There was quite a good turn out today considering the weather. Harriet made a splendid display of gardening items even managing to find a few flowers in her garden.

Dave, Harriet’s husband, sat for the portrait painters and sported a great hat which challenged us.

​The hands on Judith's watercolour are very good and the shading was commented on.

​Sally’s glasses had a lifelike reflection and she thought that the shoulder was a bit high, she was pleased with the ink drawing but was not sure of the pastel one.

​Lesley did not like some leaves that she produced last week so she superimposed the flowers on top of them and we thought it looked effective. 

​Jane's dahlias were complicated as you get lost in the petals but the contours were good.  Jane said she might transfer it onto lino.

​Maggie-Anne liked the shapes of the second one  and Liz liked that the 1st one was offset on the page.

​Elizabeth liked that Liz’s pot was not standing upright and Liz liked how the line flowed around bringing the eye back.

​Elizabeth was not happy with this week's work that she did but people thought that she caught a likeness and that the reflection on the glass worked.

​Jenny’s composition is nice particularly on the terracotta pots.

​Everyone thought that John's pose was good and the hands in proportion. He showed me his other two that he had been working on that were expressive.

​Harriet's sketches made Dave look younger; she loved the shape of the hat. In the last one he had a yellow ear because she used wax crayon instead of pastel.

​I had my usual spread except that I tried the still life after break.
 

​Diana sent the following by email:  Lovely still life.  I’m  trying to keep loose but separating out cool areas from warm. I love mixing coloured greys.

​Frances sent in some work for the blog, saying:  Gold leaf and acrylic…. Fairly tricky handling the former (not real gold!!!)  Based on the earlier watercolour sketch below.
Two other ink sketches done locally here in Brittany.

My first attempt of doing the blog, hope that it is ok.  Avril

First a massive apology to Maggie-Anne for failing to photograph her wonderful still life, complete with riding gear and a saddle and boots (as you can see below) or her as artists’ model (and also apologies to Noreen for not living up to her example!). I am obviously still not in the swing of the Winter Programme, maybe I will do better when I come back from holiday in a couple of weeks.

Here are the pictures of this morning’s work at the Bowls Club. Quite a few very good likenesses, I thought. I did ask for identification on the picture, but I think most people forgot. While in the summer it is easy enough to know who did what, because they send it it, in the winter it would be helpful if you either wrote your name on your work, or on a piece of paper to be displayed on or near it.  It  seems unfair on those I don’t remember, not to be able to say…  What I will say is that I hope John will keep us updated with the progress of his canvas - love Avril's squared-off Maggie-Anne, is this AI art? - thanks to Freda for drawing all her fellow portraitist's feet! - thanks to Irene for allowing me to take a photo of her roses before she went, and it was very good to have the show and tell back in full flow.  My squiggle on the end is my take on Jackie's exercise from last week, with the saddle as subject matter.

Diana left early, so sent her photos in later.  She has included the work from last week that was just visible in front of the still life and add two more with these comments,  'Today I looked at old unfinished: 1. From last week, 2. Put cup at front of this one but didn’t like it , so changed it to beetroot as in 3.  As soon as I did that it worked both colour and shapes .don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t change watercolour.'
[I find it very interesting when people show the progress of a work, and we can follow it, week on week. Ed]

And from Frances,  'Having seen some gold leaf used by Chris Offili in Tate Britain the other weekend and then used by Lucy Perry, exhibiting in The Bell Gallery Bungay, I bought some ersatz gold leaf! Hence my fiddling about in my sketchbook with acrylics before I take the plunge! It will prove a fiddly medium I think…'

There were a number of announcements this week. 
First, a reminder of the Christmas Chairman's project 'Where on Earth are we Going To?'  2D work please, ready for presentation at the Christmas party on 14 December. 
Second, the Exhibitions Working Party have put together a submission  to the Halesworth Gallery, who have put out a call for artists for exhibitions next year.  To accompany the submission, they would like members to email Sally L  an image or two (or three) of your best work in the next week, please [email protected], with some idea of medium used.   These may also be used for submission to other possible venues.
Third,  Sally L's workshop next week has a list of materials on the Stop Press page.  Have a look before next week.  It is also just possible that the workshop may have to be postponed, in which case that is also where you will find that information.
I am going to be on holiday for the next couple of weeks.  If you have work to send in for the blog, it should go to Avril or Sally L (I'm not sure yet who will be doing the blog.  Look at Stop Press before sending).

As mentioned last week, I forgot to photo from Avril's sketchbook some of her favourite sketches from the summer that were included in the AGM 'Show and Tell', so here they are.

Sally L has produced a list of materials for her themed morning on 26th October, which you will find on 'Stop Press'.  Don't forget to check for changes and other information on a regular basis.
Have a productive week!

You can see below the participants at the AGM, watching Richard as he presented his picture.  We had a lively meeting.  It was good to be back at the Bowls Club; a real sign that autumn has come.  All were agreed that the Summer Programme had been very enjoyable.  The Winter Programme has been produced - you will find it under the Events heading on the menu.  Make sure you read the notes as well as the programme, as there are some important messages about the running of the sessions contained there.
There have been some changes to the committee, as Ian C has stepped back after 5 years as Treasurer, and will be replaced by Ian J, making it easy to remember who is Treasurer!  Noreen, having given many sterling years to the Website, is going to be taking it rather easier, and I will be taking over from her, with help from Avril and Sally L, who will be learning over the next few weeks how to add to this page.  Many thanks to both Ian and Noreen for their years of service.
There was discussion too, about the exhibition held in July in Diss and the way forward for exhibiting.  A sub committee has been set up, comprising Angela, Frances and Sally L, who will be looking at the subject over the coming months.
There will be some interesting mornings ahead of us - both workshops and themed mornings.  A new Chairman's Project was set, to be presented at the Christmas party, as it was felt that everyone had enjoyed doing this last year.  The subject this time is 'Where On Earth are We Going?'.  Use your imaginations, but keep in mind that it would be nice to add the resultant work to an exhibition, so conceptual pieces requiring explanation are probably out.
The Show and Tell will be back at the end of each session.  Yours truly will find this a help in compiling the blog each week, as it gives me an opportunity to take photos of all the work produced in a morning.

The second part of the morning is the Show and Tell for the summer, with a very varied and interesting display being produced by the members present.  Apologies to Avril, who brought in a sketchbook (as that was how she has worked this summer), which I don't seem to have photographed... but I will add that work next week.
So first, work by Judith (who is a new member, but has been a summer host for some years) a narrative piece: what IS going on?, Maggie-Anne (x2), Richard and Ian J.

Next, John (x2) a narrative painting from a newspaper photo, and his grandchild, Ian C, and June (an old oil painting from the days when stubble burning was legal).

Here is work from Liz (x2), Lesley (a sketch from some time ago and the painting from it, done this year), and Harriet.

Frances started with a sketch at Sizewell, and turned its mood into work on sunflowers...

Sally T brought in her work from a number of outings.  The window still hasn't met with her satisfaction!

Sally P has started a whole new way of using her printer, and producing cards. Jackie (x2) and Josie (x2) brought in their work from the summer's outings, finally mine, which is the completed painting from last week.

So, don't forget to look at the Winter Programme, now on the Events page. And don't forget to check the Stop Press and More pages regularly.  Have a good week.