Two late entries for this week's blog, from June and Sally L.  Better late than never!  In fact it's  great to see them whenever.
1. June's - she says she only noticed it's a big wonky when seeing the photo.  But not very - it's still a very good painting in pastel pencils.  Just look at those flowers!
2. Sally's:  two down, four to go.  She says she's calling it finished as it's in danger of being overworked.  Seems to me just right now. Also she says, "Sorry it's late, in mitigation  my woodpile is looking immaculate!"  (What has she been doing to it?)

​From Sally P (where are T and L today?):  Signs of Spring AND Something Fruity.  "Had great fun.  It's good to have this challenge even though the daffy isn't brilliant.  For next week's subject (if you wish) how about 'The Kitchen'."  

PS  A painting in progress from Sally T has been added at the end.  
There is also a further stage from Diana and three paintings from Harriet below.

True to her word, Avril has added another item to her previous set-up, so now we have chicken, teddy and dolly in the conga.  As it grows week by week the conga leaders will just have to disappear off into the distance, she says.  She found painting the doll’s face in pastel was hard.

​

Another view of Noreen's garden in acrylics (she gave up trying to make it loose) and, above it, a watercolour sketch of just a small patch of the garden done yesterday.

The Blog is not closed if anyone wishes to send any more work or messages.

​PS  Just in:  another stage in Diana's painting, although still not finished.
​And on the right one from Sally T, a work in progress.

Another welcome contribution, from Harriet.  She has a lot of old tubes of oils, which she has been using up - and getting in a bit of a mess in the process, she says!  She hasn't finished her picture of the hellebore yet as they have been busy with a veg. patch which will eventually be rabbit and dog proof.

And another one from Sally L (hasn't she been busy!), who says:  

​"I was really tempted to leave this for a few days, to ‘think about it’ but as the currant flowers were fading I had to keep going, no excuses! (Note the subtle hint of Opera Pink.)
It’s been a really good discipline to spend the best part of three days painting, and great to be able to see what the rest of the group are up to.

Last week, Sally L showed us a selection of unfinished paintings and vowed to finish them.  Good as her word, here is number 1 - before and after.  (She just has to keep going now!)

​And a window-sill pencil sketch from Jackie.  The photo was rather small, so it is not very clear.  I will replace it if J can send me a larger one.

Like Diana, I hope you are all coping well in these strange times.
Keep your pictures coming.  If you'd like a theme for next week, Sally has suggested:  Signs of Spring*.  But it's up to you and we are very happy to see your work whatever the subject.
​
​Noreen

PS Note amendment above * Something Fruity for another week!

Harriet provided a wealth of objects for the still life, many in white against a white backcloth;  as we all know, painting ‘white’ tests the best of us, especially in watercolour.  There were some coloured items too and a few people brought their own set-up, all resulting in some very good work.  As always, some pieces are unfinished and others may be a study for a future painting.

​Harriet was an excellent model, sitting twice for about 45 minutes each, inspiring again some very good results.

Next week Jackie promises something surprising - so don't miss it!  And hopefully Noreen will be back with us, word is she is much better, but being cautious, which given the weather at the start of the morning, was not a bad idea!

Don't forget to check the 'Messages from Members' page for details of Sally Ladbrooke's session next week.  It sounds like it will be very colourful!

We welcomed Malcolm back today as our model, and what a good model he is!  He has a very interesting face to draw and sits well.  There were two poses, with and without the cap.  Hilary of course arranged the model and also presented us with an elegant still life set up.  Some members brought their own floral displays and one member was inspired by last week’s pastel workshop to work on another landscape.  So we had lots of different artwork to view at the end of the morning.

Don’t forget to let Sally P know as soon as possible your ideas on:  
1.  Choice of location for the May coach trip
2.  Whether and on which days you would be interested in a portrait drawing class at Scole
​3.  Any locations you might be keen to see on the coming Summer Programme.

What an excellent workshop, inspiring and full of down to earth, practical help and advice! Aina likes to use a warm-coloured Pastelmat as the ground for her pastel paintings, which begin with an underpainting.  She demonstrated this, using soft pastels on the side, working this way and that for texture and in a range of appropriate colours, starting with a mid-tone, then including darks, followed by lights - but never using pure white except for highlights in the final stages.  She showed us how she blended the colours, using a small cotton cloth or a finger.  Further layers were applied to work up a loose background, before going on to refine and add detail, with blenders, more soft pastel and harder pastel pencils.  It was interesting to see how some earlier layers of colour re-appeared as shaped blenders were applied.  

We had a range of Aina’s own photos to choose from, or our own, but not, she stressed, photos from the internet, magazines, calendars, etc., which would be copyright.  Artists could use such photos purely for practice, but never for display or gifting to others.

I thought members did themselves and Aina proud, as I hope you can see from the examples shown below..

Here are more quotes from Hockney:
" ... art is about sharing: you wouldn't be an artist if you didn't want to share an experience, a thought" and "Anything simple always interests me."