Saturday, 31 January 2015
Call to Arms - Publicity Secretary Wanted
Indeed we do! The LAS Committee is still looking for a Publicity Secretary - that is, someone to help out with LAS press releases, contact newspapers about our major events, helping to organise private view invitations for our exhibitions, things like that.
If you're interested, drop me a line at (I'm sure you know it by now!) samsketches@yahoo.co.uk
Friday, 30 January 2015
Gesture Sketch Challenge
Ladies and gentlemen - pens at the ready!
LAS Member Simon Bolton is one half of Rooftop Theatre company, who are putting on a production of Henry V in February - seeing this started a train of thought. Knowing how popular Shakespeare is, and how much fun gesture sketching can be, this is a little challenge I've thought up - if you're going, my challenge to you is to try to capture something there, maybe some audience members, maybe the actors.
If you've never tried this before, it's fantastic fun. At parks, train stations, concerts, anywhere there's a gathering of people, attempting to capture the essence of movement and character in a short space of time means you have to quickly figure out which elements of what you see are most important to you.
If you have a go then why not email me your sketches (samsketches@yahoo.co.uk) and we'll collect them together in a mini-gallery on this blog at the end of February . This could cover any gesture sketches you do during the month, it doesn't have to be limited to the play.
LAS Member Simon Bolton is one half of Rooftop Theatre company, who are putting on a production of Henry V in February - seeing this started a train of thought. Knowing how popular Shakespeare is, and how much fun gesture sketching can be, this is a little challenge I've thought up - if you're going, my challenge to you is to try to capture something there, maybe some audience members, maybe the actors.
If you've never tried this before, it's fantastic fun. At parks, train stations, concerts, anywhere there's a gathering of people, attempting to capture the essence of movement and character in a short space of time means you have to quickly figure out which elements of what you see are most important to you.
If you have a go then why not email me your sketches (samsketches@yahoo.co.uk) and we'll collect them together in a mini-gallery on this blog at the end of February . This could cover any gesture sketches you do during the month, it doesn't have to be limited to the play.
Spotlight - Limited Palettes
This month, Spotlight takes a look at limited palettes. What are they? Why use them? The definition varies, but generally six colours or fewer (excluding
white, which, unless you’re working with watercolour, is assumed to be
on the palette) would count to most people. Fewer paints mean:
In the past, paint simply wasn’t as accessible as it is today. Many artists worked with what they could acquire, but while the colours would have been restricted these would not have been considered limited palettes as we know them today (if you’re interested in what pigments were available during different time periods, this site has an overview - it doesn’t cover everything, but it does cover the main colours) Rarely would an artist limit themselves to only a few colours for all their creations, but in specific paintings it was done to notable effect. A very brief look through history might include the following works, which are not rich in multiple colours but lose nothing for it:
Now then, let’s have a look at some of the limited palettes you could choose to work with. The idea here isn't to lay down palettes that just work, it's to hopefully give you an idea or two to take away and play with or adapt in whatever way seems most fun! I've had so much enjoyment working with some of these, or using them as a base to quickly sketch an idea when I can perhaps pay attention to the broader passages of warm and cool, rather than the specific colours themselves.
1 colour
2 colour
The third has been covered before in a previous Spotlight - if you didn’t catch it before, duotone is a very specific way of working with colour but it’s very striking. Artist Dave Palumbo made use of this palette setup for his striking 'Re-Cover' project, which you can see here.
3 colour
4 colour
5 colour
A palette used by James Gurney, this provides a good balance of colours, mixing is quite easy, and isn’t too expensive. Definitely a good limited choice if you’re not certain what you’ll be painting. James has a great post here about limited palettes, and gives an example of what he painted with his 5-colour palette at point 4.
6 colour
When it comes to a smaller palette, it really is a playground out there - it's always worth trying something new - new combinations of paints, swapping some colours for others, see how your mixing is affected if you do without that colour you’ve come to use again and again. Who knows, maybe you’ll discover a new way of working that actually suits you down to the ground?
Well, that's it! It's only been the briefest of looks at one small aspect of colour work, but I hope there's been something you've found interesting.
Don't forget, we start our programme in earnest on 5th February with a demo, 'Animal Painting in Pastel', with Lesley Connolly RBSA. I'll see you there, 7pm for 7.30pm in the Studio at the Assembly Rooms.
If you know any great art websites or articles, why not share them here? Send your suggestions to samsketches@yahoo.co.uk - please note that this isn't for self-promotion
- your colours harmonise more easily
- you have to think more about tone and composition
- it’s easier to pack up and travel with
- you’re forced away from your regular colour-mixing ‘habits’
- it’s fun to try something different :)
In the past, paint simply wasn’t as accessible as it is today. Many artists worked with what they could acquire, but while the colours would have been restricted these would not have been considered limited palettes as we know them today (if you’re interested in what pigments were available during different time periods, this site has an overview - it doesn’t cover everything, but it does cover the main colours) Rarely would an artist limit themselves to only a few colours for all their creations, but in specific paintings it was done to notable effect. A very brief look through history might include the following works, which are not rich in multiple colours but lose nothing for it:
![]() |
Diego Velázquez, Innocent X |
![]() |
Anders Zorn, Sommarnöje |
![]() |
Frans Hals, Jester with a Lute |
![]() |
John Singer Sargent, Madame Errazuriz |
Now then, let’s have a look at some of the limited palettes you could choose to work with. The idea here isn't to lay down palettes that just work, it's to hopefully give you an idea or two to take away and play with or adapt in whatever way seems most fun! I've had so much enjoyment working with some of these, or using them as a base to quickly sketch an idea when I can perhaps pay attention to the broader passages of warm and cool, rather than the specific colours themselves.
1 colour
- Black
- Burnt Umber
- Burnt Sienna
- Payne’s Grey
2 colour
- Burnt Sienna, Ultramarine
- Alizarin Crimson, Phthalo Green / Sap Green
- Black, [red / orange / green / blue etc, etc] - also known as Duotone
The third has been covered before in a previous Spotlight - if you didn’t catch it before, duotone is a very specific way of working with colour but it’s very striking. Artist Dave Palumbo made use of this palette setup for his striking 'Re-Cover' project, which you can see here.
3 colour
- Cadmium Red, Yellow Ochre, Black - the Zorn Palette
- Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine, Cadmium Yellow Light
4 colour
- Lemon Yellow, Permanent Rose, Phthalo Blue, Burnt Umber (courtesy of Jean Simnett)
5 colour
- Cadmium Yellow Pale, Winsor Red, Burnt Sienna, Ultramarine Blue, Permanent Green
A palette used by James Gurney, this provides a good balance of colours, mixing is quite easy, and isn’t too expensive. Definitely a good limited choice if you’re not certain what you’ll be painting. James has a great post here about limited palettes, and gives an example of what he painted with his 5-colour palette at point 4.
6 colour
- Burnt Sienna, Raw Umber, Ultramarine, Cadmium Red, Cobalt Yellow (Aureolin), Lemon Yellow (courtesy of Ruth Tune)
When it comes to a smaller palette, it really is a playground out there - it's always worth trying something new - new combinations of paints, swapping some colours for others, see how your mixing is affected if you do without that colour you’ve come to use again and again. Who knows, maybe you’ll discover a new way of working that actually suits you down to the ground?
Well, that's it! It's only been the briefest of looks at one small aspect of colour work, but I hope there's been something you've found interesting.
Don't forget, we start our programme in earnest on 5th February with a demo, 'Animal Painting in Pastel', with Lesley Connolly RBSA. I'll see you there, 7pm for 7.30pm in the Studio at the Assembly Rooms.
If you know any great art websites or articles, why not share them here? Send your suggestions to samsketches@yahoo.co.uk - please note that this isn't for self-promotion
Schedule Change for February - Animal Painting in Pastel, with Lesley Connolly
Unfortunately, due to a work scheduling clash, Ashleigh has withdrawn from her talk.
However, the very talented Lesley Connolly has kindly agreed to step in to give us a demo on Animal Painting in Pastel. I'm sure most of you know Lesley by her works if not in person - her paintings have been pictures exhibited with The Wildlife Art Society International, the Wild Bunch, the LAS, as part of various paint jams in the region, or of course with the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists.
Ahead of her demo, she's also sent along her artist's statement and some examples of her work (click to enlarge):
“I have been painting for a number of years using pastels as my main medium but recently I have extended my range to include acrylics, inks, watercolour and mixed media. Throughout this period of change the subject matter, however, has remained constant. That is, animals, both domestic and wildlife, in all their rich diversity. I love painting them, their colour, their shape, their individuality. They never cease to amaze me. One day, if I work really hard, I hope to do them justice in my work.” - Lesley Connolly RBSA
However, the very talented Lesley Connolly has kindly agreed to step in to give us a demo on Animal Painting in Pastel. I'm sure most of you know Lesley by her works if not in person - her paintings have been pictures exhibited with The Wildlife Art Society International, the Wild Bunch, the LAS, as part of various paint jams in the region, or of course with the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists.
Ahead of her demo, she's also sent along her artist's statement and some examples of her work (click to enlarge):
“I have been painting for a number of years using pastels as my main medium but recently I have extended my range to include acrylics, inks, watercolour and mixed media. Throughout this period of change the subject matter, however, has remained constant. That is, animals, both domestic and wildlife, in all their rich diversity. I love painting them, their colour, their shape, their individuality. They never cease to amaze me. One day, if I work really hard, I hope to do them justice in my work.” - Lesley Connolly RBSA
Monday, 26 January 2015
Top Hat Tours
The schedule for Top Hat Tours is now available - tours are planned to Oxford on Thursday 26th February, then to Coventry on Thursday 26th March and to the Whitworth and Little Moreton Hall on Thursday 30th April.
You can find all the details on the STH website HERE.
You can find all the details on the STH website HERE.
Upcoming - Ashleigh Cadet talk
For our first event of 2015 we have photographer Ashleigh Cadet coming to give us a talk on elements of composition, something that all image-makers keep in mind when working.
Ashleigh has kindly sent along an example of her work:
Please arrive 7pm for 7.30pm, it's £3 for LAS Members, £4 for guests, and everyone's welcome. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided. Hope you can make it!
If you haven't renewed your LAS Membership yet - now's the time, before our programme begins!
Ashleigh has kindly sent along an example of her work:
Please arrive 7pm for 7.30pm, it's £3 for LAS Members, £4 for guests, and everyone's welcome. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided. Hope you can make it!
If you haven't renewed your LAS Membership yet - now's the time, before our programme begins!
Sunday, 25 January 2015
Rock's Annual Art and Craft Exhibition
Thanks to John Instance for sending this file over, it's got all the details of the exhibition for you:
Saturday, 24 January 2015
LAS Call to Arms - Sculptors!
Are you a skilled sculptor? If you are, I'd be interested in hearing from you - there may be a Fringe project that could make good use of your talents.
Drop me a line at samsketches@yahoo.co.uk and please use the subject LAS Sculptor
Wednesday, 21 January 2015
Fringe Art Market and Art Trail forms online
The Ludlow Fringe is gearing up! Entry forms for the... well, you read it in the post title, didn't you?
The LAS will have a stall at the Art Market as have in the last two years, so stay tuned for details there. However, if you'd like your own stall, now's the time to sign up!
For the Art Trail, if you're a member of the LAS then don't forget to put 'Ludlow Art Society' in the 'association' field - that way we'll be able to keep our section together in the Trail.
You can find the forms on our 'What's On' panel at the top of this blog, on our Membership and Exhibition forms page to the right, or you can go to the form page on the Fringe website HERE.
The LAS will have a stall at the Art Market as have in the last two years, so stay tuned for details there. However, if you'd like your own stall, now's the time to sign up!
For the Art Trail, if you're a member of the LAS then don't forget to put 'Ludlow Art Society' in the 'association' field - that way we'll be able to keep our section together in the Trail.
You can find the forms on our 'What's On' panel at the top of this blog, on our Membership and Exhibition forms page to the right, or you can go to the form page on the Fringe website HERE.
Thursday, 15 January 2015
Committee Changes
As you know, Ruth Tune and George Loades will be stepping down from the LAS Committee at our AGM in March, after many years helping guide the LAS. However, joining us now we have Dru Cole - so, welcome aboard, Dru!
You may remember Dru from when she gave us a talk and demo back in September 2011. She frequently runs linocut workshop, and you can find her work online at http://www.drusillacole.co.uk/
You may remember Dru from when she gave us a talk and demo back in September 2011. She frequently runs linocut workshop, and you can find her work online at http://www.drusillacole.co.uk/
Monday, 12 January 2015
Limited palette callout
Re-capping a post from 17th December:
I was thinking about writing a Spotlight post on limited palettes for January, or maybe February, and it struck me that it'd be a great opportunity to pool some of the LAS's collective knowledge - and we are a talented bunch ;)
I'll cover historical use, as well as the modern-day benefits of restricting your palette.
So, I'd love to know what limited palettes you've tried, what you like, what media they might work best in, and I'll put it together into a Spotlight post.
I'm defining 'limited palette' as no more than 6 paints (plus white, which is assumed for all non-watercolour media).
Drop me a line at samsketches@yahoo.co.uk - let's see if we can start sharing some of these ideas!
-----
I was thinking about writing a Spotlight post on limited palettes for January, or maybe February, and it struck me that it'd be a great opportunity to pool some of the LAS's collective knowledge - and we are a talented bunch ;)
I'll cover historical use, as well as the modern-day benefits of restricting your palette.
So, I'd love to know what limited palettes you've tried, what you like, what media they might work best in, and I'll put it together into a Spotlight post.
I'm defining 'limited palette' as no more than 6 paints (plus white, which is assumed for all non-watercolour media).
Drop me a line at samsketches@yahoo.co.uk - let's see if we can start sharing some of these ideas!
-----
This is going up as January's Spotlight post, so if you've got a favourite limited palette setup I'd love to know!
Sunday, 11 January 2015
Gremlins in the Programme
They get around, don't they? Eagle-eyed LAS member Margaret Booker spotted that there were a couple of errors in the programme - they've now been corrected and the online programme updated. As always, the link's to the right.
Friday, 9 January 2015
Lucy Jones on Radio 3
This just came in via email from Silk Top Hat:
- Today
- 10:45pm - 11pm
- BBC Radio 3
each day. He talks about Lucy on Friday. His theme is "to challenge
stereotypical ideas about creativity and disability by celebrating five
disabled artists, discussing how their impairments fuelled their genius."
stereotypical ideas about creativity and disability by celebrating five
disabled artists, discussing how their impairments fuelled their genius."
![]() |
(above: Lucy Jones 'Darkening Sky' (pigment print edition of 10) |
British
painter Lucy Jones was born with cerebral palsy, but she has no
intention of identifying as a disabled artist. She wants her portraits
to offer a universal comment on humanity. Tom Shakespeare discusses how
the challenges she faces have fuelled her creative genius.
Lucy Jones' third solo show at the Silk Top Hat Gallery, 'An Awkward Beauty' featuring her paintings and prints, opened here last October.
If you miss the programme you can 'listen again', Lucy recommends listening to all this week's interviews to put her episode in context.
The series is:
Mon: Abul 'Ala Al-Ma'arri, Arabic poet
Tue: Bryan Pearce, Cornish artist
Wed: Arthur Bispo do Rosario, Brazilian sculptor
Thu: Goya, Klee, Matisse
Fri: Lucy Jones
Lucy Jones' third solo show at the Silk Top Hat Gallery, 'An Awkward Beauty' featuring her paintings and prints, opened here last October.
If you miss the programme you can 'listen again', Lucy recommends listening to all this week's interviews to put her episode in context.
The series is:
Mon: Abul 'Ala Al-Ma'arri, Arabic poet
Tue: Bryan Pearce, Cornish artist
Wed: Arthur Bispo do Rosario, Brazilian sculptor
Thu: Goya, Klee, Matisse
Fri: Lucy Jones
Thursday, 8 January 2015
And it's really heavy, too...
Thanks to a mix-up, we have been given this:
That's a lot of paper. To be specific, it's 841mm x 75m of Canon Océ Red Label 75gsm low-chlorine high-white printer paper - you can check the detailed specifications HERE (pdf download).
So, throwing this one open to the LAS - any ideas what to do with this? Drop me a line at samsketches@yahoo.co.uk
That's a lot of paper. To be specific, it's 841mm x 75m of Canon Océ Red Label 75gsm low-chlorine high-white printer paper - you can check the detailed specifications HERE (pdf download).
So, throwing this one open to the LAS - any ideas what to do with this? Drop me a line at samsketches@yahoo.co.uk
Wednesday, 7 January 2015
Glass Giveaway!
Here's an odd one for you - friends of a friend have just bought a little cottage which they're in the process of doing
up and have said: "In an outbuilding we have discovered boxes and boxes
of pieces of obscured glass, about 6 inches square, mainly clear but
including some red ones. There must be a couple of hundred at least. (I
know, we are completely baffled too, what on earth did he [the previous owner] intend to use
them for?) Anyway, we haven't taken them to the tip yet as we wondered
if anyone might be able to use them for some kind of artwork,
construction, sculpture or whatever.
If anyone thinks they might be able to make use of them they'd be welcome to have them."
They're free to a good home, collect from central Ludlow.
If you're interested in these materials, drop me a line at samsketches@yahoo.co.uk and I'll point you in the right direction!
If anyone thinks they might be able to make use of them they'd be welcome to have them."
They're free to a good home, collect from central Ludlow.
If you're interested in these materials, drop me a line at samsketches@yahoo.co.uk and I'll point you in the right direction!
Photoshoot
Good lord - it's 2015! Lovely to see you all back with us.
Here's one of the shots the Assembly Rooms took for the LAS' picture, when they organised a photoshoot on 19th December - (and thank you to all who took part!):
And, for good measure, here's one of their shots of the busy Friday Group (always good fun - get along if you can! Detail in 'What's On' at the top of the page):
Here's one of the shots the Assembly Rooms took for the LAS' picture, when they organised a photoshoot on 19th December - (and thank you to all who took part!):
And, for good measure, here's one of their shots of the busy Friday Group (always good fun - get along if you can! Detail in 'What's On' at the top of the page):
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