Hello and welcome to the last newsletter for 2022. Although the year has brought much anxiety for many with regard to the economic situation we do hope you have found some respite from your art, although we appreciate it can be hard to maintain ones mojo.

Starting with a few dates for you to note in your currant diaries.

Gallery changeover – Monday 19th December 9.30-11.30am

Just a reminder to not only write details of your work, ie your name, title of work, price, but also complete a form with the same details on (If no form to hand, just write said details on plain sheet of paper)

Thursday painting at Conservative Club 1.00 – 3.00pm

The last session took place on 15th December with sessions recommencing on 29th December.

During this particular afternoon Christmas cards were entered for the competition. Members favourite was by Chris Robinson and second choice by Sheila Wilson.

Thank you to all members who help with the smooth running of these afternoons.

Now with your 2023 diaries at the ready –

Saturday 14th January 2.00 – 4.00pm

New Year Social at the Memorial Hall, High Road, Trimley St Martin (next door to Sports and Social Club)

Free parking behind the Hall. Bus stop nearby which is served by 75 and 77 buses.

Although the change to an afternoon meeting for the social has met with positive feedback please call either of the telephone numbers on the back of your programme card so we have an idea of how many members (with a guest if wished) will be attending.

Tuesday evening meetings at Broadway House, Orwell Road

Recommence on Tuesday 24th January with Jim Lait demonstrating ‘Street Scene with water/reflections’ using acrylic paints.

The last Tuesday session of the year, where the warm refreshments upon arrival were welcomed, saw Chris Cushing presenting an illustrated talk on ‘Understanding the art world’.

As Chris said at the time, it is not what he thinks, but how things have evolved over the years by experts in various fields. Certainly a thought provoking topic with an interesting to and fro during the evening.

This was the last presentation by Chris as he has decided, after many years giving talks, to hang up his clicker. Thank you Chris for your interesting talks over the years, all thoroughly enjoyed in your most relaxed way.

To round of this particular session the Christmas cards entered for the competition saw members present voting for their favourite. First choice was John Bowers with Gillian Lait second choice.

With regard to the Group’s Tuesday meetings many members will be familiar with the problems experienced regarding video camera. The problem has finally been solved (or are we tempting fate by saying that). A huge thank you to Chris Robinson and David Tennant for their diligence on getting to the bottom of solving the problem.

Looking back to another recent meeting Claudia Myatt’s presentation ‘My artist’s residence in Antarctica’. Well what an experience for Claudia. Some wonderful sights captured on film, photographs as well as in her sketchbooks. The chin strap penguins made many members smile! Whilst Claudia took the briefest supply of art materials on the trip she kindly sent a basic list of art materials that some members new to the subject might find useful –

Drawing –

• Sketchbook. any kind for practising but the more you spend the nicer the paper will be to use
• Pencils, sketching pencils which range from HB for hard clear lines through to 9B for smudgy blacks (if you only get one sort, go for 2B)
• soft pencil eraser
• sharpener – scalpel is better for long point but sharpener will suffice.

Watercolours

Small box of watercolours – Winsor and Newton Cotman sketching set is good value, or a few tubes. If buying individual colours, only need a few to start with. Ones used by Claudia –

• raw siennna/cadium yellow/aureolin yellow
• alizarin crimson/cadium red/burnt sienna
• colbalt blue/utramarine/indigo/winsor blue green shade

Use lid of paintbox as a palette or a white plate

Brushes

• Round watercolour brushes (Daler Rowney Aquafine are good value, blue coloured band)
• Brushes should come to a fine point and be soft and not hard bristly ones which are for acrylics.
• Bigger the number, bigger the brush. Numbers 10,6,3 (or similar) will do everything you need.

Paper

• To start, a pad of watercolour paper will get you going. Avoid poor quality paper such as that from The Works. The more you pay the better the paint will flow.
• Three types of surface of watercolour paper – Rough/NOT/Smooth
• Smooth is known as HP or Hot Pressed
• Most watercolour pads are NOT, a good all rounder and simple means Not hot pressed
• If pad comes as a block, that is, gummed down on all four sides to keep it firm whilst painting, to remove a sheet of paper find the section that is un-gummed and slide the end of a paintbrush in to unstick it. If use finger it will tear.

Do hope you have found above basic list from Claudia useful.

During her talk Claudia encouraged members to try to draw/sketch everyday, even for ten minutes. With this in mind, perhaps as deciduous trees shed their leaves, there is a chance to artistically capture their rugged shapes and bare beauty. Create their twigs and textures using pens, pencils or charcoal. Just a thought from moi!

This just leaves me to say Seasonal Greetings to you all and may we go forward into 2023 with optimism of better times ahead.

Enjoy your journey in art, wherever it may take you

Yvonne (Chairman)