SWA,Society of Women Artists 150th Annual Exhibition 2011: Favourite Painting

A Favourite Painting

We all have those moments. You will know what I mean if you regularly visit art exhibitions. I can tell at a glance in a gallery whether I wish to stay or leave. I know immediately whether my visit will be a brief encounter or one where I will take my time absorbing every single painting,colour combination,subject choice and composition in as many mediums as possible.

When I walk through the door to any show my instant decision of entering or not is made by the impact of my first glimpse.This is why I strongly believe how an exhibition is hung is vital to the success of any event. Without great art and  clever presentation visitors will make their choice as to stay or leave.

With the Society of Women Artists 150th Annual Exhibition  my decision was already made as last years show was breathtakingly brilliant. I am an SWA member and as part of the council, yes in a way obliged to be there. Friends know this so to pretend otherwise would be futile. However in my view, each year the SWA Exhibiton gets better and better. I feel it cannot and yet it does. Even so, when I very first saw this years exhibiton my jaw dropped. I was like a child in their favourite candy store. I wanted to view every room and every inch of wall space. I felt my desire to race home and pick up a brush burning by the talent on display. Talent that left me as always feeling inadequate because I have so far I wish to go on my own art journey. That comment may amaze my blog readers. I was with an established artist recently who told me they loved my work and envied me because of my enthusiasm for life and art. Whilst they understood my feelings they also told me they wished they could paint as I do. Freely and with such a sense of movement. I was taken aback as I am nowhere near as brilliant as he is. In fact I doubt I ever will be.In my eyes anyway.

But back to the SWA exhibition.

I began my eager viewing of the paintings on show. Moving from one, in awe, to the next. I was taken by so many beautiful subjects. Animals cleverly caught in oil and amazing landscapes. The three sea oil paintings by SWA member Tina Stokes really made me wish to use my oils again. She caught the beauty of sailing perfectly and  with simplicity. The "Foxhounds Greeting" by SWA member Vanessa Jayne were wonderful. I marvelled at the texture in the work by SWA member Judith Roberts. 

I could mention every painting because there were so many I loved. Especially the portraits as this is where I started painting and teaching as a subject. I have always loved painting personality and aiming to capture more than just a face in my results. I want to evoke emotion and entice the viewer of my work to wonder what my subject was thinking,whio they were and what their lives were like.

As I stood in the main hall of the Mall Galleries in London I looked up and saw an image that stopped me in my tracks. As a child I had very bright copper hair. It was so thick  that my grandmother insisted on keeping it cut short  for easier management. But I longed for long hair like the other girls I had seen in my school. It was a time when every child in the village had that one special dress for Sunday best. I longed to wear mine as it was the only item of clothing with beautiful delicate colour that I possessed. Everything else was practical and not very pretty. My "Sunday best" dress was. It was far too big for me but I was told I would grow into it. I never did. My little legs stuck out from under the overly full, long skirt and my tinier arms seemed lost in the over large armholes. The stiff hem touched the floor pushing the neckline up to just under my chin. When I walked it moved with me inside it. It rustled each time I moved. As I looked at my favourite painting I went back in time to my childhood and remembered putting that dress on. In my mind I never once saw the  dress that was too large for me. In my imagination I was wearing the prettiest dress in the world and it fitted. In my imagination I could see the prettily dressed little girl I longed to be.

How amazing that one look at a painting could bring memories flooding back as this one did.But isn't that what good art is all about.Capturing a viewers attention long enough for them to absorb the story being told or imagine their own.

As I type I wish I had bought my favourite painting but unsurprisngly it sold the very first moment it was seen. As all good paintings are.

If you visit the SWA Society of Women Artists Annual Exhibition 2012 please look out for this artists work. They have no idea this blog entry is about their painting or why I loved it so much.

Here is my favourite painting, and maybe it will evoke memories for you too.

"Kitty"

Acrylic 

by

Vikky Furse SWA

"The tilt of her head,

The fall of her hair

The glow of her dress

Beauty every where

A wistful expression

A moment in time

This painting evokes

Memories so sublime"

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I have to say a very big thank you to everyone who has sent me touchiung messsages by email to thank me for my blog. I have read each one almost feeling like crying because I had no idea how inspirational my posts have been and to some very special people.

Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know how much  my blog posts mean to you. I wish you the most magical of art journeys and  I hope your  dreams all come true,no matter how large or small they are.

Keep painting because your own work  could be the favourite painting of someone elses tomorrow.

Make someone write about your art  as I have wriiten about Vikky Furse SWA.

That would be wonderful, 

Wouldn't it. 

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Book Launch: One Day to Go!

Original Watercolour by Jean Haines

From the book "How to Paint Colour and Light in Watercolour"

I can't believe it. It is now only one day to go to my book launch at the Mall Galleries in London. Tomorrow I will be making my way there at this time and setting up for my demonstrations. The books are already waiting for me to sign them. It still all feels very much like a dream. As yet no one has even seen my book apart from my publishers and family. Tomorrow it will be there for everyone to view or buy. Everything I have shared will no longer just be my private knowledge. I am letting go of my "baby" and it is a very emotional feeling..

This morning I am looking back at how this book came to be and looking through all of the original paintings that are included. It is so strange how life rolls on with one wonderful event and connection happening after another. So often we never even fully realise how one moment in time can lead to another that could be so important to us or magical in our lives.

A while ago I was in Portugal and came across a wonderful elderly gentleman sat on a bench watching the world go by. The sunlight played patterns so beautifully on him and his surroundings. I knew instantly I had to paint him. And I did. I loved every second of doing so. I even took "him" into workshops where others adored painting him too. He became such a favourite  subject that when it came to looking at how I see light and paint it he immediately jumped into my mind. He was perfect for my book. 

Choosing the right colour combinations to portray subjects in light along with seeing where leaving white paper can bring magic to a scene is an area I love discussing. It is a huge part of how I work. I wanted to share how I think in my book more than anything else. I so hope I inspire others to see light  as I do because until we do genuinely notice how it plays on subjects we can't capture it effectively. And my choice of colours is definitely because of how I see things.

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" How to Paint Colour and Light in Watercolour" is a commission published by Search Press and available from 7th July 2010. The book launch will be held at the Mall Galleries in London  where copies are available to be signed along with demonstrations given during the morning and afternoon at the gallery.

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The Society of Women Artists Annual exhibition runs until the 10th July  2010 and  several Jean Haines original watercolours are in the show.

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SWA, Society of Women Artists Annual Exhibition 2010 Review

"Taking the Lead"

Original Watercolour from the Society for Women Artists Annual Exhibition 2010.

Yesterday saw the Private Preview of the SWA,Society for Women Artists Annual Exhibition and it was absolutely packed. Crowds arrived almsot as soon as teh doors opened and  vistors continued to arrive until the gallery closed last night. At times, as always is the way with a hugely successful event it was impossible to see the art work which did not deter sales as red dot after red dot magically seemed to appear.Obviously the lesson here is if you wish to buy a favourite artists work you need to be quick to manage to do so.

The event was officially opened by HRH Princess Micheal of Kent who graciously and warmly presented the prizes to the very well deserved winners of this years awards.

Walking into the Mall Galleries the initial impression was one of a glorious riot of colour as if an explosion of energy had vibrantly brought the rooms to life. Have you ever visited an exhibition and felt you had seen it all before? Or maybe you were able to predict which artist would be showing what so after a few minutes you felt like leaving? This show is definitely not predictable and full of talent from members and non members.

I adore  visiting galleries on a regular basis and I love all forms of art. But what I most want to see when I go to an exhibition is variety,colour and talent. I want to be impressed while I am there and I want to leave feeling inspired. I want to remember certain favourite pieces once I have returned home. Am I asking too much?

I think not because yesterdays Private Preview delivered on all counts.

Today I  am sitting here seeing amazing portraits in my mind. The distinct style of Caroline De Peyrecave  is breathtaking and  remains in your mind long after you have left the show amongst many other wonderful paintings. The variety of sculpture also takes ones breath away.. Whichever way you turned at the gallery you were immediately hit by yet another fantastic piece of art.

As I walked around I heard so many incredible comments of how the SWA exhibition was like a breath of fresh air in the art world. This is even more amazing in that the history of the society clearly explains how it wasn't so long ago that females were shunned  as artists. Many would exhibit under anonymous names in order to be either accepted or for fear of their identity may be discovered.

Today this amazing society showcases the talents of  women artists who shine in their ability to create,deserve recognition and who in yester year may never have been seen. This thought is quite sobering after the high of  being enthralled second afer second yesterday and wanting to return when the show isn't so crowded where I can savour each piece and enjoy it in my own time..

If you are able to visit the show I strongly recommend it and I hope like myself you leave looking forward to seeing future exhibitions by such a fantastic body of artists.

I am delighted to share the news my painting  entitled " Taking the Lead"  was one of the very first paintings to sell at the exhibition. In my own mind the SWA are doing just that.

Taking the lead and so well too!

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Poppy Fusion

Poppy Developing from an Initial Wash

Sunlight shining through the upper petals  and ripples in the beautiful petals  create interest in this  first stage.

Looking back this week has been full of wonderful moments. Holding workshops in Hampshire  to demonstrating for a wonderful art society. Meeting incredible people. Recieving brilliant news of an exciting new project and most thrilling of all recieving a brown  package from my publishers. In it  is the advance copy of my book. It is here, the real thing. And you would imagine I tore it open eagerly  to look inside to see the result of all  the paintings and text I have so caringly put together.

The strange thing is this package is still sat on my desk. Seriously!

I have been looking forward to this moment for so long but I feel the same sensation of when my cover was to be on view for the first time. At that time all of a sudden a peculiar feeling of not wanting anyone else to see the cover set in which was completely unexpected. 

But this is different.

I have dreamt of writing a book to share my passion for watercolour for such a long time. I knew I wasn't ready to write until now. And to be honest in my soul there is already a second book full of exciting new ideas and techniques. However my first book has taught me how to paint. I thought I knew what I was doing until now. But putting into words why I  work in my style has really opened my eyes. I have studied why I choose colour combinations and why each brushstroke matters. I have enjoyed how water and pigment create patterns. Always. But now  I understand more clearly why every single detail is so important to my results.

It is as though someone has turned a magic switch on and I just can't paint enough  or find  as much time to capture all I feel . I see colour and light so clearly now. So much so that painting it  has become an addiction. I want all of my watercolours to literally sing with life as beautiful explosions of colour transformed by light.

I sat in my garden this afternoon and gently played with pigment and water to capture a poppy from my cottage garden. Photographs of the flower can be found on my cottage blog. I listened to birdsong and  became fascinated at how the light  shone through the upper petals making them appear to be transparent. I took a photo of my first stage and a memory flooded back of this time last year.

Then I had decided to include a poppy in my book. And that too is an explosion of colour and watermarks.

A year on I have grown so much. Light is even more important to me now and how it effects everything I paint.

In a few days time it will be my birthday and only then will I open my package to see my book. This will be the most special of birthdays . I will wait patiently looking forward to celebrating the magic of holding the first copy in my hands for the very first time as my dream comes true.  Until then I have a feeling I will be painting a rather large collection of poppy paintings!

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" How to Paint Colour and Light in Watercolour"   my first book will be launched at the Mall Galleries on 7th July during the S.W.A. Society of Women Artists 2010 Annual Exhibition. 

Please join me to celebrate the occasion. Everyone is welcome.

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