On a bright chilly Saturday 18 members shared their day at Chalk Hall.
The theme for the day was ‘Then and Now’. A broad subject which gave resulted in an eclectic mix of paintings
Some members chose to ‘Do Their Own Thing’
Well done everyone. Thank you for all your help setting up and clearing away.
Our next meeting is on Wednesday the 9th of October 7pm till 9pm
Best wishes
Steve
Here are two paintings from Chris who has completed her pictures from the recent George Stubbs horses session and the Olympic and Paralympic session.
Super work as usual, Chris, showing the rich sheen on the horse’s coat and the speed of the Paralympic runners. Well done!
The subject of George Stubbs and his horse paintings was popular last month and several pictures were started. Four have now been finished…
Mary found an adorable photo of a huge shire horse and donkey foal in a newspaper, drew it carefully and painted it in watercolours.
Angela used pastels for her horse picture, using rich browns and tan colours for her bold horse head portrait.
Janet W printed words about Stubbs on to Bockingford watercolour printer paper and painted a picture of Whistlejacket over the top in watercolour. She used the watercolours quite dryly so the words didn’t smudge. The painting is already framed as has just been exhibited in a Gravesend Art Group exhibition in the St.George’s Art Centre.
Tracy chose the Triumphal Quadriga as her subject, otherwise known as the Horses of Saint Mark, in St.Mark’s Basilica in Venice. Believed to have been sculpted in the 2nd or 3rd century CE in Rome or possibly the 5th or 4th century BCE in Greece, they were displayed for centuries at the Hippodrome of Constantinople until the sack and looting of the city by Venetian forces in 1204 during the Fourth Crusade. The four horses were then mounted above the entrance of the basilica in Venice until they were looted by Napoleon in 1797 and taken to Paris, but were returned to Venice in 1815. Copies of the four horses are now outside St. Mark’s Basilica whilst the originals are displayed inside under spotlights which highlight the original mercury gilding that remains.
Tracy started with brown paper and used black, white, yellow, orange and brown coloured pencils to create her picture of the horses.
Well done everyone! It’s always interesting to see finished pictures which were started at previous sessions.
The next session is at the hall on Saturday 28th September from 10am to 3pm.
Eleven members attended the session and we welcomed a lady who works at Rochester Cathedral who came along to see if she wants to join the art group. We all enjoyed chatting and walking around to look at the pictures created.
Everyone chose a different way to tackle the subject of the Olympics and Paralympics in Paris as there has been a plethora of images available online or in newspapers. Some members chose to ‘do their own thing’ which we always love to see too. Reference pictures have been included in the photos so you can see the images that the artists worked from.
The next session is on Saturday 28th September from 10am to 3pm.
If you didn’t pay all your subs in January the last instalment of £28 is now due by bank transfer, cheque or cash (only at a session). This will take your membership up to the end of 2024. Look out for an email from Steve with exact details of how to pay.
Summer seems to be zooming past and autumn is only three weeks away. That means our Open Day on Saturday 23rd November marches ever closer. Hopefully you’re getting an idea of what to exhibit so you’ll be finishing and framing your paintings. If you belong to another art group and want to exhibit the same pictures that’s absolutely fine. As usual the hanging evening is the day before, on Friday 22nd November from 7pm. This year there are 5 Saturdays in November so please pop the correct dates in your diary or calendar!
Here are the suggested subjects for September, but come along and ‘do your own thing’ if you prefer. If you can’t make a session but create a picture at home, please send a photo of the picture to Tracy or Steve for inclusion in a blog post.
Wednesday 11th – 7-9pm – Paris Olympics and Paralympics
The Olympics in Paris last month and the Paralympics on now have been captivating to watch. Athletes in so many different sports have performed to their ultimate level in the hope of winning a medal. The Paralympics seems especially difficult for some as they battle with their health too.
Choose any sport/s or athlete/s from either the Olympics or Paralympics and draw or paint them in any medium.
Saturday 28th – 10am-3pm – Then and Now
A simple format but one which can lead to interesting pictures.
Portraits – draw or paint a portrait of your mother, father or grandparents as a small child and then one when they are older. Or choose a person from history where you can show the difference in age.
Modern urban landscapes – look around where you live. Find an old photo online or an old postcard showing your street or town and create a picture from that source. Then draw or paint that same view en plain air or from a photo, showing the similarities and differences.
Rural landscapes – Same as the urban landscape showing a view then and now.
Your own art – have you still got any drawings or paintings that you did when you were young? Choose the same subject, bring along the old picture to the session and then create a new picture as an adult.
Your own interpretation of ‘then and now’ – what does this subject mean to you?
Chalk Art Group 