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As you can see below this is just occasional news from my studio and
definitely not a blog. I would much rather be painting than sitting
here at a keyboard, so the updates to this page will never occur on a daily basis!
My own working studio is open most weekends or when I’m
around during the week, but if you are making a special
journey to see me please phone first to make sure I’m in and
not down the dale painting!
Check the
latest
Summer 2010 life drawing classes
timetable or you can print
the timetable/letter here
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Summer 2010
The 2010 theme for the Middleton by Youlgrave well
dressing is 'Birds of Middleton'. I've started work on the
design. Students are welcome to come and do some petalling
in the days before the well dressing which is on Sat 29 -
Thu 3 Jun 2010
This year I've commissioned a custom campervan conversion to
accommodate a mini art studio and accommodation for my two
dogs Molly and her daughter Tilly. So when the camper is
completed, I intend to visit sections of the British coast
and undertake some serious paintings of our wonderful
islands. Also planned is a boat trip along the length of the
River Thames to keep me busy later in the year!
Ladies - If you are needing a memorable event for a
hen party then
take a look at this page
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Group Exhibition at
Gallery Topp
Some of my contemporary landscape works were displayed in a
group exhibition called
'Survey' at Gallery Topp at Rowsley, Derbyshire.
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14 July 2009
Molly had pups
My daughters and 3 grandchildren visited and played
endlessly with 5 black cocker spaniel puppies. What a
houseful! I was exhausted when they left. Predictably, I have
kept one pup and named her Tillie Kettle. A painter of the
same sounding name, Tilly
Kettle (1735 - 1786) was a well known portrait painter
in his lifetime and the first English painter to work in
India. He was born in London, the son of a coach painter. I
fondly imagine he was a relation of mine and hope to come
across him in my ongoing genealogical research of my own
family, who lived in the same area in the same period. Watch
this space!
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Learning the recorder
I've always enjoyed traditional folk music and this year I
felt I should do something new- outside my comfort
zone, as they say. A friend gave me a recorder and a tin
whistle so I set about learning to read music and play the
instruments. After several months of weekly lessons I have
made some progress but it is really hard going for me. I'm
quite sure my visual perception is more developed than any
auditory abilities! Molly
my cocker spaniel still hides under the table as soon as I
put the school sheet music on the mantelpiece to have ten
minutes practice before my next art student arrives! My daughter
Rachel demonstrated on her recent visit that she can play
much better than I can, even though she hasn't played since
school about fifteen years ago.
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Open Art Derbyshire
I opened my studio and gallery for this annual summer event
and met many friends and talked to all visitors about my
methods of working.
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Youlgrave well dressing week exhibition
I took over the entire Methodist chapel for an exhibition of
over a hundred paintings and prints during the well dressing
week.
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Middleton Well Dressing
The theme this year was 'Sounds of Middleton' for which I
designed the central panel. Some of my students came to help
and had a go at petalling. A real labour of love, thousands
of petals go into to making the well dressing. Making
artworks that involve the repetition of small marks and
gestures over a long period of time can be a very satisfying
experience. Each tiny petal is insignificant, but every one
contributes to the final composition. The process of
building a picture from thousands of tiny strokes and
movements of the hand gives opportunity to watch how such a
picture or composition emerges over days of work.
Impressionist painters often used small brush strokes to
interpret their scenes on canvas. These small steps are in
contrast to the sudden emergence of drawings that are
created in life class where we may work quickly with large
decisive mark making.
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Abstraction
In March 2009 I returned to abstract painting attending a
course tutored by Brian Ryder in Norfolk. I completed a
couple of large pictures but predictably I was not pleased
with them. They were based on the theme of 'Holiday' I
pursued the idea of a map incorporating some collage words.
I take these small steps in abstract painting each year.
Perhaps I will get there eventually. Satisfaction in
abstract painting is elusive for me but I won't give up.
Realism is a comfortable hat to wear and sells well here in
the Derbyshire Peak District.
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Oils revisited
I've raked out my old
oil paints again and managed to get the caps off the tubes
with the help of hot water. Something fresh to work
with and a different medium for new works.
A day with John McCoombs NDD, ROI, RBA, FRSA, MAFA inspired
me to make this move. It isn't often that I get the chance
to take a whole day to myself and work on something new in
the company and tutorship of a Royal Institute of Oil
Painters guru. The weather was rough so we all painted
inside the gallery at Saddleworth using John's landscape
photographs. At least the lighting remained the same all
day! No cows to lick the paint from the board. Inspiring is
a word overused by artists but that is how I felt on leaving
for home that day. I've replenished my stock of oils, bought
a pochade box and intend to keep it in my car for landscape
sketches whenever the opportunity arises.
Ruddock's Art Store
Lincoln provided the location for a
Roy Ridsdale
RCA life
drawing master class recently. I painted several torso
paintings during the day and enjoyed being on the other side
of the easel for a change.
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My own tutored life drawing classes in
Bakewell,
Wirksworth and Ashover are ongoing. Check the schedule for the
2009 Autumn term
Sometime I'll photograph or scan some student work and get a page or
two published on this website so that you may see the standard of
work achieved. We enjoy a great variety of age, gender and physique
with my regular models .
All day
tutored sessions allow more complex works. We now have private parking in
the field next to the telephone box for everybody attending the all
day sessions. Book your place now for the next session! 01629 636763
We also have a man and woman team pose together for us at the Bakewell class
and sometimes at the all day at Youlgrave.
This is always well received and inspires some
great drawings and paintings from students.
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Abstract again -
After a Chatsworth
sculpture visit , a group of my associates met in Youlgrave for an
afternoon workshop on the principles and theory of abstract
painting. Our tutor was
Tim Rose,
a British artist who in a former life was an abstract
painter. He is now a highly regarded watercolourist
whose pictures depict mainly architectural subjects.
However, on this occasion he and we pursued his fondly held
idea that anyone could produce an acceptable abstract
painting in an afternoon using basic principles of dominant
and sub-dominant shapes, colours and tones. Eveybody
went home with a completed abstract painting that day. Most
of these treasured works were completed in acrylic on card
in about an hour. Acrylic paints dry quickly on card so we
had plenty of time to make corrections and inspired
enhancements to our masterpieces! |
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Remember to email me if you wish to be on my
mail list for occasional reminders and updates. |
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I organise painting weekends and days where holidaymakers and painters are accommodated in
bed and breakfast locally, with personal tuition in my own studio at
Middleton by Youlgrave, Derbyshire . They agree a few hours tuition
with me, spread out over their time on holiday, and paint in or near the village. Couples or
small groups can share the tuition time. Additional tuition can also
be arranged. Everything is very flexible. More information on the
painting on holiday page.
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