Spotlight: The Complete Works of William Blake

 Happy Hallowe'en!

Spotlight was going to be taking a look at the LAS' Palette Project this month (following on from September's Spotlight), but I'm afraid I've not quite had time to finish the article for it, so that's going to be put back until next month. In the the meantime, however, October's edition is going to shine a light on the complete works of William Blake.

You can find the link HERE

Taken from the site, Blake is described: "once considered mad for his idiosyncratic views, Blake is highly regarded today for his expressiveness and creativity, as well as the philosophical and mystical undercurrents that reside within his work. His work has been characterized as part of the Romantic movement, or even "Pre-Romantic", for its largely having appeared in the 18th century.
Reverent of the Bible but hostile to the established Church, Blake was influenced by the ideals and ambitions of the French and American revolutions, as well as by such thinkers as Jacob Boehme and Emanuel Swedenborg.
Despite these known influences, the originality and singularity of Blake's work make it difficult to classify. One 19th century scholar characterised Blake as a "glorious luminary," "a man not forestalled by predecessors, nor to be classed with contemporaries, nor to be replaced by known or readily surmisable successors.""

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If you know of 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.

Upcoming - Paul Weaver Talk and Demo

 
On Thursday 5th November, watercolour artist Paul Weaver is going to be giving us a talk and demo on the topic of  'Atmospheric Townscapes'. You can find Paul's online gallery HERE.
 
The talk is at our usual time, so please arrive 7pm for 7.30pm at the Studio, Ludlow Assembly Rooms,  and it's £3 for members, £4 for guests - tea, coffee and biscuits will be available.


Paul is also running a workshop on the same topic the following day, and it looks fantastic. If you're interested, the form is right here (but hurry, places are limited!):

See you there!

Top Hat Tours - Arnolfini and Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery

The last of 2015's Top Hat Tours is running on Thursday 12th November, and it's heading to the Arnolfini and Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery.

If you're interested in going, and it does look fantastic, you can find all the details on Silk Top Hat's Top Hat Tours page HERE (you'll need to scroll to the bottom of the page).

SHAW 2016 Now Accepting Entries

Shropshire Hills Art Week is now taking entries for 2016, when it will run from 4th - 12th June! Described on their website, SHAW "showcases the diverse and talented artists who live and work in the region, and focuses on art inspired by landscape and wildlife".

If you'd like to be a part of next year's event, you can find the sign-up page HERE.

SHAW's website has all the details, and you can find it at shropshirehillsartweek.co.uk

Drayton Arts Festival

 
From Friday 30th October to Sunday 1st November the Drayton Arts Festival takes place across Market Drayton. There's a lot going on, but LAS members may find particular interest in Every Child an Artist on the Friday, and Drawing Round Drayton / Art on the Streets on the Saturday.

The programme is here:

 You can find all the details on the website: Drayton Arts Fest.

Paul Weaver in The Artist magazine, George Loades in KAS leaflet

Paul Weaver, who's giving us a talk and demo on 5th November and then offering a workshop on 6th November, is featured in the current edition of The Artist magazine in an article about 'Night Scenes in Watercolour' - go take a look.
Hat tip to Pat Innes for the information.

Also, if you run across a Kidderminster Art Society leaflet, look closely and you'll spot KAS and LAS member George Loades in one of the photographs!

News from St Laurence's

We're very happy to announce that our exhibition screens are going to be used for the Young At Art exhibition coming up later this month (details HERE), and LAS Committee member Ruth Tune is lending a helping hand to hang the show. Afterwards, the screens are going to be used again, in the same location, for Christian Aid Haiti - it's fantastic to see that, after years of being used just twice per year, the screens are now able to help other local groups as well. We'll have more news on the screens, and the benefits this new arrangement brings the Art Society, soon!

In addition, we can announce that, at our 2016 Spring Exhibition, there will be a card-reader so purchases can be made by credit or debit card - this is a facility granted to us by St Laurence's, and will be operated by their gift shop staff (so stewards don't have to worry about using any new technology).

Tinsel Tuesdays Market Stalls

Tinsel Tuesday Market Stalls (organised by the Town Council, and running on 8th, 15th and 22nd December) are currently available for booking, and they're going quickly! Apparently, Tinsel Tuesdays can be quite profitable and gives a great opportunity for buying and selling alternative, individual and more personal Christmas gifts.

If you're interested in taking a stall, you'll need to fill in the form which you can find (in .pdf format) HERE.

Revamped Committee Page

We've taken a fresh look at the Committee page thanks to a suggestion from LAS member Miriam Bell, who said it might be a good idea for us to be a little more visible and have our portraits against our names. Well, we thought it was a good idea and so that's exactly what we've done. Hop over to see the current Committee rogues gallery!

Thanks, Miriam!

The Trail of Thomas Love

Now this is quite different from our usual LAS postings, but Mr Lyle Bignon, the PR manager for the Trail of Thomas Love, sent an email asking if this would be of interest to LAS members and we thought that, since it's local interest we would post it here as a one-off. All details below!

MEDIA RELEASE

THE TRAIL OF THOMAS LOVE

A special evening of songs and projections in Coalbrookdale, Ironbridge

Produced and performed by Nathan Tromans

7PM, SATURDAY 10 OCTOBER 2015

ENGINUITY

COALBROOKDALE, IRONBRIDGE

SHROPSHIRE TF8 7DQ

£5 ADV

Tickets: http://bit.ly/thetrailofthomaslove

 

www.facebook.com/thetrailofthomaslove | https://soundcloud.com/thetrailofthomaslove

 

A live project mixing photography, music and storytelling based on the Severn Gorge is to receive its premiere in the historic English village of Coalbrookdale, Ironbridge on Saturday 10 October 2015.

 

The Trail of Thomas Love, produced by Shropshire-born songwriter and photographer Nathan Tromans, is an enchanting exploration of the myths of the surrounding landscape, as well as both real and imagined characters, their journeys and homecomings.

 

During the performance, to be held in the former industrial turned museum space of Enginuity, images drawn from the Ironbridge archives along with selections from Tromans’ own photographic collection will be projected on a six metre high screen.

 

The artist will be joined by a five-piece band of exceptional musicians for the debut, which forms part of the programme for Shifting Worlds: a symposium exploring the impact of the Industrial Revolution on the landscape, society and art featuring a keynote speech from British artist Jeremy Deller.

 

Inspired by living in the unique surroundings of the Severn Gorge, and the layers of narratives that exist in its wooded dales, Tromans has taken weekly walks developing a series of landscape photographs. These quiet and patient moments reveal the subtle observations of the relationship between those who have lived and worked in the gorge and its natural habitat, as it continues to be framed for an ever-increasing number of visitors.

 

As a Coalbrookdale resident Tromans has traced his ancestors back to the 17th century in the Gorge. His great, great, great grandfather, Thomas Love was an Ironstone miner who mined the very stone that gave birth to the industrial revolution, and left the Gorge as the industry evolved and expanded in to the wider West Midlands area.

A ‘sense of place’ runs deep into the heart of Nathan Tromans’ songwriting and photography.

 

The Coalbrookdale resident was the voice and words behind successful indie-rock band Mustard in the late 1990s, before going on to form John the Revelator. As JTR, Tromans shared stages with musicians including Jose Gonzales, James Yorkston, Teddy Thompson, Joan as Policewoman and Mojave 3.

 

His songs are imbued with the elemental and spiritual influences of artists who have stirred his heart over many years, from Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave to Bill Callaghan (Smog), Damien Jurado, Bonnie Prince Billy and Sufjan Stevens, keenly blended with his own personally crafted visions and expressions.

 

“This is a wonderful opportunity for me, to bring my songs and photographs together in such a unique way. These separate practices are in many ways born of the Gorge landscape - the show has enabled me to explore the possibilities of finding some synergy between them”.

 

 “My photographs are on the surface an exploration of the topography of the environment here, however I hope to suggest and express much more, I’m fascinated by how the landscape can reveal its’ story and retain its’ mystery, these potential mysteries and myths are also an important inspiration for my songs”. - Nathan Tromans

 

The Shifting Worlds Programme, produced by Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, Meadow Arts and Arts Council England, features a programme of contemporary art inspired by the birthplace of industry, artists and academics that will also include contributions from David Nash, Gavin Turk, Jeremy Deller and Faye Claridge.

The two-day symposium examines the role of the natural world, technology and imagination in the transformation of the landscape and society. It will develop and present new and innovative ways of interpreting the industrial heritage of England.

The Trail of Thomas Love

7pm Saturday 10 October 2015

Enguinuity

Coalbrookdale, Ironbridge

Shropshire

TF8 7DQ

Tickets: http://bit.ly/thetrailofthomaslove

Pictures from Peter Bishop's Talk

Last night's talk was slightly different, as Peter was recovering from eye surgery and so was, at the time of the talk, unable to see. His wife Jenny operated the slideshow, and Peter narrated through his own drawing and painting works, as well as the creations of a whole host of other artists on the subject of the Snowdonian mountains, giving us a history of art and the region. Afterwards, he held a question and answer session.

Here are some pictures from the evening:

Next month, on 5th November, we have a talk from watercolour artist Paul Weaver - followed by a workshop on the 6th - both on the topic of Atmospheric Townscapes. See you there!