Brentwood Art Society UK

ANNUAL DINNER

2010-01-15T19:52:00.003Z

Everyone should have received their menu for the Society's Annual Dinner, which will be held at our usual venue, Brentwood Old Boys in Navestock on Friday March 5th.

This event takes place just as the weather is cheering up and Spring is on the horizon. The evening is always very enjoyable and there is usually a quiz, provided by Pam Burrell and another short item of entertainment. Our guest this year is Deborah Joys, who organised this year's Brentwood Art Trail, in which some of our members took part.

If you have never been to the dinner, or haven't been for a while, do come along this year. The food is usually very good and the more members attend, the merrier the evening will be and it is yet another opportunity to celebrate our thriving society together.

SOMETHING TO SAY? SOMETHING TO SHARE?

2010-01-15T19:36:00.003Z

This year’s Brentwood Art Society newsletter is now being put together. As well as information about forthcoming events and reflections on the past year, the editor also requests articles by members. It is these contributions that bring variety to the publication and demonstrate the wider activities of individuals.

If you have visited an exhibition over the last year or so, attended a course or lecture, gone on a painting holiday, or anything else that you think other members would be interested in, including any recommendations for future events, please send me a short account of it for inclusion in this year’s newsletter. Of course, accompanying images are useful too.

Examples of your own artwork are also welcome. You may have an item that has provided you with inspiration – a favourite venue, an object or the work of another artist, perhaps. A picture of the item and a short explanation about why it is significant to you could fill a corner of the publication.

Businesses are also invited to advertise in the newsletter for a small fee.

You can email text and images to Julie Gowers, or give them to her at one of the studio sessions. Contributions may have to be edited according to the availability of space as the aim is to represent as many people as possible.

MICHAEL KENNEDY'S SESSIONS

2010-01-15T19:09:00.003Z

The handout Michael porvided for this first session of the year began, 'A thing of beauty is a joy for ever, Keats, 'Endymion' (1818). We were asked to question what is conventionally regarded as beautiful and how canons of beauty can change with each generation. A collection of postcards demonstrated images that might be considered beautiful, which included the use of simple items as subject matter, by artists such as Braque and Morandi. We were then asked to select an item oursleves that could be used to express an idea of beauty or challenge the notion of beauty.

If you were not at the session last Monday, you should have received copies of the handouts. Below are the dates and titles of the sessions for Michael's first half term. Hope to see you on Monday evening!

11th January Beauty in common things
18th January Natural beauty
25th January Absent beauty
1st February Studio beauty
8th February Completion of work followed by critique

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2010-01-02T14:51:00.007Z

Best wishes go to all members for a happy and creative year ahead.

Brentwood Art Society has plenty to offer everyone this year. Apart from the two sessions each week, there is a workshop and painting weekend away to look forward to. There are also efforts to re-introduce painting trips beyond these shores. Take a look at Trevor Harwood's piece below about art courses in the Algarve.

Back at home, the term begins on Monday 11th January with tutor Michael Kennedy.

The Preview Evening of our Annual Exhibition, that took place in November and December at Brentwood Library, was once more a very enjoyable event. Thanks go to all members of the committee who undertake a range of tasks to ensure everything runs smoothly, and to Bryan Semour and his wife who organise the hospitaltiy element of the Preview Evening. The Mayor of Brentwood, Tony Sleep, opened the exhibition, which continues to be a splendid way of demonstrating the variety and quality of work that is achieved by the society. In these more frugal times it is encouraging that a few sales were made and the sale of greetings cards featuring members artwork was very succesful.

HARWOOD ART

2010-01-02T11:04:00.016Z

Some of you may remember that many years ago Brentwood Art Society used to have art holidays abroad as well as the art weekends in the UK that we now enjoy. Recently I visited the Algarve, the non-touristy eastern end and was invited to review a new art holiday location there. It occurred to me that it would be an ideal location for BAS members to venture overseas again.

Prior to launching this venue for my own business, I thought I would take a straw poll amongst members to see if there was any interest for such a venture. The owners have agreed a flat rate for one week, which I feel is good at Euro 500 each, excluding flights to Faro. Some extra details are attached or you can contact me anytime.

There is a special painting week organised for 20th –27th March 2010 for the same price, which we could attend or I can organise a separate week for BAS. More information can be found at the centre's website: http://www.artinthealgarve.com/

~ HARWOOD ART ~

PAINTING HOLIDAY IN OLHAO, ALGARVE, PORTUGAL

Join Trevor Harwood in the peaceful and beautiful countryside surrounding the old port of Olhao, east of Faro in Portugal with host David - an ideal location for a painting holiday.

Set in the heart of Olhao's protected historic area one can find the Olhao Art School. The school has been restored and with vaulted ceilings, Roman brickwork, three courtyards and an olive tree (believed to be over 150 years old), it offers an exceptional space for artistic creativity.

There is something romantic about the building, with the beautiful light from outside filtering through the large windows and courtyards adding to it’s charm. There is an abundance of old features and it is a fantastic place to gather inspiration. The Art School can comfortably accommodate up to ten artists and a teacher.

All easels, both radial and portable, are supplied, along with a selection of props and paper.

The Pool House
There are two double bedrooms, a further double with an additional single bed, and an attic room which sleeps three. A spacious sitting room, dining room, kitchen and garden offer guests a very homely, comfortable environment. Hairdryers are provided in each bathroom. The Garden is split over three levels with a swimming pool on the ground floor and two sunbathing terraces.

The Annex
The Annex was restored last year and is a smaller flat for people to stay in. On the ground floor there is a large open plan kitchen and living area. Upstairs there are two double bedrooms, each with large en-suite bathrooms.

The Artist's House
The house has one double bedroom with en-suite bathroom, and two further double bedrooms with a shared bathroom. A large sitting room with TV and DVD machine, a dining room, kitchen and utility room and a studio with a single bed. Outside there are four terraces, a wonderful courtyard eating area and a small dipping pool.

Cost of accommodation, based on full board (single or double occupancy), including tuition €500.

These prices include: 7 nights full board including wine at dinner, a day trip to nearby islands and the knowledge of our host David who is fluent in Portuguese!

The price does not include: Flights, insurance, or artists' materials. Canvasses, paints and brushes can be supplied for an additional fee.

Please let me know if you are interested as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Contact Trevor Harwood for further details and any questions you may have on 01277 218688 or email Harwoodart@talktalk.net

Trevor Harwood

51st Brentwood Art Society Annual Exhbition

2009-11-20T13:07:00.018Z

The Society's Annual Exhibibition will be helld in the Becket Gallery, at Brentwood Library from 28th November to 28th December 2009. A Preview Evening will be held on Friday 27th November. There will be sixty five exhibits representing twenty five of the Society's members and they include abstract, as well as figurative subjects in water colour, oil, acrylic, block print and other media.

The subject of the painting here, which David Smith will be exhibiting, will be recognised by all those familiar with Brentwood. It illustrates what was until rcently the home of Cooper's furniture store and which now houses a range of small retailers. This detailed work is in itself a record of the changing face of the town.

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Chairman's Message

Please encourage friends and family to come along to our Preview and share a galss of wine with us. The Mayor of Brentwood will open the exhibition, which promises to be an exciting one this year. We look forward to seeing you there.

Anna

Whitstable Painting Trip

2009-11-20T10:21:00.017Z

In September this year, the Art Society marked its return after the Summer break with a weekend painting trip to Whitstable. Gillian Robinson was the tutor and as usual, provided an interesting focus for the group before they set off for the seafront, the harbour and neighbouring areas.

We were fortunate to have as our base a room in Whitstable's modern Arts Centre, a wonderful building inspired by sailing vessels and located right on the seafront. On the lower floor is a large gallery and during our visit the exhibiting artist was stood at an easel demonstrating his work. There is also a cafe in the building, so everything we needed if the weather was not kind to us but as the sun shone throughout our trip everyone was able to work outside on both days.

Whitstable has a lot to offer, apart from its busy harbour lined with stalls selling a vareity of fresh seafood. There are boutiques, restaurants, bars and plenty of reasonably priced areas to park. A good deal of Whitstable's charm lies in the understated, slightly shabby appearance of its many wooden buildings. Despite the hotels, guesthouses and other tourist attractions, the place feels like a working town that has not allowed itself to become too tourist oriented.

Whatever the particular interest of the artist, be it seascape, landscape, still life, architecture or people, our surroundings supplied them all in abundance. Gillian even brought along some natural form items that could be used as foreground images to the wonderful choice of backdrops.

The first of our evenings was spent at the Rose In Bloom pub, which overlooks the sea and served really tasty food. Our meal on the second evening was at the Chestfield Barn, an attractive thatched building with a galleried retaurant.

Strangely Familiar

2009-01-31T11:29:00.001Z

This was the theme chosen by Anna Hughes, Julie Sanger Gowers and Susanne Taylor for their recent exhibition at The Upstairs Gallery Space in The Nellie Dean public house, Soho.

The theme inspired work that showed how familiar objects and settings can be used as starting points for inventive and imaginative processes. Compositions were often simple, sometimes complex, but always lively and pleasing to the eye.

All three artists are based in Essex and have exhibited together on previous occasions. Their different approaches to media and subject matter, a similar lyrical and graceful treatment of their chosen areas, and a shared interest in ordinary items or situations ensured a display that was both diverse and cohesive. Anna Hughes’ relief prints are inspired by still life, her garden, the woods beyond, and images collected while travelling. Julie Sanger Gowers combines traditional techniques with electronic media. In her paintings and collages objects are juxtaposed to achieve new and unusual relationships between space and subject. Susanne Taylor’s images are based upon direct observation and present a personal vision of light, colour and form through watercolour, acrylic and print.

The Preview Evening, held in November, was attended by the friends and family members of all three exhibitors and The Nellie Dean was an ideal venue for such an occasion. Thanks go to Kim Beeching, for her help in organising the exhibition and to all those who joined in celebrating the work of these artists.

Anna Hughes	Julie Sanger Gowers	Susanne Taylor

The Four Seasons (my latest pieces of coursework)

2008-08-11T22:09:00.005+01:00

Doing some homework

2008-07-16T23:22:00.003+01:00

New Approaches to Mixed Media

2008-07-04T15:29:00.020+01:00

Images from the course:

New Approaches to Mixed Media

2008-07-02T19:03:00.032+01:00

This six week course, run by Julie Gowers, completed the Society's studio programme for the year. The aim of these sessions was to demonstrate how new technologies, such as digital cameras, scanners, printers, certain computer software and other devices can extend creative options when used in combination with more traditional media and processes. Members began by producing starting points using a variety of conventional materials and methods, which they then developed further using electronic processes, such as scanning or taking a digital photograph of what they had created. Some of the results were then manipulated using the digital imaging software, PhotoShop.

Two sessions were carried out in a room equipped with computers and not only were some basic PhotoShop tools and commands practised but members were also shown how to research images on the Internet and access the Society's own website. Apart from discovering how to combine and build upon artwork produced in either physical or electronic media, those who attended the ICT sessions also experienced how digital tools can be used independently to produce artwork with its own particular characteristics.

Most of the activities however, were intended to focus upon the equivalents that can be identified in each area, so tasks involved collage, the creation of semi-transparent layers and a wide variety of techniques and effects.

Over the weeks, those who attended the sessions became more willing to experiiment with the electronic devices and increasingly comfortable in using them. The different activities were succesfully blended with more familiar art and design methods and some very exciting and original pieces were achieved.

Artists always seem prepared to try something new and then use what has been experienced to realise a personal outcome. It was a great pleasure to see what had been produced at the final session and the many different ways each person, irrespective of their past experience with ICT, had applied what they had learnt. Here are a few examples.

Coloured rectangles were photographed using a slow time setting and the camera moved during the exposure. The image was then manipulated in PhotoShop and used later in combination with other images which had been created using both electronic and traditional media.

Gradients were created in PhotoShop and used as backgrounds for other superimposed images.

Collages and drawings created from traditional media were combined with digital images.

Photographs, were combined with both traditional and electroonic images using a copier. The images were superimposed to build, layer upon layer, complex pictures.

These examples show how a starting point, a collage or other conventionally produced image can be extended using electronic tools, such as digital imaging software, a digital camera, copier and printer .

Anna began with a collage from magazine strips, photographed it and transformed the image in PhotoShop. She applied further tools and commands to produce a result that could resource a block print.

Irene photographed one of her watercolours of lilies, modified it in PhotoShop and then placed it on a gradient background. She selected an area from the image and enlarged it onto watercolour paper. She used the digital image to inspire her use of colour and effects, coming full circle through her use of different tools and media. She has shown how both pysical and electroinc media can successfully interact.

End of term "Show and Tell"

2008-06-29T18:12:00.002+01:00

Julie ended her successful Mixed media and Photoshop sessions, by reviewing the amazingly varied output of the members who had attended. There was general agreement that the sessions had promoted innovative techniques with new technology, forcing us to question any prejudices we may have held about using a computer as yet another artists tool.

Exhibition Info.

2008-05-26T15:11:00.006+01:00

For everyone interested in artist's books, there is a free exhibition at The V & A Museum entitled "Blood on Paper, The Art of the Book".

It shows how artists have used almost any medium to create a book, such as basic pigments used by Richard Long in his hand prints compared to lazer-cut paper by Anish Kapoor.

There are historical works alongside contemporary interpretations of the book which make this an intriguing exhibition.

It continues until June 29th.

Using The Blog!

2008-05-23T15:24:00.003+01:00

If you would like to contribute to the Society's Blog by posting examples of your artwork, recommendations about an exhibition you have seen, a place you have visited or anything else you think other members would be interested in, give your email address to Julie Gowers and you will soon be able to post messages and download images here. There is help about how to do this on the site or Julie can give you some basic info.

Exhibition at Brentwood School

2008-05-22T17:32:00.004+01:00

The Society has been invited to take part in an exhibition of artwork at Brentwood School, where the group holds its bi-weekly sessions.

The work, which can be unframed, should be brought to the school on Thursday, 12th June.

We are delighted to be taking part in this event, which occurs in our fiftieth anniversay year and the Committee looks forward to support from members.

New Approaches to Mixed Media

2008-05-22T17:23:00.011+01:00

Julie Gowers is currently running sessions on combining conventional materials and processes with electronic media on Monday evenings at Brentwood School. Tasks include collage using found materials and the use of digital cameras, scanners, and inkjet printers.

The aim is to experience how traditional and modern methods can interact and reveal new creative possibilities. Some sessions take place in a fully equipped ICT room where the software PhotoShop is used to extend and resource traditional methods as well as learn how to generate original digital images. How the Internet can be used for research is also demonstrated.

Painting Weekend in Sevenoaks

2008-05-22T17:05:00.007+01:00

The May painting weekend this year took place in Sevenoaks, Kent and was led by Dominic Kennedy. Despite the wonderful warm weather of the previous week, as soon as the group arrived in the grounds of Knole House, paintbrushes in hand, the rain began to fall. Some who in a bygone age would have starved in a garret for their art, braved the downpour and sat beneath trees and in sheltered corners to apply the vision of Cezanne, as encouraged by our tutor, to their impressions of the lush green park, within which the grand house stands.

Less hardy members huddled in cars and peered through steamy windows, only emerging for lunch at the tearooms and to explore the National Trust shop.

The next day, although still cool, was sunny and the beautiful location, where the garden designer Vita Sackville West was born, and where tame fallow deer roam freely, colud be enjoyed and studied in more comfort.

In the evenings the group met for meals in The Bull at Otford, whch provided an exellent menu. As always the weekend was an enjoyable social event, as well as providing a glimpse of a place some had not visited before and the chance to celebrate the artwork of others.