7th january 2021

Dear All,

I hope that you managed to have a good Christmas and New year with everything that is still going on in the world! It has been very different for us all!
I was hoping to be able send good news about the group meeting up sometime soon, but alas, this looks as though it is still far off in the distance! In fact it will probably not be before the outdoor sessions are due to start.
There are thoughts that perhaps by then we might be able to put together a ‘ mornings only’ and keep it local. Much depends on how the COVID vaccine rollout is going! (Rather slowly at the moment, unfortunately!) We will obviously let you know of any plans and developments.
In the mean time we will be continuing with our weekly Zoom meeting at 12.00 noon on Thursdays, kindly organised by Avril. Here we can look at and talk about the work we have done, say hello to friends or just enjoy observing. You do not have to have produced work to show!
We are also lucky to have our web page where you can look at the weeks artwork that has been put on and you can even leave a comment if you wish. Thanks to Noreen and Hannah for this excellent presentation. At the moment work should still be sent to Hannah.
Each week someone from a rota puts photos on for you to do a piece of artwork from or to inspire you. This has been working well since we started a couple of months ago.
I have not set a Chairman’s project this year as we still have to show last years work. We have thought about putting it on the webpage but feel that it would be better to wait until we can meet as often the work produced needs an explanation with it. If the majority of you would rather it be shown via the web page we could possibly manage this with written explanations. Please let me know.
Thank you to all who took part in the patchwork picture. I had a great time putting it together and the end result is stunning.  The title of the piece is called The Confetti of a City. It is by an artist called Leonid Afremov. A Russian born artist who lived for a long time in Mexico before moving to America. He was born on 12 July 1955 and died on 19th August 2019. His style is modern impressionistic. Hannah is going to give you a link so that you can read up about him if you wish to. It is such a colourful painting full of hope and cheer.

Finally, some of the committee who have spoken together, have thought of a project that we could do together to be completed by Easter weekend. ( April 2nd)
We would like you to complete a self portrait in any medium on a piece of paper 8”x8”. No canvas boards or frames. We will then put them together to make a composite picture that one day, hopefully, we will be able to show at an exhibition.
We hope that this will be taken up by lots of you. More information will be sent out in the next letter.
With warm wishes to you all,

keep safe,
Sally

And here is that link - https://leonidafremovinquiry.weebly.com/biography.html

Here is the finished patchwork picture, now put together by Sally P., and I am sure we will all be keen to see it 'in the flesh', A brilliant antidote to dark days - both literal and figurative.

The first person to name the picture and artist was Sally T - So a round of applause, and an extra biscuit when we next meet up, Sally!

First up, here is your inspiration for next week, courtesy of Jackie.  Sunnier days at Felixstowe, a close-up mystery(?) object  to consider for something more abstract, and a view from Jackie's window.  All of these can lead you either to use them as they are, or to find your own equivalent.  We could have a whole streetful of views from different windows, for instance.

And here is the painting Jackie has produced herself this week.
'A wet day so sketched this view from my car then painted another version back home.
The view is at South Green, a charming hamlet between Hoxne and Eye.'
All that water!  When you think how dry it was during the last lockdown.

Harriet says, 'My two images are from a lino cut that I'm working on. One is a print done on a book binding press. Sounds good but it is in my husband's workshop, on the floor, in the cold, with very little space, so I only do a few at the time. The other is using the gel plate and so the print is softer and I have used coloured pencils and a bit of acrylic on it.
It has been quite nice to do, quite therapeutic, working away at it and listening to the radio.'

How about this for something different!
From Carolyn, 'Dec25th 2020 at 10am and 1.30pm chez Clarks. Or 'Before and after'

Looks quite delicious, and she said it lasted for ages, I am sure that most of us found ourselves with rather more food than we expected, and now rather more poundage!

On Zoom this morning, Avril mentioned the book that has kept her sane over lockdown, full of large images with guidance for drawing them. 'You can get these diagrams on Youtube or the internet, but members might like to do these two I chose from the book at random.' 

From Sally P. 'Three quick pieces of work from me to try to get back into the swing.
An hour on the bottle, drawing it not drinking! A left hand half hour and a right hand 20 mins in pencil

And I have been drawing, as it's far too cold to stay in my studio for any length of time.  These are both from photos, the first a road we cross on one of our walks, and the second the cat who sleeps most undecorously.

Finally, Diana had me fooled when I first saw this - I thought she had laid out her tools ready for work, as she said, 'Looking forward to everyone's  ideas'.   and I love the words. Very clever!