Blog Archives

30th july 2020

30/7/2020

To kick off this week here is a view of Carolyn's garden.

Avril wasn't sure how successful this painting was, as she doesn't often paint flowers, but I think the photograph indicates how well she tackled it.

Next Sally P has gone with an exercise that involves drawing your own hand reflected in a mirror. She wasn't entirely happy with it and says she would like another go. Here's a challenge to us all - if you are at a loose end, and can't think of a subject, have a go at hands (or feet) for next week

After Sally's drawing is a picture from Les Bragg. I like the changes of light within the work. Indoors and outdoors?

Lovely crocosmia from Jane.

Sally Ladbrooke is still working on this view of Lowestoft North Beach. Lots of inky breakwaters to come. We look forward to seeing the finished work next week!

Jackie says, 'Our local Thatcher has harvested his straw and piled the bundles into shocks. These make a wonderful rural scene and I hope to do more studies of them at the weekend. I've also done some doodles just for fun. It's so lovely living here especially at harvest time when the fields are clothed in gold. Am missing everyone and hope to see some of you soon.'

Last Thursday, when I had finished my drawing, (Hannah says) I packed up, turned round and walked about five steps. I then saw what would have been the perfect subject for me - a view down a footpath, with a fence to the left, that I had had my back to the whole time! So I put everything down again and took a couple of photos. This is the final outcome, oil on canvas...

And from Noreen, a lovely study of roses, 'something I did earlier...'

All the way from Brittany, Frances has sent 3 different images: A photo of a swallowtail butterfly, and one of the shutters painted with the same butterflies as inspiration, and her grandchildren on the beach...

Lesley's week has been too busy, so she sent a textile piece she made last month, an imaginary landscape that she is quite pleased with: snow dyed sky, monoprinted background, with machine embroidery and hand painted flowers and leaves collaged on top.

Late addition from Harriet, sketches from a visit this week to Saltburn, North Yorkshire, where it was very cold (!). The cliffs are supposed to be the highest in England.

Finally, a reminder to keep sending work to me (Hannah) for the time being. Either Noreen or I will let you know when things change back again.. I am sure everyone wishes Noreen well as soon as possible.

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23rd july 2020

23/7/2020

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Seven of us made it to Thornham Walks this morning, and Diana arrived later, for a walk. The Forge Cafe was doing a roaring trade in outdoor coffee, and the paths positively thronged with all the visitors. It was the first day of the summer holidays, although in current circumstances who would have thought it would have made any difference? Lots of friendly and curious passers-by. And the weather was perfect, not too hot, but sunny.

We had coffee first (socially distanced), and, among other things, there was discussion of the coming winter programme. Sally Tyley brought the good news that the Bowls Club will be available, with some changes necessary for its use. We hope to be able to let you know how this is going to work as soon as it is finalised.

26th July: One extra drawing from Thursday added below...

A delicate watercolour from Lesley. Some of these oak trees at Thornham are dying back, but what lovely shapes.

John Walters sends in an oil fantasy of two contrasting figurines against a view of his garden

Jackie started with a sketch, above, and then produced the watercolour below.

Just in case it wasn't clear, the message from Sally P. was 'This is a tree.' So here it is. And a very fine tree, too. I do like the way she has defined the different parts of the tree and expressed the bulk of the leaves.

'Here is an extremely quick sketch done in our garden in Bécihan, Brittany In between trying to find plants hidden in the growth since we were last here in February and entertaining two grandchildren.' Says Frances.

Carolyn has sent this wonderful study of mushrooms, musing about the inadvisbility of eating them!

And here, to the left, is Avril's subject at Thornham, and right, her painting. She started with watercolour, then added pastels and wax crayon, which gives it great depth and interest.

Diana said she had always intended to paint these cottages, near the thatched church at Thornham Parva. She did this oil painting at home this week from her photo.

Sally T. cycled with what she had intended to be a minimal load, but once you add in the hand sanitiser and the mask, etc., etc....is there room for drawing equipment?
Her pen and ink produced these drawings full of great energy.

Harriet sent this colourful summer 'Garden with Dogs' - painted in oils and not yet finished but at a certain stage...

And finally, my own offering.

So, hopefully next time (Hoxne in three weeks time) there will be a few more of us...But in the meantime, Noreen is still suffering with her back, and I am sure we all wish her well. I will try to hold the fort, though it's difficult to live up to the standard set.

If anyone has something else for me in the next day or so, send it to me, Hannah...

26th July

And finally, finally, a late addition from Les Bragg. Another of the dying trees that make such wonderful statements at Thornham.

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thursday 16th july

16/7/2020

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Just for the record, you are in Hannah's hands this week! I hope I can live up to the legend that is Noreen, having kept us all in touch for so many weeks. Unfortunately, her back will not allow her to sit at the computer at the moment, so I think we will all wish her better, and hope that she is soon up and about again.
We all have next week to look forward to - with our first outdoor meeting of the year at Thornham Walks. Let's hope the weather continues to hold up - it would be just our luck after all these fine, dry weeks to have rain get in the way now.

Guess who this is, deep in disguise. And I wonder if we will be able to tell who is who when we next meet at the bowling club, if we are all in masks.
It's taken the government long enough to arrive at the obvious conclusion that putting something between the breath or cough of someone who is ill, and the outside world, might be helpful, not least because everyone would feel a little safer!

Avril's still life subject, and the finished painting.

Diana says this is an early stage of a painting that she feels the more she did the worse it got. It might yet turn into a landscape !

Dahlias from Jane.

Carolyn's " An orchid that I have coaxed into flowering again". Very delicate (as orchid flowers are).

Frances is still working on her large painting - here is an update.

Isn't it interesting how completely different each of the above four are in style and treatment, when they all have as their subjects plants of one kind and another.

The first of Frances' two sketches from this week.

And this is her grandson, who stayed still just long enough!

Turquoise House

Sally L. has sent a link to a new video by Andrew Pitt, for creating a summer landscape in watercolour.
http://www.andrewpitt.co.uk/
She also sent this oil pastel of a house she has painted before.
Wonderfully vivid colour, and the reflection guides you in to the house.

Harriet's paintings this week both have watercolour backgrounds , with acrylic foregrounds.

And she has included the scarecrow she has made for the village, which has a painterly face, for our amusement...
It looks much too kind to frighten the crows!

Just in case you didn't get it, here is the reveal for Sally P's drawing!

And I haven't done anything this week (again). Lots of non art stuff, and the disappointment of finding out that two jars of jam from this year are full of fungal fur! Great cucumbers, though, and plenty of beans.

So, I hope Noreen will get well soon, and hope that I will see some of you next week.

That's all for the moment, if anything else comes in I will add it later.

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Thursday 9th July - updated 10th

9/7/2020

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Hello all. First let me point you in the direction of our new limited Summer Programme in case you haven't yet seen it. Look under Events or click here.
It’s been a tough day today. Just today of all days I received an email from BT telling me that I’d no longer receive emails without updating settings to their new “improved” email service. "Don’t worry, it’s straightforward…simple!" In fear of losing everything or not receiving your valued artwork, I set about this task. At one point a live chat took over two hours, in the middle of which my adviser admitted she’d been giving me all the wrong instructions and could we start again!!!
Fortunately, I received your emails, so here is what you sent.
10 July: Two further paintings, from Lesley Bu and Harriet have been added at the end.

That's everything I've received so far, not quite as many as usual. If there is any more to come, please email me and I will add them tomorrow. Noreen
PS Friday : Two more added below.

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Thursday 2nd July

2/7/2020

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How time flies when you’re having fun! July already and well into what would have been our Summer Programme, with our exhibition at St Mary’s Diss imminent. When exhibitions are again possible, we should have lots of work to show.

No artwork from Avril this week as she is expecting a family visit, but she looks forward to seeing what everybody else has done. And Cynthia is still working on her oil painting. Sally T wrote that she is sorry not to have any images for us this week but is working on a still life in oils. Hopefully we will be able to see the finished version next week. She says the blog keeps her going as she loves to see what members are up to.

Thanks for all your pictures. Hope I've got everything this time! Have a good week.
Noreen

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30th july 2020

23rd july 2020

thursday 16th july

Thursday 9th July - updated 10th

Thursday 2nd July

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