21st January 2021

For those who didn't make it into the Zoom meeting this morning, do try again next week.  Something went wrong this week and a number of us were locked out until Avril sorted it out.  Thanks for that, Avril. And it was nice to see Sandra today after so long, and Angela joined us as well.  Some of us were out of sync and others froze regularly (some of this may be atmospheric and to do with the wild weather), but we persevered.  This week we have a clutch of cats, several reflections and some fiendish stairs, along with still lifes all inspired by Carolyn's pictures last week. There was mention on Zoom of the self portrait project to be completed by Easter weekend. ( April 2nd).  If you remember from Sally P's email, we would like you to complete a self portrait in any medium on a piece of paper 8”x8”. No canvas boards or frames.  Will you use a photo, or a mirror?

So first we have Carolyn's own quick painting of Monty, and a delightful sketch of friends of hers in Belgium eating frites, sent when she asked for a photo to turn into a drawing - good practice for the self-portrait exercise, perhaps?

And here is a different cat, from Maggie-Anne.
'his is a water colour portrait of Minnie as requested by my daughter in law. She is a little Burmese cat.
The cushion was also requested- the cat was relatively straight forward, the cushion was a nightmare and after many false efforts I resorted to watercolour pencils. So cat is cut and superimposed pasted from first attempt. Aaaaagh!
When framed this will be a February wedding anniversary present- might wait to see what it looks like when framed !!!'
A lovely study of pattern, as well as the character of the cat.

From Sally L.  'This is taken from part of Caroline’s still life, watercolour, oil pastel, and a fortuitous chunk of gelliprinted tissue. It needs a lot more work.
This picture was taken from a photo and sketch of the flooded marshes at Beccles, unfortunately I used an old sheet of watercolour paper, as it was going to be my trial run, which absorbed the paint unevenly, I wish I hadn’t been so mean!'

Jackie says, 'Thank you Caroline for your photographs. This was a loose, experimental exercise which I'd intended as an ink and wash and on the way forgot initial plan.
'Made a few pencil marks, lacked enthusiasm but persevered so at least it's finished. Have lockdown lethargy! Thank goodness for the regular group meeting on Zoom.'

Sally P. has tackled the stairs from last week, which both she and Lesley chose, and found an interesting challenge.  I like the use of the white pencil for the light coming from above.
She has also been working on not one, but two oil paintings of Hoxne Church, which we look forward to seeing when they are finished.

From Diana: 'Dug out my watercolours which I hadn’t used since March and changed the Dahlias to Marigolds (first picture).
The embroidery thread (second picture) dates from the 1960s  and  I’ve had the felting equipment for about 15 years. Never throw anything away,never tidy up.'

Another cat, different again, this one a linocut from Jane, along with an unfinished linocut, showing some of her process.
And below, Frances sent us more printing paraphenalia, and drying prints.

Here is Harriet's drawing of Monty, with his clear markings and soft-looking paws..  She says she has been busy this week with framing pictures.

Lesley found the stairs challenging too.  She says, 'I had set up to make a more abstract image, but as usual it ended up more representational.........'
She also showed us an almost finished textile piece, made with strips of fabric to represent the sky (you can find an earlier incarnation further back on the blog), and with silhouetted trees, dark against the brighter colours of sunset.

Sally T. has given us her interpretation of the water lily pond from last week, and has also provided the inspiration pictures for next week, which you will find below.

Avril has used the colours from Carolyn's still life last week to set up her own, and worked on it in watercolour and then pastel.

I took Carolyn's idea of reflection, and an old photo from Sheffield Park in East Sussex, and cropped the bridge in the middle to give me a subject for a drawing, which I hope I might make into an abstract-ish painting.

These are the images for inspiration this week from Sally T.  The rather fine Pheasant in the middle is named Joshua, and the still life is very intriguing.

See you all again next week, and hope you all have a fine creative time.