THE WILDLIFE ART SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL EXHIBITION

I handed my paintings in to the ‘Nature in Art Museum, at Twigworth. Nr. Gloucester yesterday.  The Museum is housed in a fine old mansion near Gloucester. TWASI is fortunate to have the use of a Marquee set up on a lawn in front of the house for their annual exhibition. It makes a wonderful venue.

I found a team of members working hard preparing lighting in preparation for hanging work on the screens and erecting display stands for unframed work. Val Briggs checked in my entries and revealed that there had been over 290 works submitted more than last year – an indicator of the Society’s growing reputation.

A big thank you to all the energetic volunteers for the time and effort they have contributed to making the exhibition a success.

The exhibition runs from 24^th May to 2^nd June 10.00am. to 5.00pm. daily.

Do pay a visit there will be something for all artistic tastes.

ERIC ENNION

Years ago I bought a book which was part of a series of ‘Field Study Guides’ I was attracted by the dustcover which was covered with line drawings. The title was ‘Oaks and Oak Woods’ and the author was A.E.R.Ennion who was the warden of the field study centre at Flatford Mill in Suffolk. I still treasure my copy because it is illustrated with coloured line and wash drawings. He also wrote ‘The Lapwing’ which was the first book in the series.

The books have long been out of print and I didn’t realise until quite recently that he was one of the most influential 20^th century wild life painters. Robert Gillmor described him as "... a man of great humanity, intelligence, energy and fun."

 The following links to pages on his website show examples of his watercolours.

http://www.ericennion.com/Eric_Ennion_Pied_Wagtail.html

http://www.ericennion.com/Eric_Ennion_Great_Tits.html

http://www.ericennion.com/Eric_Ennion_Ringed_Plover.html

TALK OF TWO RIVERS

Last Sunday's Countryfile programme contained a short feature about an old Somerset papermill. The presenter had collected some wild flowers and these were dropped onto the pulp and were incorporated into the paper.

The mill is where the high quality Two Rivers watercolour paper is made. Back in November 2011 Neil Hopkins - the owner - visited Ludlow and gave a demonstration. He brought some sample packs which sold like hot cakes!

I believed at the time that nothing could beat Waterford so I never bought any - perhaps that was short-sighted! If any blog members have used Two Rivers do tell us about it.

Follow the link to see Neil Watkins demonstrating.

http://ludlowartsociety.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/pictures-from-two-rivers-paper-demo-and.html
click on a photograph to view it full size
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PAINTING IS MORE ABOUT THE LONG STARE THAN THE QUICK GLIMPSE

I’ve just received the Summer 2013 issue of ‘Birds’ the RSPB magazine. Filled as ever with stunning photographs; there’s a particularly attractive shot of a Redstart on the cover. Digital photography has brought a revolution in the way wildlife subjects can be portrayed. The Redstart on the cover reveals more detail in a fraction of a second than is seen by the naked eye even after long study.
 
Photographs are a good source of reference for the artist but it seems to me that many artists are preoccupied with achieving laborious detailed realism because we are visually fed too much photography. Much of the enjoyment in painting both for the painter and the viewer comes from the enjoyment of the hand-made mark. All hand crafted media offer distinctive ways for the artist to interpret and exploit what he sees.  For me the expressive marks made by a moving hand are what make painting interesting. The starting point of expressive mark begins in front of the subject with a long stare.

Lars Jonnsson advocates looking at a bird for six minutes before starting to paint it – good memory training? My current favourite wildlife painter though is Darren Woodhead. A watercolourist who works outdoors from direct observation. He can be found on Twitter or visit his website at:

http://www.darrenwoodheadartist.co.uk/

MOLLYMAWKS OVER STEWART ISLAND N.Z.

This is a painting I'm planning to show in June. I've used acrylic on 300gm Arches Not. I'm feeling more at home with using acrylic well diluted as with true watercolour. One of the advantages it has is that it allows washes to be super imposed without fear of lifting what is underneath. The method requires a little patience and careful use of a drier.

LAS Spring Exhibition

I've neglected posting to the blog recently having been preoccupied completing work before the submission date for Ludlow Art Society's Spring Exhibition. I blame my iPad which has led me astray. I did manage to persuade the Committee that iPad artwork should be accepted. By co-incidence it turned out that our Treasurer had sent in three works which he'd had printed on stretched canvases with a 38mm profile to avoid using frames. Mmmm. I prefer to describe mine as 'iPad Graphics and market them as signed limited edition prints on rag based paper. This is consistent with the way fine art prints have always been marketed. I've already shown my iPad entries and 'Dabchicks on the River Itchen' on previous posts. Here are two acrylics which I've submitted.

Details: LAS SPRING EXHIBITION Sat. 30th April to Sun. 7th April, Harley Centre, Castle Square Ludlow.

CONISTON WATER

John Ruskin was regarded by Kenneth Clark - former Director of the National Gallery - as one of the finest watercolour painters of the late 19th Century. A few days ago I came across a watercolour he painted of Brantwood his house on Coniston Water. This prompted me to try an iPad watercolour simulation. I worked from a half-sheet watercolour which I painted some years ago. It's a view from the southern end of lake looking towards the ConistonFells which make a fine backdrop. I wanted to try for the soft colours which are produced by thin transparent washes. Even working as I did on four layers it proved difficult to capture the same effect.

HOBBY AT MINSMERE 2

One thing leads to another! I came across an article about David Hockney's iPad paintings in the Daily Telegraph app and discovered he works with the BRUSHES App. So I just had to give it a go. I've used it to add some finishing touches to the Hobby painting in the last post. I downloaded BRUSHES 3. It's a simple bit of software – easy to use. The only drawback is that the basic version does not have a layers feature but you can purchase it as an add on. Mr Hockney's iPad paintings made with BRUSHES are astonishing - an inspiration for anyone following the digital trail. For the moment though I think I'll stick with Sketchbook Pro which has more features and I'm getting used to it.

Hobby in long grass, Minsmere

This is another iPad painting of the Hobby this time using Sketchbook Express. I'm trying out different iPad drawing apps to find one which suits me. Sketchbook Express has more painterly features than Sketchbook Ink so the bird's feathers and the long grass are treated in a more interesting way.

iPad Sketch made with Autodesk Pro

I was disappointed with my first iPad sketch made with Sketchbook Ink. I was working from a line and wash sketch and I lost my way somewhat. I decided the next attempt would be more considered. In this post I’m using Autodesk Pro – a more sophisticated app. It has a range of ‘brushes’ for producing different effects and it allows the use of layers which makes planning the work easier. I was working in front of the subject – a view across the Teme Valley – from the comfort of my living room. I worked directly rather as an oil painter might when sketching en plein air. I flood filled the base layer then worked on three extra layers for different treatments of each stage. It was late afternoon with mist forming and with backlit clouds. Nice atmospheric qualities which were beyond my grasp working digitally.

Jackdaws on St, Catherine's Hill, Winchester.

This painting has taken a long time to reach completion. It was developed from preliminary studies that were the subject of previous blogs. I've used an acrylic primed board and and worked almost entirely in Golden Open Acrylics.

GOING DIGITAL

I’ve always had a soft spot for David Hockney; there’s no doubting his talent he was noticed early on during his later student years at the RCA. Sir Hugh Casson said ‘he drew like a dream.’ A recent BBC Country File programme showed him making use of an iPad as a sketching tool. Well out of curiosity I had to try my hand at digital sketching. I searched the Daily Telegraph mobile site where there was an article on sketching apps for the iPad and downloaded the Auto desk Sketch (ink)App. Here’s my first attempt with it – a reworking of a line and wash sketch sketch of a Hobby

DABCHICKS ON THE RIVER ITCHEN

Christmas New Year and birthday celebrations of of the way I'm looking forward to completing paintings that have been put hold. Finishing is a slow process with me I like to have paintings around in temporary frames because – for me – that is the only sure way to pick up the passages which are not working properly.

I've used Golden Open Acrylics on primed MDF board for this painting of Dabchicks Their slow drying properties are what appeals and the only minor failing of the colours is that they are transparent are except for the whites. But there are ways of working round this and glazing by using a gell medium is easy.

 

 

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS

 

I sold this pastel years ago to a local doctor at one of our Ludlow Art Society Exhibitions. She died and clearly her family did not rate it as a family heirloom because it turned up in a local print gallery. Judging by the price he was asking the owner probably bought it as part of a job lot at a local sale room.

I went into the gallery and introduced myself as the artist who'd painted it. I briefly considered buying it back to resell it but the gallery assistant said she liked it because she knew the location. Her appreciation convinced me that the painting had found a good home so I said farewell to it for a second time!

I keep a digital photograph of all my work so here it is adapted as a Christmas Card.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL VISITORS TO MY BLOG.
 

GOING DIGITAL

I’ve dabbled with digital painting for a few years using Painter. I began with Painter 9 and progressed through upgrades to the current version Painter12.  Professional illustrators produce quite stunning images with Painter for a variety of applications. Painter though has a quite complex interface and it takes some time to appreciate and become familiar with many of its features.

My interest in it is as a means of exploring starting points that could be developed further by using traditional painterly techniques. An easy way to gain familiarity with the program is to explore the ‘auto painting’ feature. First copy a reference image into Painter and save it. Next open a new layer and start the autopainting tool. This will start to build up a clone of the reference image which in time would produce a clone of the reference source. The auto feature can be paused at any stage as the clone proceeds.

I’ve used a scan of a late pastel by Degas as the source reference and paused the process as a starting point for further development with Painter’s ‘Pastel Brushes.’ I don’t intend to do more work on it. The objective was to become familiar with methods that can be used with Painter.

DUCKS HEADING FOR COVER ON THE RIVER ITCHEN.

For the past few weeks I’ve been preoccupied with drawing. Pencil studies of birds mostly and some sketches for future compositions. I find I have to draw up watercolour compositions – it is a medium which is not easy to change once you have started. Others though like to live dangerously by laying wet washes and extracting a ghost image from them – does Turner come to mind? Of course he had a good eye and could draw better than most of us.

Acrylic is a friendly medium which offers much more freedom. I began this on a hardboard panel prepared with an even base coat of dark brown/green. I composed ‘on the hoof’ putting down markers to place the ducks and making small adjustments to position as the work developed.

I’m using Liquitex Heavy Body Acrylics. They have a nice creamy consistency. I thin with a matt medium and a little water if I want to glaze over passages. When working quickly and freely the short drying time is an advantage. There is still much to do before I can say; “I’m happy with that” – my favourite quote from Alwyn Crawshaw.

LAS Members Summer Exhibition

Yellow-Eyed Penguins on Doubtful Sound, New Zealand.
Watercolour



Below

First Winter Blackback Gulls: Ostend.    Watercolour

These are two of five paintings I'm sending in to the Ludlow Art Society's Summer Exhibition.

The dates are:

Sat.18th to Sun. 26th August

at the Harley Centre,

Castle Square, Ludlow.

10.00am to 5.00pm daily.

Church Stretton Festival 24th July - 3rd August

Three paintings I've sent to the Church Stretton Festival Art Exhibition

Opening times are 10.00am to 6.00pm Daily

Tortoishell Butterflies: Watercolour

Nesting Kittiwakes: Acrylic



Arnside Oystercatchers: Watercolour



Exhibitions

The picture shows my submissions to the Ludlow Art Society Spring Exhibition which ran for one week opening on Easter Saturday. Now the local exhibition season has started in earnest.

After the recent event at Gt. Witley I'm sending to the Church Stretton Festival Exhibition which runs from 24th July to 3rd August. I'll be showing the Nesting Kittiwakes and the Avocets at  This event which didn't sell at Easter.

I have five more new pictures ready for the LAS Summer Exhibition which will be held at The Harley Centre, Ludlow from August 18th to 26th.

I hope interested followers of my blog will drop by to either of the above exhibitions. If I happen to be around please introduce yourself I'd love to meet you.

LADIES IN WINTER DRESS: Bramblings.

This watercolour will be my 5^th and final submission for the LAS Summer Exhibition which is held on the last two weeks in August.

Precise minded ornithologists might give ‘Hen Bramblings in Winter Plumage’ as a correct title of the picture. But I’m reminded that Charles Tunnicliffe painted a colourful watercolour of fancy pigeons which he called ‘Angels and Archangels.’ So I think ‘Ladies in Winter Dress’ catches the mood of the painting and would be acceptable in an open exhibition.

I make increasing use of opaque bodycolour these days prefering mainly Titanium rather than the traditional Chinese (Zinc) White. I think it has to be used sensitively and not make the painting look as if it's been given a coat of distemper. There are several ways white has been applied to this painting - ranging from pure pigment for the white parts of the birds to general washes which can be worked on while still wet.