I am sorry you are stuck with me again this week [Hannah], as Noreen is under the weather. I am sure we all wish her a speedy recovery!
Great still life this week courtesy of Jackie, with plenty for even the late-comer [me] to choose from.  contrast of colour and texture to tax our skills, and a trug with leeks that had at least three members tied in knots...

First, Diana, with the stages of her watercolour, and the part of the still life she used...
She said, 'Tulips, glass, distortion, stripes, what more could you want, very enjoyable.'

Avril tackled both the still life and the model.  Here is her work from this morning.

Something a bit different from Sally P this week.  She has been working on her iPad on the abstract composition she started last week with Frances.  This way she has been able to experiment with the colours and save different versions.  There will be a session in April where we will look at art apps and how to use them for anyone who is interested.  More details nearer the time...
The second is 'messing around with watercolor pencils for the last half hour of the morning.'

I was really sorry not to have been able to come to Eye this morning, as I had been looking forward to Frances' themed session, but the icy weather conspired against me. Still, it looks as though those who made it had an interesting and absorbing time.  In fact, Sally P said, 'We were so engrossed in what we were doing that Frances had to mention it was coffee time and even then, we didn't all get up and rush to make a drink!'
Here is Frances herself explaining -
'The idea today was to analyse composition starting with Hackney’s statement, “all painting no matter what you’re painting is abstract in that it’s got to be organised. No matter what the illusion created, it is a flat canvas and it has to be organised into shapes.”
Everyone was given a copy of a painting by a well known artist which had to be traced in terms of the lines of the composition...diagonals, verticals, horizontals and thus turned into an abstract composition using one colour with a variety of tones. This gave food for thought as to the use of lights and darks in compositions as well as shapes.
Following this some of us showed our own works with which we were dissatisfied and the group gave advice in the light of what we had been thinking about. I promise to work on my painting and hopefully bring the improved version along next week!'
Here you can see everyone hard at work.

And these are, respectively, Sally P at work on Piero  Della Francesco's Annunciation, Gill and her version of Stanhope Forbes’ 'The Seine Boat', Maggie-Anne's analysis of George Henry's 'Noon', Sandra with the challenging painting by F.C.B. Cadell,  'Interior: The Orange Blind'.

And Jackie has sent work from this morning and also her recently made woodcut and prints of geese grazing.

Here are Diana's contributions: Her work from this morning - the original and the geometric shapes made from it, and two she brought in that she was dissatisfied with, but has decided were OK after all.

More changes to the Winter Programme - Jill is taking over for Rachael on 2nd February, see the Winter Programme page.
Don't forget about the Chairman's Project - Elements - see the reminder on the Stop Press page.
It would be nice if it warmed up a bit, but I hope you all stay warm, regardless.  Noreen is in charge next week, so don't forget to send your work to her.

Elaine brought a multitude of items for her still life set up, all seemingly related to the theme of a picnic at the seaside, and providing lots of different colours, shapes and textures.  A real challenge to sort out a picture to paint or draw.  

First, some of the still life drawings.  The first is from Liz, who has used acrylic inks very effectively for her painting.  In the second picture, Sally P has been very selective in choosing very few items;  she has  used watercolour pencils for her painting and says it was fun to do as she hasn't used them for months.  Next, Noreen has used two or three different pens to try and depict the tones and textures of a portion of the set up; a lot more time and effort would be needed to complete this.  In the fourth picture, Jackie has used watercolour, and remarks on the intense concentration in the room on the very varied still life and on our model, Elaine.  Next, Lesley says this is as far as she got with the picnic, using mostly pen but also a water soluble graphite pencil for shading; quite a challenge, she says, but she enjoyed the mark making.

Here are some of the portraits of Elaine, starting with Sally P's which is in charcoal; she says she is pleased withe the angle of the head, but doesn't feel she has got a likeness.  The next three are Avril's, drawn bigger than usual (well done) and using pastels. The fifth one is Angela's of Elaine this week.

Angela has also sent in two portraits from last week, of Linda, and a 'tonal underpainting' of Elaine, which she may or may not develop further.  We await any further developments with interest.

The first week back after Christmas.  A palpable air of concentration greeted me as I entered the bowls club.  Ian C had assembled a colourful arrangement of toys as still life, both challenging and a reminder of the spread of Christmas presents.  Thanks also to his wife, Linda, for sitting for the portraitists.

Diana brought with her the results of her '40' project, that she had been unable to show at the Christmas party.  You will find a picture below in the party blog, but this was the first chance of seeing it 'in the flesh'; very impressive!  For today's exercise she says, 'Tried an experiment today.Fed up with carrying things to paint,I took folder of magazine photos and picked bits out,you have to think more and rearrange things in your head  but it’s quite interesting.'
What a good idea - lots of possibilities!

Avril made quite a lot of portraits this morning, using a variety of mediums.

Frances also has some notes about her session on 19th January, which is themed.
Analysing Composition.
The idea is that we look at paintings and consider the compositions of these and work with them in various ways. We will finally look at one of our own paintings/drawings and analyse that in the light of what we have possibly learnt.
You will need to bring a pencil, tracing paper, paper, sketchbook, ruler, paints and one of your own works with which you are dissatisfied because of the composition. Hopefully we all have one of the latter!
You can also find these details on the Stop Press page [Hannah]

It was good to get back into the EAG routine, and to see everyone after the Christmas break.  Next week Elaine is in charge of the still life and model and Noreen will be manning the Blog, so send your work to her.  Have a good week!