. Catkins, snowdrops and Christmas Roses are to be seen in Anne Elliott's garden (this challenge is her idea) and maybe yours too. You may have crocus and even daffodils are showing their face.
This can be a still life or you can brace the cold and draw or paint en plein air - or photograph the scene and work from that.
DIG OUT THOSE LIFE DRAWING SKETCHES OR USE A KETTLE
I am offering you two different challenges this week. Choose which you prefer.
1) Yesterday we had Daryl as our life model. In the second part of the session he posed for a portrait. Take your work you did of him and develop it into a full blooded portrait. The finished article or as finished as we ever get.
Or you might prefer to work off your sketches from our previous life models, Antonia and Joanna, and produce a portrait of one of them.
2) Priscilla Sorapure told me that a good idea would be to paint your own reflection in something like a stainless steel kettle or toaster so it was very distorted. It could also work with a magnifying glass or anything else reflective?
In other words a self portrait but without the pressure of it being absolutely accurate.
I am offering you two different challenges this week. Choose which you prefer.
1) Yesterday we had Daryl as our life model. In the second part of the session he posed for a portrait. Take your work you did of him and develop it into a full blooded portrait. The finished article or as finished as we ever get.
Or you might prefer to work off your sketches from our previous life models, Antonia and Joanna, and produce a portrait of one of them.
2) Priscilla Sorapure told me that a good idea would be to paint your own reflection in something like a stainless steel kettle or toaster so it was very distorted. It could also work with a magnifying glass or anything else reflective?
In other words a self portrait but without the pressure of it being absolutely accurate.
USING STRONG CONTRASTS IN A COASTAL SCENE
Colourful Lights and Colourful Darks
Some of you will have seen and participated in the Trevor Waugh demonstration last week.. This week's challenge is a follow up to what we learned from Trevor. So the task this week is in watercolour, or if you prefer - in any other medium, to create a general coastal scene in which the dark colours and the light colours are all strong.
There is a recording of the Trevor Waugh event on our website in the members section. Do dip in there if you want guidance or a refresher.
Colourful Lights and Colourful Darks
Some of you will have seen and participated in the Trevor Waugh demonstration last week.. This week's challenge is a follow up to what we learned from Trevor. So the task this week is in watercolour, or if you prefer - in any other medium, to create a general coastal scene in which the dark colours and the light colours are all strong.
There is a recording of the Trevor Waugh event on our website in the members section. Do dip in there if you want guidance or a refresher.
THINGS YOU SEE AT AN AIRPORT
Planes and baggage and passengers
Most of us haven't seen an airport in quite a long time, but it feels like they are never out of the news.
You can depict queues at Border Control, planes doing what planes do, baggage carousels, getting foreign currency, the departure board, even having a coffee while you wait to be called to your flight.
If you don't like working from photos, then just get out your own cases and paint or draw them. The tedious time spent at airports going through security and then the waiting and waiting are not always the happiest memories. Though some people find the process of travel one of the exciting parts of a holiday or trip. Each to their own.
Planes and baggage and passengers
Most of us haven't seen an airport in quite a long time, but it feels like they are never out of the news.
You can depict queues at Border Control, planes doing what planes do, baggage carousels, getting foreign currency, the departure board, even having a coffee while you wait to be called to your flight.
If you don't like working from photos, then just get out your own cases and paint or draw them. The tedious time spent at airports going through security and then the waiting and waiting are not always the happiest memories. Though some people find the process of travel one of the exciting parts of a holiday or trip. Each to their own.
ART IN ADVERTISING
Wednesday 20th January 2021
Great art has a big history in advertising
Create your own advert or copy someone else's. You could be influenced by billboards from the distant past like Pears Soap or the Bisto kids, Toulouse Lautrec and Alphonse Mucha are among many famous artists in late 19th and early 20th century who were commissioned to feature their work in posters. More recently, variations of The Scream by Edvard Munch has become the vogue. The Mona Lisa and Botticelli's Venus seem to pop up everywhere. Or you could draw on anonymous work like the Toucan in the Guinness ads or the Heineken ads and the beer that refreshes the parrots other beers cannot reach. You get the drift?
There's nothing to stop you inventing your own advert from scratch. Adverts cover a vast range of images and products. This can be a great chance for you to show off your graphic design skills if that is your bag.
Wednesday 20th January 2021
Great art has a big history in advertising
Create your own advert or copy someone else's. You could be influenced by billboards from the distant past like Pears Soap or the Bisto kids, Toulouse Lautrec and Alphonse Mucha are among many famous artists in late 19th and early 20th century who were commissioned to feature their work in posters. More recently, variations of The Scream by Edvard Munch has become the vogue. The Mona Lisa and Botticelli's Venus seem to pop up everywhere. Or you could draw on anonymous work like the Toucan in the Guinness ads or the Heineken ads and the beer that refreshes the parrots other beers cannot reach. You get the drift?
There's nothing to stop you inventing your own advert from scratch. Adverts cover a vast range of images and products. This can be a great chance for you to show off your graphic design skills if that is your bag.
PONDS, POOLS AND PUDDLES
Wednesday 13th January 2021
Our subject matter this week is very small expanses of water.
You could take a pond in a nearby field capturing the water and its immediate surrounds, or a rock pond in your garden.
Alternatively it could be a rock pool at the seaside, lots of sand and rock to keep you busy and thinking of summer.
If these possibilities don't charge your imagination then you could stick to puddles, many of which are today frozen over. Your local walk should still have some of these, in spite of the mostly dry weather this past week.
Wednesday 13th January 2021
Our subject matter this week is very small expanses of water.
You could take a pond in a nearby field capturing the water and its immediate surrounds, or a rock pond in your garden.
Alternatively it could be a rock pool at the seaside, lots of sand and rock to keep you busy and thinking of summer.
If these possibilities don't charge your imagination then you could stick to puddles, many of which are today frozen over. Your local walk should still have some of these, in spite of the mostly dry weather this past week.
A PORTRAIT OF YOUR LOVE
6th January 2021
This can be of someone close to you or of a celebrity your adore.
I have held off issuing a portrait challenge for a very long time, knowing that many of us will fight shy of this. Getting a likeness can be so difficult, especially placing the main features accurately on the face. The lips have to be spot on. Humans recognise people from their eyes, nose and mouth and any tiny discrepancy can be vital in a way that's not true when we paint or draw animals, trees and buildings.
6th January 2021
This can be of someone close to you or of a celebrity your adore.
I have held off issuing a portrait challenge for a very long time, knowing that many of us will fight shy of this. Getting a likeness can be so difficult, especially placing the main features accurately on the face. The lips have to be spot on. Humans recognise people from their eyes, nose and mouth and any tiny discrepancy can be vital in a way that's not true when we paint or draw animals, trees and buildings.
A WINTRY BRITAIN - USING JUST ONE COLOUR
30th December 2020
Rosie Jenkins has suggested that we create paintings using just one colour plus white.
And very likely here we are talking about paintings and not drawings. So no pencil, pen or charcoal please. Watercolour, acrylic and oils are best suited to this challenge. To emphasise the point you are asked NOT to make black your colour. Let's keep it to one of the colours of the rainbow.
Your subject matter should be a scene in wintry Britain. This can be a landscape or urbanscape. But NO SNOW. We rather covered snowy scenes in the Christmassy challenge this past week.
30th December 2020
Rosie Jenkins has suggested that we create paintings using just one colour plus white.
And very likely here we are talking about paintings and not drawings. So no pencil, pen or charcoal please. Watercolour, acrylic and oils are best suited to this challenge. To emphasise the point you are asked NOT to make black your colour. Let's keep it to one of the colours of the rainbow.
Your subject matter should be a scene in wintry Britain. This can be a landscape or urbanscape. But NO SNOW. We rather covered snowy scenes in the Christmassy challenge this past week.
THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS - SEASONAL IMAGERY
23 DECEMBER 2020
With Christmas soon upon us, a festive challenge is called for.
This week we would like to see paintings and drawings depicting Christmassy images. This could be the countryside draped in snow (yes, I know this is a bit of a fantasy) or presents and/or people around a Christmas tree. You may choose a religious theme. Mistletoe, holly, robins any cliché you like. Anything that evokes this time of year.
23 DECEMBER 2020
With Christmas soon upon us, a festive challenge is called for.
This week we would like to see paintings and drawings depicting Christmassy images. This could be the countryside draped in snow (yes, I know this is a bit of a fantasy) or presents and/or people around a Christmas tree. You may choose a religious theme. Mistletoe, holly, robins any cliché you like. Anything that evokes this time of year.
IF MUSIC BE THE FOOD OF ART, PAINT ON
16 DECEMBER 2020
This week's challenge is from Priscilla Sorapure.
"To produce a work of art in response to music, as the language is so close - tone, colour, texture, intervals, relationships, construction, organisation etc.. Once I was in a group where we had to select two colours only when listening to a particular piece of music, and with either two brushes filled with paint, or better still two felt tips, or watercolour sticks or pencils and eyes shut, draw on a piece of paper, responding to the music. I think we could either hold one brush in each hand or have both in the hand you usually used to draw with.
With eyes open but the music still playing you could modify the painting, and feel free to mix and add any other colours, darken or lighten areas and fill in any empty spaces, but trying not to alter the original too much and so creating an abstract work that was your own imaginative visual interpretation to what you had been so attentively listening to.
16 DECEMBER 2020
This week's challenge is from Priscilla Sorapure.
"To produce a work of art in response to music, as the language is so close - tone, colour, texture, intervals, relationships, construction, organisation etc.. Once I was in a group where we had to select two colours only when listening to a particular piece of music, and with either two brushes filled with paint, or better still two felt tips, or watercolour sticks or pencils and eyes shut, draw on a piece of paper, responding to the music. I think we could either hold one brush in each hand or have both in the hand you usually used to draw with.
With eyes open but the music still playing you could modify the painting, and feel free to mix and add any other colours, darken or lighten areas and fill in any empty spaces, but trying not to alter the original too much and so creating an abstract work that was your own imaginative visual interpretation to what you had been so attentively listening to.
INTERIORS AND PERSPECTIVE
9 DECEMBER 2020
Many of you chose, like Lindsay Butler, to paint or draw an interior view of your own home. Lindsay says "here is one end of my sitting room."
But Sue Bartlett didn't. She says "I would love to visit (Charleston, not South Carolina but Sussex), but never seem to find myself nearby. Simon Jenkins describes it as Bloomsbury sur l’ herbe. This picture is after a photo in his book, England’s Thousand best houses. Although this is not a corridor, I still found the experience of Andy Gray’s tutorial really helpful. I had to get away from the camera view. Thinking about it, that was something that worked better on line where we all had the same perfect view than it would have in a lecture room .
Jean Bryant took on a really tough challenge. "This is from a photo I took which shows part of the interior of the Chapel at Tynesfield. We visited last year for the Victorian Christmas. It was magical. We also had a carriage ride. A wonderful seasonal event. Tynesfield haven’t yet announced what they plan for this year. The medium I used was ink and wash trying to follow some of the guidelines from Andy Gray’s demos via Zoom which he did for Clifton Arts.
Barry Hawkins returned to his past. "The building I have chosen to depict is part of the interior of Lundy South Lighthouse, with a view of the sitting room which was also and more importantly the Radio Room. This can be seen by the comparable size of the black and white TV and the two radio sets. The view from the window is northwards and shows Marsico Castle looming over the cliff top.
This pen and ink on Cartridge paper was initially started with pencil in 1980, and completed this week. Chosen from umpteen sketches of the interiors of lighthouses I have, this one was the least completed as I had broken off before I’d detailed the cupboards and dresser on the right. Looking through the many photos of my time in the Lighthouse Service I couldn’t find another of this room, so had to wing the completion of this drawing.
Lundy South is now an automated light, and Lundy Island is a great place to visit and holiday in https://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/search-and-book/location/lundy/#Search"
Anne Huddleston submitted two paintings. "The first is from a photo taken at least 60 years ago in the home in which I grew up. It brings back many memories. My mother used to do a large flower arrangement on the grand piano each week. In my own more austere sitting room there are just indoor plants in pots!"
Louella Frankel Jones says "please find attached my response to the 'Interior' challenge which, I have to admit, though it was my suggestion, I have found really challenging. It did force me to look much more closely at the room I have spent so much time in since last March (usually watching TV) and perhaps now I will take my immediate surroundings less for granted."
Sue Turner's work featured "The grandfather clock (which) is one of my most favourite pieces of furniture – both for the look and sound of it."
Finally Priscilla Sorapure gave us "my "Interior with figures" in gouache, based on three old drawings I had in my sketch book and must have done more than twenty years ago. It was the interior of our house in Poole, with my husband going upstairs. I enjoyed this challenge very much!"
9 DECEMBER 2020
Many of you chose, like Lindsay Butler, to paint or draw an interior view of your own home. Lindsay says "here is one end of my sitting room."
But Sue Bartlett didn't. She says "I would love to visit (Charleston, not South Carolina but Sussex), but never seem to find myself nearby. Simon Jenkins describes it as Bloomsbury sur l’ herbe. This picture is after a photo in his book, England’s Thousand best houses. Although this is not a corridor, I still found the experience of Andy Gray’s tutorial really helpful. I had to get away from the camera view. Thinking about it, that was something that worked better on line where we all had the same perfect view than it would have in a lecture room .
Jean Bryant took on a really tough challenge. "This is from a photo I took which shows part of the interior of the Chapel at Tynesfield. We visited last year for the Victorian Christmas. It was magical. We also had a carriage ride. A wonderful seasonal event. Tynesfield haven’t yet announced what they plan for this year. The medium I used was ink and wash trying to follow some of the guidelines from Andy Gray’s demos via Zoom which he did for Clifton Arts.
Barry Hawkins returned to his past. "The building I have chosen to depict is part of the interior of Lundy South Lighthouse, with a view of the sitting room which was also and more importantly the Radio Room. This can be seen by the comparable size of the black and white TV and the two radio sets. The view from the window is northwards and shows Marsico Castle looming over the cliff top.
This pen and ink on Cartridge paper was initially started with pencil in 1980, and completed this week. Chosen from umpteen sketches of the interiors of lighthouses I have, this one was the least completed as I had broken off before I’d detailed the cupboards and dresser on the right. Looking through the many photos of my time in the Lighthouse Service I couldn’t find another of this room, so had to wing the completion of this drawing.
Lundy South is now an automated light, and Lundy Island is a great place to visit and holiday in https://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/search-and-book/location/lundy/#Search"
Anne Huddleston submitted two paintings. "The first is from a photo taken at least 60 years ago in the home in which I grew up. It brings back many memories. My mother used to do a large flower arrangement on the grand piano each week. In my own more austere sitting room there are just indoor plants in pots!"
Louella Frankel Jones says "please find attached my response to the 'Interior' challenge which, I have to admit, though it was my suggestion, I have found really challenging. It did force me to look much more closely at the room I have spent so much time in since last March (usually watching TV) and perhaps now I will take my immediate surroundings less for granted."
Sue Turner's work featured "The grandfather clock (which) is one of my most favourite pieces of furniture – both for the look and sound of it."
Finally Priscilla Sorapure gave us "my "Interior with figures" in gouache, based on three old drawings I had in my sketch book and must have done more than twenty years ago. It was the interior of our house in Poole, with my husband going upstairs. I enjoyed this challenge very much!"
PLACE A FAVOURITE CHARACTER FROM A COMIC
IN A WELL KNOWN BRISTOL LANDMARK
2 December 2020
Your challenge this week is to choose a favourite character from a comic from when you were young. By comic character I mean someone like Korky the Cat, or Dennis the Menace. Maybe Superman or Spiderman or if you are youngish maybe a Japanese Anime.
In other words someone or a group of characters from the Dandy or Beano or Bunty or Girl, or from the Marvel comics... Whichever, whatever. What comic did you read and love as a child?
Then when you have made that decision select a famous Bristol landmark and place your character or characters into that setting. So for example you might put Dan Dare into Millennium Square or Batman at College Green. Anything that takes your fancy.
IN A WELL KNOWN BRISTOL LANDMARK
2 December 2020
Your challenge this week is to choose a favourite character from a comic from when you were young. By comic character I mean someone like Korky the Cat, or Dennis the Menace. Maybe Superman or Spiderman or if you are youngish maybe a Japanese Anime.
In other words someone or a group of characters from the Dandy or Beano or Bunty or Girl, or from the Marvel comics... Whichever, whatever. What comic did you read and love as a child?
Then when you have made that decision select a famous Bristol landmark and place your character or characters into that setting. So for example you might put Dan Dare into Millennium Square or Batman at College Green. Anything that takes your fancy.
A SEASCAPE OR LANDSCAPE USING YOUR FINGERS
25 November 2020
The idea is that you use your fingers (or toes, nose or elbows if you prefer) in the creation of a painting. You may choose to do this almost entirely or just in part. It will be good to work on a seascape or landscape in black and white or in colour.
This challenge is inspired by the demonstration we had last week from the artist Helen Jones. She creates beautiful seascapes in black and white. If you missed last week's demonstration then you can see the recording in the members' section of our website. If you haven't already registered then we urge you to do so. Just go to www.cliftonartsclub.co.uk and either login or register.
Helen creates many of her effects by using a rubber, using her erasure technique. You may wish to try that too.
For some of you this may be something new. For others you may be accustomed to using your fingers to some extent when using charcoal and pastels or even oils and acrylics.
Go on, give it a go. It really doesn't matter if your first attempt doesn't work out too well.
25 November 2020
The idea is that you use your fingers (or toes, nose or elbows if you prefer) in the creation of a painting. You may choose to do this almost entirely or just in part. It will be good to work on a seascape or landscape in black and white or in colour.
This challenge is inspired by the demonstration we had last week from the artist Helen Jones. She creates beautiful seascapes in black and white. If you missed last week's demonstration then you can see the recording in the members' section of our website. If you haven't already registered then we urge you to do so. Just go to www.cliftonartsclub.co.uk and either login or register.
Helen creates many of her effects by using a rubber, using her erasure technique. You may wish to try that too.
For some of you this may be something new. For others you may be accustomed to using your fingers to some extent when using charcoal and pastels or even oils and acrylics.
Go on, give it a go. It really doesn't matter if your first attempt doesn't work out too well.
INFLUENCED BY OR A COPY OF ART NOUVEAU (OR ART DECO)
18 November 2020
This week Christine Ironside has suggested Art Nouveau as a theme for the challenge. To this I am adding Art Deco. You are asked to produce a piece of work that either reveals an influence or is a copy of one of the great pieces of work from this movement.
Those old times being the early days of the weekly challenges when we had high levels of participation. Art Nouveau tickled your fancy and I have received 33 offerings.
Louella Frankel Jones tells me
I looked at the woodcuts of Felix Vallotton. My image is based on a ten minute life drawing and a photo I took of a monkey in a temple in Kyoto. I did not know anything about Valloton but knew the woodcut of the nude on the bed with the white cat and thought it was connected with Art Nouveau so I googled that print and discovered Valloton. What an interesting painter and printmaker!"
I love the serendipity of marrying disparately obtained subjects together as with the figure drawing and the monkey; I do that a lot with my etchings, but that work has been on hold since March. These challenges you have set have provided such great opportunities for exploring creative avenues which might not otherwise have been ventured down so many thanks for that!
Jacqui Maydew says her "watercolour painting is part of a copy of Gerhard Munthe’s Suitors - the daughters of the Northern Lights - sadly the whole painting, which includes three bears (the suitors) didn’t fit my paper. In the days of travel, too long ago, I saw this painting and the tapestry at The National Museum in Oslo, Norway. It’s the hair which is the highlight - literally."
Stephen Clifton was the only one who provided a strictly art deco piece. He provided a drawing of The Hoover Factory Canteen, Perivale, Architect: Frederick Button of Wallis, Gilbert and Partners He says
"Brentford, Hayes, Ealing and Perivale have some of the finest industrial art deco buildings in Britain, though sadly as tastes changed, many more were victims of the wrecking-ball (the Firestone Building among them). But it’s still worth a trip along the Western Avenue (A40) and the Great West Way (A4) to the Golden Mile to see some of the remaining art deco factories built by Wallis, Gilbert and Partners."
Priscilla Sorapure commented "Pandora, about to open her box" (gouache). I actually collaged bits of recycled pieces from other works I'd done, so its ended up being a bit of a mess, but I really liked doing it and may use this as a study for a later painting. I'm a great admirer of Klimt and Schiele and was lucky to have a week in Vienna in February this year before lockdown."
Michele Tedder's work is "a copy of an Art Nouveau tube lined tile, early 20th century. In the collection of the Taggart Tile Museum in Huntingdon." Barry Hawkins says "I’ve tried to draw using pen and ink and watercolour wash to draw like Alphonse Mucha. Sadly I’m not as light handed as he was, nor did I have the time for his delicate and intricate poster work, and as for colouring it..... well forget that. I used a photograph of Angela’s daughter taken when she was younger and had long hair, to speed things up a bit, but found this Challenge rather difficult."
Sue Bartlett chose a work by Margaret and Charles Rennie Macintosh. She observes "Often their work was based in symbolism. The pleached bower is represented by the dark circles . They apparently often worked together on designs, especially the works on Gesso. I have particularly mentioned the two because I feel that I have used elements of Margaret’s work in the figure and Charles’ in the Honeysuckle. They both used armorial devices and the “Art Deco “ parallel lines. It was great fun to do, made me realise how much detailed work is involved in the Art Nouveau style"
Anne Huddleston chose Arthur Rackham as her influence. “The whole pack rose in the air and came flying down on Alice. This challenge presented too many choices for me as my husband had a very extensive library of books on Art Nouveau. Eventually I chose this illustration from Alice in Wonderland. I used to own the book with illustrations by Rackham, but it was so valuable that we sold it some years ago. "
David Griffiths says he "researched this quite a lot as I am in the middle of a project on portraits of friends. So instead of the stylised swirls and intertwining leaves I looked at how artists in the art Nouveau movement were painting portraits. These seem to be a mix of impressionist influences combined with both formal and decorative features. So with that in mind here is a portrait of my friend Lyn. Probably not what most people would think of as Art Nouveau. Anyway I hope it passes muster."
Finally Valerie Powney said "this was a fun challenge. At first I had decided to paint one of the tiles from my bedroom fireplace but decided to try to design my own picture. I did a little research on colours and style and came up with this design which is painted in goache. At one point the girl was looking at a smaller book and it looked as if she was checking her mobile phone so I had to enlarge the book!"
18 November 2020
This week Christine Ironside has suggested Art Nouveau as a theme for the challenge. To this I am adding Art Deco. You are asked to produce a piece of work that either reveals an influence or is a copy of one of the great pieces of work from this movement.
Those old times being the early days of the weekly challenges when we had high levels of participation. Art Nouveau tickled your fancy and I have received 33 offerings.
Louella Frankel Jones tells me
I looked at the woodcuts of Felix Vallotton. My image is based on a ten minute life drawing and a photo I took of a monkey in a temple in Kyoto. I did not know anything about Valloton but knew the woodcut of the nude on the bed with the white cat and thought it was connected with Art Nouveau so I googled that print and discovered Valloton. What an interesting painter and printmaker!"
I love the serendipity of marrying disparately obtained subjects together as with the figure drawing and the monkey; I do that a lot with my etchings, but that work has been on hold since March. These challenges you have set have provided such great opportunities for exploring creative avenues which might not otherwise have been ventured down so many thanks for that!
Jacqui Maydew says her "watercolour painting is part of a copy of Gerhard Munthe’s Suitors - the daughters of the Northern Lights - sadly the whole painting, which includes three bears (the suitors) didn’t fit my paper. In the days of travel, too long ago, I saw this painting and the tapestry at The National Museum in Oslo, Norway. It’s the hair which is the highlight - literally."
Stephen Clifton was the only one who provided a strictly art deco piece. He provided a drawing of The Hoover Factory Canteen, Perivale, Architect: Frederick Button of Wallis, Gilbert and Partners He says
"Brentford, Hayes, Ealing and Perivale have some of the finest industrial art deco buildings in Britain, though sadly as tastes changed, many more were victims of the wrecking-ball (the Firestone Building among them). But it’s still worth a trip along the Western Avenue (A40) and the Great West Way (A4) to the Golden Mile to see some of the remaining art deco factories built by Wallis, Gilbert and Partners."
Priscilla Sorapure commented "Pandora, about to open her box" (gouache). I actually collaged bits of recycled pieces from other works I'd done, so its ended up being a bit of a mess, but I really liked doing it and may use this as a study for a later painting. I'm a great admirer of Klimt and Schiele and was lucky to have a week in Vienna in February this year before lockdown."
Michele Tedder's work is "a copy of an Art Nouveau tube lined tile, early 20th century. In the collection of the Taggart Tile Museum in Huntingdon." Barry Hawkins says "I’ve tried to draw using pen and ink and watercolour wash to draw like Alphonse Mucha. Sadly I’m not as light handed as he was, nor did I have the time for his delicate and intricate poster work, and as for colouring it..... well forget that. I used a photograph of Angela’s daughter taken when she was younger and had long hair, to speed things up a bit, but found this Challenge rather difficult."
Sue Bartlett chose a work by Margaret and Charles Rennie Macintosh. She observes "Often their work was based in symbolism. The pleached bower is represented by the dark circles . They apparently often worked together on designs, especially the works on Gesso. I have particularly mentioned the two because I feel that I have used elements of Margaret’s work in the figure and Charles’ in the Honeysuckle. They both used armorial devices and the “Art Deco “ parallel lines. It was great fun to do, made me realise how much detailed work is involved in the Art Nouveau style"
Anne Huddleston chose Arthur Rackham as her influence. “The whole pack rose in the air and came flying down on Alice. This challenge presented too many choices for me as my husband had a very extensive library of books on Art Nouveau. Eventually I chose this illustration from Alice in Wonderland. I used to own the book with illustrations by Rackham, but it was so valuable that we sold it some years ago. "
David Griffiths says he "researched this quite a lot as I am in the middle of a project on portraits of friends. So instead of the stylised swirls and intertwining leaves I looked at how artists in the art Nouveau movement were painting portraits. These seem to be a mix of impressionist influences combined with both formal and decorative features. So with that in mind here is a portrait of my friend Lyn. Probably not what most people would think of as Art Nouveau. Anyway I hope it passes muster."
Finally Valerie Powney said "this was a fun challenge. At first I had decided to paint one of the tiles from my bedroom fireplace but decided to try to design my own picture. I did a little research on colours and style and came up with this design which is painted in goache. At one point the girl was looking at a smaller book and it looked as if she was checking her mobile phone so I had to enlarge the book!"
ALL OUR EGGS IN LOTS OF BASKETS
11 November 2020
This week's challenge appeared to lack eggs appeal and we have had just 19 submissions so far.
But Barry Hawkins enjoyed it, "Brilliant challenge, and just goes to show that white is not just white. Lit my composition from the top using bright sunlight and from the lower left using an angle poise lamp, and painted it using watercolours on Bockingford heavy paper. Well done Priscilla and thanks Zoe for a cracking subject." His is the first painting shown here.
Priscilla Sorapure had mixed feelings about a challenge she set, "Four eggs on a cloth" gouache. I only had a cream coloured cloth, so matched the eggs to it. I began to regret I had suggested this challenge, as it became quite a problem to try and really study the tones and I didn't leave myself much time to do it! Her painting is number two listed above.
Sheila Southgate submitted two paintings and with the first she said, "I could not bring myself to paint the eggs (white)! But if I find any white ones I will do this again as I love white on white." Then she later came back with her second which is shown above, "I managed to find these lovely duck eggs this morning."
Jean Bryant said "I don’t believe in “putting all my eggs in one basket” so my painting reflects that sentiment. and two of her eggs are separated.
Andrés Lopéz sent me his painting but also attached a photo of a traditional Spanish dish from Murcia called "Monas" which look like sweet donuts with an egg in the middle. First the Mona is cooked and then the egg. The eggs are hard boiled and Spanish humour involves breaking the shell in front of the person sitting by you. Some jokes don't translate so well or more likely my Spanish isn't up to snuff.
In all I counted 99 eggs, which reminded me of the German hit song about red balloons of the 1980s by Nena. Forgive my whimsy.
Zoe Perry
11 November 2020
This week's challenge appeared to lack eggs appeal and we have had just 19 submissions so far.
But Barry Hawkins enjoyed it, "Brilliant challenge, and just goes to show that white is not just white. Lit my composition from the top using bright sunlight and from the lower left using an angle poise lamp, and painted it using watercolours on Bockingford heavy paper. Well done Priscilla and thanks Zoe for a cracking subject." His is the first painting shown here.
Priscilla Sorapure had mixed feelings about a challenge she set, "Four eggs on a cloth" gouache. I only had a cream coloured cloth, so matched the eggs to it. I began to regret I had suggested this challenge, as it became quite a problem to try and really study the tones and I didn't leave myself much time to do it! Her painting is number two listed above.
Sheila Southgate submitted two paintings and with the first she said, "I could not bring myself to paint the eggs (white)! But if I find any white ones I will do this again as I love white on white." Then she later came back with her second which is shown above, "I managed to find these lovely duck eggs this morning."
Jean Bryant said "I don’t believe in “putting all my eggs in one basket” so my painting reflects that sentiment. and two of her eggs are separated.
Andrés Lopéz sent me his painting but also attached a photo of a traditional Spanish dish from Murcia called "Monas" which look like sweet donuts with an egg in the middle. First the Mona is cooked and then the egg. The eggs are hard boiled and Spanish humour involves breaking the shell in front of the person sitting by you. Some jokes don't translate so well or more likely my Spanish isn't up to snuff.
In all I counted 99 eggs, which reminded me of the German hit song about red balloons of the 1980s by Nena. Forgive my whimsy.
Zoe Perry
SKETCHING A BUILDING EXTERIOR (OR DRAWING OR PAINTING IT).
4 November 2020
This week's challenge is inspired by the demonstration led by Andy Gray last week.
For the thirty three participants via Zoom this is a chance to practise new skills and techniques If you can sit outside and sketch in the street then that would be lovely. But I know this may in many cases not be practical, so you may choose to use photos for your guide. If you remember, Andy was showing us how to create a sketch that would give us a enough reminders of what we have been looking at so that we could then return home and use a sketch to create a final drawing or painting.
However, in seeming contradiction of the above, everyone is free to feature the exterior of a single building in the medium and approach of your choice. To clarify, this challenge doesn't require you to submit a sketch as such. You can submit the final drawing or painting of a building exterior if you prefer. Bristol is full of Regency and Georgian buildings and they could be your inspiration. But if you favour Brutalism or other more modern architectural styles, then that is up to you. But try sticking to featuring just one single building in your submission.
Anne Huddleston and Sheila Southgate chose pen and watercolour, a media chosen by many this week, including Richard Pedlar , who says he did a quick sketch during a visit to Sudeley Castle last Friday.
Elsewhere Virginia Toogood did a pastel taken from a black and white photo of Blaise Castle. Carolyn Lamb tackled a building of sorts - the underside of the Plimsoll Bridge in the Cumberland Basin, with the redundant bit of Brunel's original swing bridge and of course the suspension bridge in the distance.
Priscilla Sorapure says "I'm afraid the paper had cockled and I didn't have time to flatten it before my photographer came to take this - hope it wont matter. I had an old sketch book full of drawings I had done at the Abbey Ruins in Glastonbury, so I took one of them as a subject for this ink drawing."
I personally found this challenge particularly difficult as rarely use pen and watercolour. Actually I don't think I have done it before. Today was a beautiful one to sit outside of Tidenham Church, where I live.
Zoe Perry
4 November 2020
This week's challenge is inspired by the demonstration led by Andy Gray last week.
For the thirty three participants via Zoom this is a chance to practise new skills and techniques If you can sit outside and sketch in the street then that would be lovely. But I know this may in many cases not be practical, so you may choose to use photos for your guide. If you remember, Andy was showing us how to create a sketch that would give us a enough reminders of what we have been looking at so that we could then return home and use a sketch to create a final drawing or painting.
However, in seeming contradiction of the above, everyone is free to feature the exterior of a single building in the medium and approach of your choice. To clarify, this challenge doesn't require you to submit a sketch as such. You can submit the final drawing or painting of a building exterior if you prefer. Bristol is full of Regency and Georgian buildings and they could be your inspiration. But if you favour Brutalism or other more modern architectural styles, then that is up to you. But try sticking to featuring just one single building in your submission.
Anne Huddleston and Sheila Southgate chose pen and watercolour, a media chosen by many this week, including Richard Pedlar , who says he did a quick sketch during a visit to Sudeley Castle last Friday.
Elsewhere Virginia Toogood did a pastel taken from a black and white photo of Blaise Castle. Carolyn Lamb tackled a building of sorts - the underside of the Plimsoll Bridge in the Cumberland Basin, with the redundant bit of Brunel's original swing bridge and of course the suspension bridge in the distance.
Priscilla Sorapure says "I'm afraid the paper had cockled and I didn't have time to flatten it before my photographer came to take this - hope it wont matter. I had an old sketch book full of drawings I had done at the Abbey Ruins in Glastonbury, so I took one of them as a subject for this ink drawing."
I personally found this challenge particularly difficult as rarely use pen and watercolour. Actually I don't think I have done it before. Today was a beautiful one to sit outside of Tidenham Church, where I live.
Zoe Perry
TREES, LOTS OF TREES
14 October 2020
I asked for trees and I received trees. Lots and lots of them. The painting above from Christine Ironside is no exception. Her title is "Silver Birch Trees in Clearing".
Sheila Southgate slightly cheated and submitted one she did earlier "I did this on the painting morning at Brackenwood .The wooded slope behind the garden centre is rather magical."
Jo Wheaton was on the Downs. "Here is my Sunset on the Downs pic.. rather rushed I’m afraid! It’s oils on canvas, and I ended up having to do “wet on wet” in order to get it done!" Jean Bryant wasn't far away "Bristol Downs in Autumn glory." And neither was Anne Huddleston, "The promenade in Clifton from a photo taken in Autumn many years ago."
Sue Bartlett says: "Small dog Tigger is waiting for Toby, on a walk along the South side of the loch on a glorious September afternoon. I love this part of Scotland in any weather but in sun you can hardly open your eyes wide enough to take it all in."
David Griffiths tackled "this view is from a lovely walk we did near Clevedon with the sun shining, casting pools of dappled light all around. I’ve wanted to capture this light effect for a long time so this was the perfect opportunity."
Carolyn Lamb reminds us how long this has been going on, "Here is Challenge 30. Who could have guessed we would get this far and still months to go. But it helps keep us sane. I have done three things on this topic this week but just send you the one that took the longest: The Suspension Bridge from the Portway. Unfortunately the main tree had lost all its leaves already though there was lots of Autumn colour on other more distant trees". Sadly she did not send me the other two.
Louella Frankel Jones chose some trees rather farther away "The painting for the challenge is of a view from near the idyllic Cap Roig Botanical Gardens in the Costa Brava."TREES, LOTS OF TREES
I asked for trees and I received trees. Lots and lots of them. The painting above from Christine Ironside is no exception. Her title is "Silver Birch Trees in Clearing".
Sheila Southgate slightly cheated and submitted one she did earlier "I did this on the painting morning at Brackenwood .The wooded slope behind the garden centre is rather magical."
Jo Wheaton was on the Downs. "Here is my Sunset on the Downs pic.. rather rushed I’m afraid! It’s oils on canvas, and I ended up having to do “wet on wet” in order to get it done!" Jean Bryant wasn't far away "Bristol Downs in Autumn glory." And neither was Anne Huddleston, "The promenade in Clifton from a photo taken in Autumn many years ago."
Sue Bartlett says: "Small dog Tigger is waiting for Toby, on a walk along the South side of the loch on a glorious September afternoon. I love this part of Scotland in any weather but in sun you can hardly open your eyes wide enough to take it all in."
David Griffiths tackled "this view is from a lovely walk we did near Clevedon with the sun shining, casting pools of dappled light all around. I’ve wanted to capture this light effect for a long time so this was the perfect opportunity."
Carolyn Lamb reminds us how long this has been going on, "Here is Challenge 30. Who could have guessed we would get this far and still months to go. But it helps keep us sane. I have done three things on this topic this week but just send you the one that took the longest: The Suspension Bridge from the Portway. Unfortunately the main tree had lost all its leaves already though there was lots of Autumn colour on other more distant trees". Sadly she did not send me the other two.
Louella Frankel Jones chose some trees rather farther away "The painting for the challenge is of a view from near the idyllic Cap Roig Botanical Gardens in the Costa Brava."
14 October 2020
I asked for trees and I received trees. Lots and lots of them. The painting above from Christine Ironside is no exception. Her title is "Silver Birch Trees in Clearing".
Sheila Southgate slightly cheated and submitted one she did earlier "I did this on the painting morning at Brackenwood .The wooded slope behind the garden centre is rather magical."
Jo Wheaton was on the Downs. "Here is my Sunset on the Downs pic.. rather rushed I’m afraid! It’s oils on canvas, and I ended up having to do “wet on wet” in order to get it done!" Jean Bryant wasn't far away "Bristol Downs in Autumn glory." And neither was Anne Huddleston, "The promenade in Clifton from a photo taken in Autumn many years ago."
Sue Bartlett says: "Small dog Tigger is waiting for Toby, on a walk along the South side of the loch on a glorious September afternoon. I love this part of Scotland in any weather but in sun you can hardly open your eyes wide enough to take it all in."
David Griffiths tackled "this view is from a lovely walk we did near Clevedon with the sun shining, casting pools of dappled light all around. I’ve wanted to capture this light effect for a long time so this was the perfect opportunity."
Carolyn Lamb reminds us how long this has been going on, "Here is Challenge 30. Who could have guessed we would get this far and still months to go. But it helps keep us sane. I have done three things on this topic this week but just send you the one that took the longest: The Suspension Bridge from the Portway. Unfortunately the main tree had lost all its leaves already though there was lots of Autumn colour on other more distant trees". Sadly she did not send me the other two.
Louella Frankel Jones chose some trees rather farther away "The painting for the challenge is of a view from near the idyllic Cap Roig Botanical Gardens in the Costa Brava."TREES, LOTS OF TREES
I asked for trees and I received trees. Lots and lots of them. The painting above from Christine Ironside is no exception. Her title is "Silver Birch Trees in Clearing".
Sheila Southgate slightly cheated and submitted one she did earlier "I did this on the painting morning at Brackenwood .The wooded slope behind the garden centre is rather magical."
Jo Wheaton was on the Downs. "Here is my Sunset on the Downs pic.. rather rushed I’m afraid! It’s oils on canvas, and I ended up having to do “wet on wet” in order to get it done!" Jean Bryant wasn't far away "Bristol Downs in Autumn glory." And neither was Anne Huddleston, "The promenade in Clifton from a photo taken in Autumn many years ago."
Sue Bartlett says: "Small dog Tigger is waiting for Toby, on a walk along the South side of the loch on a glorious September afternoon. I love this part of Scotland in any weather but in sun you can hardly open your eyes wide enough to take it all in."
David Griffiths tackled "this view is from a lovely walk we did near Clevedon with the sun shining, casting pools of dappled light all around. I’ve wanted to capture this light effect for a long time so this was the perfect opportunity."
Carolyn Lamb reminds us how long this has been going on, "Here is Challenge 30. Who could have guessed we would get this far and still months to go. But it helps keep us sane. I have done three things on this topic this week but just send you the one that took the longest: The Suspension Bridge from the Portway. Unfortunately the main tree had lost all its leaves already though there was lots of Autumn colour on other more distant trees". Sadly she did not send me the other two.
Louella Frankel Jones chose some trees rather farther away "The painting for the challenge is of a view from near the idyllic Cap Roig Botanical Gardens in the Costa Brava."
THE RULE OF SIX ART CHALLENGE
7 October 2020
You are to be guided by the rule of six. You could choose to show a gathering of six people or fewer. Or you could decide you want to show six other things that are not human.
So while the expression comes from the Covid-19 restrictions, you don't have to worry about any rules. Let the term Rule of Six be your rough guide.
I will be disappointed if you flout my guideline and come up with seven people or animals or objects of one kind or another, but I promise there will be no fines, no police knocking on your door.
During the past six months we have attracted fewer new members that is our normal pattern, BUT we do have six (yes six) people who have joined us in this time. It would be especially pleasing if some of you were to join in.
Anne Huddleston depicted the rather droll if not slightly macabre painting of soldiers facing a fallen comrade/eneny. She describes it as "a warning of the possible consequences of exceeding the rule of six!"
Sue Turner says "for some reason I chose guinea fowl. Not sure why. I have always loved them. Such strange looking birds, but I rather regretted it after the second bird – all the dots!"
Louella Frankel Jones provides us with "a depiction of the sextet in the second act of Don Giovanni where all the main characters in the opera confront the Don's sidekick, Leporello, who has been forced by the Don to pose as him, while he hides onstage but not visible. I so much enjoyed designing the costumes!"
Others like Valerie Powney took a more straightforward approach giving us a "performer and spectators at the Edinburgh Festival." Carolyn Lamb painted "six nasturtiums and six leaves."
Virginia Toogood asks us to examine very closely her "horizon, sun, sea, surf, and man on surfboard!" That comes to five, which is OK.
Barry Hawkins tells us "here I have painted 6 lovely little Long Tailed Tits feeding on one of our garden feeders. These birds stick together travelling around as a family group and during the colder months will come and feed on the berry and insect filled suet pellets we put out. I took several photos on this occasion and put together this composition of 6 for you."
and then there were eggs again - yes a half dozen unscrambled this time.
7 October 2020
You are to be guided by the rule of six. You could choose to show a gathering of six people or fewer. Or you could decide you want to show six other things that are not human.
So while the expression comes from the Covid-19 restrictions, you don't have to worry about any rules. Let the term Rule of Six be your rough guide.
I will be disappointed if you flout my guideline and come up with seven people or animals or objects of one kind or another, but I promise there will be no fines, no police knocking on your door.
During the past six months we have attracted fewer new members that is our normal pattern, BUT we do have six (yes six) people who have joined us in this time. It would be especially pleasing if some of you were to join in.
Anne Huddleston depicted the rather droll if not slightly macabre painting of soldiers facing a fallen comrade/eneny. She describes it as "a warning of the possible consequences of exceeding the rule of six!"
Sue Turner says "for some reason I chose guinea fowl. Not sure why. I have always loved them. Such strange looking birds, but I rather regretted it after the second bird – all the dots!"
Louella Frankel Jones provides us with "a depiction of the sextet in the second act of Don Giovanni where all the main characters in the opera confront the Don's sidekick, Leporello, who has been forced by the Don to pose as him, while he hides onstage but not visible. I so much enjoyed designing the costumes!"
Others like Valerie Powney took a more straightforward approach giving us a "performer and spectators at the Edinburgh Festival." Carolyn Lamb painted "six nasturtiums and six leaves."
Virginia Toogood asks us to examine very closely her "horizon, sun, sea, surf, and man on surfboard!" That comes to five, which is OK.
Barry Hawkins tells us "here I have painted 6 lovely little Long Tailed Tits feeding on one of our garden feeders. These birds stick together travelling around as a family group and during the colder months will come and feed on the berry and insect filled suet pellets we put out. I took several photos on this occasion and put together this composition of 6 for you."
and then there were eggs again - yes a half dozen unscrambled this time.
BEACHES FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD
21 October 2020
The beach shown here is from Heather Henderson and is machine stitched with acrylic.
The beach scenes you have sent in pictured sandy coves and stretches of sand from all around the U.K. and further afield from France to the Caribbean and beyond.
Lorraine Durant yesterday painted en plein air in a gale of wind at Gwithian sands in Cornwall. At exactly the same time, my partner Suzanne was walking our two Saluki dogs there. I had decided not to join them. I came so close to bumping into her, but for my decision to have some time in my own.
I made the mistake of posting Anne Huddleston’s watercolour of a South African beach on my own personal Facebook account. A little later I realised my error and began to correct it. I was going to delete it from my account and then I noticed lots of my friends had “liked” it, so I decided it must stay unmolested.
WHERE DID YOU GET THAT HAT?
30 September 2020
There was a time when no-one left their home without wearing a hat. The ubiquity of hats in the past is evident in art. From the Frans Hals' "Laughing Cavalier" to frequent appearances in Impressionist paintings like Manet's and on to Magritte, Klimt and Picasso. And then they gradually disappeared - as they have from our own contemporary lives.
In lyrics they popped up all the time too. There was the old Edwardian musical song "Where did you get that hat?", "The Mexican Hat Dance", "Wherever I lay my hat" sung by Paul Young, "All around my hat" by Steeleye Span and I am sure you will have others to add to this list.
Today women have their "wedding hats" in the wardrobe and some men may still wear a flat cap, but the days of bonnets and Trilbys belong to the past. The only really popular headwear seems to be the baseball cap. Even the US president regularly wears one. But are caps hats? I'll leave it up to you to decide where you stand on that vexed issue.
The challenge this week is to include a hat or hats in your submission. It doesn't matter how or in what style. Just hats.
30 September 2020
There was a time when no-one left their home without wearing a hat. The ubiquity of hats in the past is evident in art. From the Frans Hals' "Laughing Cavalier" to frequent appearances in Impressionist paintings like Manet's and on to Magritte, Klimt and Picasso. And then they gradually disappeared - as they have from our own contemporary lives.
In lyrics they popped up all the time too. There was the old Edwardian musical song "Where did you get that hat?", "The Mexican Hat Dance", "Wherever I lay my hat" sung by Paul Young, "All around my hat" by Steeleye Span and I am sure you will have others to add to this list.
Today women have their "wedding hats" in the wardrobe and some men may still wear a flat cap, but the days of bonnets and Trilbys belong to the past. The only really popular headwear seems to be the baseball cap. Even the US president regularly wears one. But are caps hats? I'll leave it up to you to decide where you stand on that vexed issue.
The challenge this week is to include a hat or hats in your submission. It doesn't matter how or in what style. Just hats.
DEPICTING THE AFTERMATH OF AN ACCIDENT
23 September 2020
An accident can be a dropped plate on the kitchen floor or it can be a crashed jet airliner on the side of a mountain. Or so many other things in between.
The idea is to convey the consequences when something has gone wrong. An accident is "an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly, typically resulting in damage or injury" or "an event that happens by chance or that is without apparent or deliberate cause".
Thus you could paint a broken eggshell, maybe Humpty Dumpty having fallen of the wall, or you create the image of a pile up on the M5.
In the aftermath how do we convey our bewilderment? You could show the face of someone affected by something going wrong, possible a child whose doll has an arm that fallen off.
There are such a wide range of possible scenarios.
Jo Wheaton's work is her "depiction of a paramedic caring for someone after an accident. I wanted to get some feeling of calm within chaos." Virginia Toogood brought back some painful memories: "this week I decided to do a picture depicting an accident that actually happened to me about 3 years ago...my horse 'Vinnie' became very upset at a show, and exploded in a bucking frenzy, I flew through the air and landed on my knees! I got back on and thought I had settled him ,but lo and behold in nearly the exact spot, he bucked me off again! I now carry the pain and discomfort from damaging my meniscus ! That's horses for you....I still love him !"
Barry Hawkins made me feel squeamishly sad. "I thank you for the latest Challenge, as ever, a thinking exercise for me. I didn’t fancy the blood and gore, twisted metal and scattered body parts of a vehicle or aircraft collision. So I swung towards nature remembering that I had some casualties of flying accidents in our deep freeze from birds crashing accidentally into our windows overlooking the rear garden and bird feeders. A cat or Sparrow Hawk, both frequent visitors, could’ve startled the birds into panic flight and sometimes a perceived escape route is found to be a sheet of window glass. This fine Starling broke it’s neck in such a collision and has now been preserved in watercolour and pencil on paper for ever, well, for a bit longer."
My own painting showed a kangaroo escaping, or at least I hope he did, from the bush fire that enveloped Australia earlier in the year.
Carolyn Lamb submitted a window spider crack. She says "something hit the window and caused this crack. The builders did a couple more when the roof was being replaced but this is the most interesting one."
23 September 2020
An accident can be a dropped plate on the kitchen floor or it can be a crashed jet airliner on the side of a mountain. Or so many other things in between.
The idea is to convey the consequences when something has gone wrong. An accident is "an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly, typically resulting in damage or injury" or "an event that happens by chance or that is without apparent or deliberate cause".
Thus you could paint a broken eggshell, maybe Humpty Dumpty having fallen of the wall, or you create the image of a pile up on the M5.
In the aftermath how do we convey our bewilderment? You could show the face of someone affected by something going wrong, possible a child whose doll has an arm that fallen off.
There are such a wide range of possible scenarios.
Jo Wheaton's work is her "depiction of a paramedic caring for someone after an accident. I wanted to get some feeling of calm within chaos." Virginia Toogood brought back some painful memories: "this week I decided to do a picture depicting an accident that actually happened to me about 3 years ago...my horse 'Vinnie' became very upset at a show, and exploded in a bucking frenzy, I flew through the air and landed on my knees! I got back on and thought I had settled him ,but lo and behold in nearly the exact spot, he bucked me off again! I now carry the pain and discomfort from damaging my meniscus ! That's horses for you....I still love him !"
Barry Hawkins made me feel squeamishly sad. "I thank you for the latest Challenge, as ever, a thinking exercise for me. I didn’t fancy the blood and gore, twisted metal and scattered body parts of a vehicle or aircraft collision. So I swung towards nature remembering that I had some casualties of flying accidents in our deep freeze from birds crashing accidentally into our windows overlooking the rear garden and bird feeders. A cat or Sparrow Hawk, both frequent visitors, could’ve startled the birds into panic flight and sometimes a perceived escape route is found to be a sheet of window glass. This fine Starling broke it’s neck in such a collision and has now been preserved in watercolour and pencil on paper for ever, well, for a bit longer."
My own painting showed a kangaroo escaping, or at least I hope he did, from the bush fire that enveloped Australia earlier in the year.
Carolyn Lamb submitted a window spider crack. She says "something hit the window and caused this crack. The builders did a couple more when the roof was being replaced but this is the most interesting one."
FAUVISM
16 September 2020
You were asked to be vivid and bold in your use of colour and you did not disappoint. Featured here is Kate Maliphant who says the painting is of "the Somerset Levels as you may not have seen them before. It's where two rhynes meet, just before you get to Yatton. I've painted this view several times before in my customary restrained watercolours style, but I really enjoyed unleashing my inner fauve to do this number in bright acrylics. Loving the challenges!"
Virginia Toogood "thought i would do my dogs in Fauvism...from left, Daisy, Drew and Dudley!" Her dogs look so lovely you almost forget the unusual treatment. Glynis Laurence says her submission "was supposed to be Mick Jagger but it looks like more like a cross between a Greek god and a girl who’s overdone the sun tan." Carolyn Lamb sent in two paintings. She says the "first one was Woodspring Bay, in pastel pencil but I decided its not Fauve enough so then I tried Fauve Garden." Eric Maggs exclaims that "Van Gogh comes to Brockley!!!!!" Louella Frankel Jones let us have "a subject (that) is the beautiful view across the Vlatava River from the ancient fortifications of Vysehrad, a place we visited several times when our son lived in Prague." Valerie Powney "had fun tackling this challenge. I tried, where possible, to use paint straight from the tube. It's gouache on paper and is a (rather quirky) take on one of my Lake District photos, although I can't remember exactly where. It's probably the Windermere or Lake Coniston area."
Ian Staniland worked on "an extreme interpretation of fireworks. I have tried many different brush stokes and translucent layers in acrylic on the back of glass. The old wavy glass adds a different dimension to the painting and brings it to life."
Legs in Action
9 September 2020
There is so much happiness and naughtiness in Teresa Austrin's Can Can girls and she gave us ten legs to boot. It is watercolour and pen.
It's been a good response to the challenge and so far we have 19 contributions, but unlike last week's it has not provoked you into sending me many comments. Barry Hawkins never lets me down, though. He says: "the stuff of nightmares for some. A cluster of Harvestman spiders. You did say we could use any context, look at those spindly legs go". And there are so many legs I lose count.
Valerie Powney says "I was lucky enough to travel to Brazil many years ago and saw Capoeia fighting on the front by the sea in Salvadore, Northeastern Brazil." Anne Huddleston "was wondering what to do for this challenge when I saw a picture in my newspaper of acrobats and dancers in a charity event in Las Vegas. Their display of legs seems just right!"
Sue Bartlett reports "I have seen hares boxing only a very few times, it is a thrill.
The inspirations people took were mostly from dance or sport. Athletics, tennis and rugby were all represented. And there were surprises, of course. I could not have predicted two pieces dedicated to hares.
9 September 2020
There is so much happiness and naughtiness in Teresa Austrin's Can Can girls and she gave us ten legs to boot. It is watercolour and pen.
It's been a good response to the challenge and so far we have 19 contributions, but unlike last week's it has not provoked you into sending me many comments. Barry Hawkins never lets me down, though. He says: "the stuff of nightmares for some. A cluster of Harvestman spiders. You did say we could use any context, look at those spindly legs go". And there are so many legs I lose count.
Valerie Powney says "I was lucky enough to travel to Brazil many years ago and saw Capoeia fighting on the front by the sea in Salvadore, Northeastern Brazil." Anne Huddleston "was wondering what to do for this challenge when I saw a picture in my newspaper of acrobats and dancers in a charity event in Las Vegas. Their display of legs seems just right!"
Sue Bartlett reports "I have seen hares boxing only a very few times, it is a thrill.
The inspirations people took were mostly from dance or sport. Athletics, tennis and rugby were all represented. And there were surprises, of course. I could not have predicted two pieces dedicated to hares.
FANTASIA
2 September 2020
How do we paint a song, a piece of music or a sound?
The Scream is the popular name given to a composition created by Edvard Munch in 1893. The original German title given by Munch to his work was Der Schrei der Natur (The Scream of Nature). The agonised face in the painting has become one of the most iconic images of art, seen as symbolising the The Scream is the popular name given to a composition created by Norwegian Expressionist artist Edvard Munch in 1893. The original German title given by Munch to his work was Der Schrei der Natur (The Scream of Nature), and the Norwegian title is Skrik (Shriek). The agonised face in the painting has become one of the most iconic images of art, seen as symbolising the anxiety of the human condition. Munch recalled that he had been out for a walk at sunset when suddenly the setting sunlight turned the clouds "a blood red". He sensed an "infinite scream passing through nature". He sensed an "infinite scream passing through nature". There is no doubt that there is "noise" associated with the artwork.
The title of this weeks challenge is Fantasia. Fantasia is a 1940 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released by Walt Disney Productions. The film consists of eight animated segments set to pieces of classical music. The film transports the viewer into a magical world dominated by Mickey Mouse and brings many inanimate objects to life and creates an enduring visual image associated with music. Once again there is a definite association between sound and picture. As a reminder take a look at: The Sorcerer's Apprentice
https://youtu.be/Rrm8usaH0sM
In more recent times with the advent of television and video, musicians relied strongly on visual content to promote their music. A classic Bristolian example would be the 1986 work done by Aardman with Peter Gabriel's classic song Sledgehammer. Warning - it may be too loud and noisy but the animation is great. Take a listen too:
https://youtu.be/N1tTN-b5KHg
Finally, Chagall’s love for Bach and Mozart was well known, and his collaborations through classical music are legendary: he created the New York City Ballet’s Firebird scenery and costumes (the costumes are still in use, 68 years later!).
And one of the best Chagall’s musical motifs is the floating fiddler. Chagall grew up in a small Hasidic Jewish community near Vitebsk, Belarus, and the fiddle, so important for klezmer, struck his heart at a young age. Combined with the Jewish diaspora during WWs, this floating fiddler, traditionally travelling from town to town, restlessly, becomes him. During his lifetime, Chagall kept painting this floating violinist in many of his works, often as a small auxiliary figure, and the most famous of them all, The Fiddler (Le Violoniste), 1912-1919, at Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, is attributed as a direct inspiration for the musical Fiddler on the Roof.
Dust off your old albums and tune into your iTunes and lets the music carry you away.
Once again members have been very creative with a very challenging topic. Enjoy.
2 September 2020
How do we paint a song, a piece of music or a sound?
The Scream is the popular name given to a composition created by Edvard Munch in 1893. The original German title given by Munch to his work was Der Schrei der Natur (The Scream of Nature). The agonised face in the painting has become one of the most iconic images of art, seen as symbolising the The Scream is the popular name given to a composition created by Norwegian Expressionist artist Edvard Munch in 1893. The original German title given by Munch to his work was Der Schrei der Natur (The Scream of Nature), and the Norwegian title is Skrik (Shriek). The agonised face in the painting has become one of the most iconic images of art, seen as symbolising the anxiety of the human condition. Munch recalled that he had been out for a walk at sunset when suddenly the setting sunlight turned the clouds "a blood red". He sensed an "infinite scream passing through nature". He sensed an "infinite scream passing through nature". There is no doubt that there is "noise" associated with the artwork.
The title of this weeks challenge is Fantasia. Fantasia is a 1940 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released by Walt Disney Productions. The film consists of eight animated segments set to pieces of classical music. The film transports the viewer into a magical world dominated by Mickey Mouse and brings many inanimate objects to life and creates an enduring visual image associated with music. Once again there is a definite association between sound and picture. As a reminder take a look at: The Sorcerer's Apprentice
https://youtu.be/Rrm8usaH0sM
In more recent times with the advent of television and video, musicians relied strongly on visual content to promote their music. A classic Bristolian example would be the 1986 work done by Aardman with Peter Gabriel's classic song Sledgehammer. Warning - it may be too loud and noisy but the animation is great. Take a listen too:
https://youtu.be/N1tTN-b5KHg
Finally, Chagall’s love for Bach and Mozart was well known, and his collaborations through classical music are legendary: he created the New York City Ballet’s Firebird scenery and costumes (the costumes are still in use, 68 years later!).
And one of the best Chagall’s musical motifs is the floating fiddler. Chagall grew up in a small Hasidic Jewish community near Vitebsk, Belarus, and the fiddle, so important for klezmer, struck his heart at a young age. Combined with the Jewish diaspora during WWs, this floating fiddler, traditionally travelling from town to town, restlessly, becomes him. During his lifetime, Chagall kept painting this floating violinist in many of his works, often as a small auxiliary figure, and the most famous of them all, The Fiddler (Le Violoniste), 1912-1919, at Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, is attributed as a direct inspiration for the musical Fiddler on the Roof.
Dust off your old albums and tune into your iTunes and lets the music carry you away.
Once again members have been very creative with a very challenging topic. Enjoy.
