Friends painting holiday: New Forest We enjoyed exploring local attractive towns, Hurst Castle and the many art galleries of Lymington and Lyndhurst, while others visited Salisbury Cathedral, which was hosting a John Constable exhibition. There were plenty of painting opportunities: New Forest ponies, Highland Cattle and large spotted pigs and across the Solent one could see the liners in Southampton Water. At the end of the week we had the usual review of our paintings with best picture prize going to Joan Weir.
George Tute: an artist and his collection Saturday 28 May in the Fedden Gallery George said his talk to the Friends was in part a personal acknowledgement of, and thank you for the many years of support given by the Friends to the RWA. George’s talk was a privileged insight into the way his working life has evolved and developed, from the early nine year period of formal training beginning in 1950, through the years of development that followed. Painting and wood engraving pursued in tandem (with commissions for engraving work from, among others, The Folio Society, Batsford Press, New Scientist and Readers Digest) right up to his present day work in both disciplines within and beyond the RWA.
Friends visit: Paris May 2011 On our first day many visited the Musée d’Orsay and the blockbuster Manet Exhibition, the Louvre, Le Marais and Montmartre. On Sunday we visited Giverny, Monet’s House and his garden. Later we visited the Impressionist Museum showing Bonnard in Normandy before moving on to historic Vernon. The Musée AG Poulian, dating from the 16th Century, exhibits modern art as well as local artists such as Monet and Bonnard. The Collegiate Church of Notre Dame has beautiful stained glass windows. We stopped at Auvers-sur-Oise, the home territory of van Gogh and
Dr Gachet and the Auberge Ravoux where van Gogh stayed. On our final day we visited Fontainebleau; the palace and its gardens were especially peaceful. A small but memorable exhibition – Enfance Imperiale – was a celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of The King of Rome, Napoleon’s son Napoleon François Joseph Charles. Our visits ended in Barbizon, one of the famous ‘Artist’s Villages’ in the Fontainebleau Forest south of Paris where, in the mid 19th Century, a group of landscape artists worked to achieve a truer representation
All offered to us through a cornucopia of images, with an unassuming commentary and explanation of incentives and methods which made appear simple what has to be a complex combination of imagination, talent and dexterity at work in the creative process. George then showed and discussed some of the many paintings he has amassed and offered a few words of insight and advice for the budding collector. The veritable roll-call of artists whose works he has collected – and some of whom are friends – served only to underline the rich professional and artistic depth and extent of his knowledge, experience and interests. Thank you George, for this, your ‘thank you’ to the Friends. John Eley
Elaine Cooper: washi – a paper -maker’s art Saturday 25 June in the Fedden Gallery Elaine Cooper is recognised as a leading, world expert in the art of papermaking as well as in the use of washi in fine art. This lecture, demonstration and exhibition started with a video of an annual spring festival in Mino which sits at the confluence of two rivers which flow from the Japanese Alps. Historically, small pools were created in the rivershallows to soak lengths of kozo tree saplings in order to soften the bark prior to its removal. It is from this bark that the washi is made. We saw all the processes involved in producing washi and the skills and hard work involved. Elaine then expanded on the different types and uses of washi and on her own part in
of the countryside. They were possibly inspired by John Constable. The delightful museum holds a large and intriguing selection of their work. We explored the village to find Millet’s and Rousseau’s houses which are now fascinating museums in their own right. Our thanks to Tom Western-Butt. Linda Alvis
its uses in her art, practice and wider activities. It was wonderful to be able to touch the wide variety of samples of paper in varying weights and types from the gossamer fine to the more heavily textured and to marvel at their strength. There were samples of stencilled, printed and dyed papers; of paper string and of paper woven into fabric. There were fans, umbrellas, small books; all things that were a delight to handle. Last but not least we were shown examples of the artist’s work including paintings, etchings, screens (shoji), parasols, fans and much more. Roz Wallace
pages 6 – 7 for // See full details of Friends lectures and events art
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