Focal Point

Issue Ten

June 2015

In-house Magazine

of the

Western Cape Artists’

Society

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Focal Point Issue Ten June 2015

EditorialAs autumn and winter set in we may be more reluctant to face the elements outside and prefer to work in the warmth inside, but whatever we do we must not stop working on our art. We can use one of the following methods during the winter months:

Start by taking stock on work already completed and decide upon areas that you can improve upon. For example if you struggle with figures or trees, work on a series of work using these – give yourself a crash course on painting and drawing these.

Seize the brighter days to sit outside and make quick sketches. The garden provides adequate material – look at those lovely skeletal tree branches to help improve your tree shapes, see the berries and crinkled leaves on bushes and the pine cones on the ground – there is always something to find if we open our minds.

Set up a still life and use a new medium or mix your media. Or you can draw/paint one or several objects from different angles and superimpose the shapes.

Work on an interior scene – look for good lighting contrasts and think of the focal point carefully (see exercise later).

Work on a self -portrait in any medium or do several in different media.

Make quick sketches of family members as they watch TV or sit reading etc. – few are prepared to sit patiently for long periods, and so you need to work quickly – good for speeding up your sketches.

Attend a class to improve your current skills or try out something new (see a list of workshops that are coming up).

Create a piece of work from your imagination.

Explore a topic or medium you wouldn’t normally use and be creative.

Pull out your sketchbook and rework some of the sketches into other works.

Find a previous work and do another of the same subject in a different medium.

This time of year is extremely valuable to the artist. It is a time to explore, to make mistakes, to experiment and to learn.

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In this issue I will touch on some of the above, with articles on using charcoal, sanguine and chalks; how to complete a “selfie”, details of an exciting new art product and give details of upcoming workshops. There is also an exercise to try painting an interior view. So lots of inspiration to keep you busy during the cooler months.

In this issue we have a new article: “From your Committee”. I am sure you will agree that they are all working extremely hard to bring us exciting demonstrations at our meetings and valuable workshops to attend.

We would love feedback on how you continue your own creative journey during the cool days. Send articles to kathywivel@gmail.com along with suggestions or ideas you would like discussed in this your magazine. I look forward to hearing from you.

Kathy Wivell kathywivel@gmail.com Editor

Chris Hall chris87hall@gmail.com

Co-editor

____________________________________________________________________________________

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.” Scott Adams

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Articles in this issue

Page

Branch member news Recent exhibition and workshop photos 5

The long read One thing leads to another 7

Try something new…don’t work in auto-

pilot

8

The artistic journey What makes a painting good or bad? 9

Learning points Painting a ‘selfie’ 11

Painting an interior scene with a good focal point

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Technical information Charcoal, Conté, sanguine, chalk and pastel

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Product news …from the Italian Artshop 17

From our committee Update and news 18

From our readers The excitement of plein air 19

_____________________________________________________________________________

Cover photos courtesy of Dan du Toit:

top left: at the opening of the Across the Palette exhibition at Blaauwklippen

top right: peaceful plein air painting

centre: WCAS Chairman Herman van Zyl presenting first prize to Ron Waldeck in the WCAS

‘New Signatures’ in-house competition

bottom left: artists breakfasting at Avontuur during a plein air painting outing

bottom right: hard at work at the Roelof Rossouw workshop

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Branch member news Photos by Dan du Toit

The opening of the ‘Across the Palette’ exhibition at Blaauwklippen:

The Roelof Rossouw workshop in May:

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The Tollman Bouchard Finlayson Exhibition at the Hermanus Fynarts Festival

Congratulations to WCAS members: Cliff Davies, Charmé Southey and Di White whose works were

amongst those of 40 finalists selected for this year’s Tollman Bouchard Finlayson Barrel Head Exhibition

on the theme ‘Connections’.

’24 Hour Connectivity’ by Cliff Davies

‘Whatts App’ by Charmé Southey

‘Digging for Wealth, Power, Greed and Misery’ by Di White

‘Intercity Connections’ by Di White

A wide range of media encompassing paper, canvas, board, plastic, fabric, embroidery, collage, mixed

media, photography and digitally/mechanically produced media are represented in this unique

exhibition of tondi (circular artworks), making for an intriguing and eclectic collection. The works are

displayed on the ends of barrels in a working wine cellar at the Bouchard Finlayson boutique winery in

the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Hermanus.

The artwork will be exhibited and on sale for the duration of Hermanus FynArts 05 – 16 June 2015.

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The long read One thing leads to another

I attended a WCAS workshop on figure and portrait painting conducted by Hazel Swart in March. I have always sketched figures and people but haven’t often tried to paint them. However, Hazel’s workshop rekindled my interest and I started to go to her for guidance on portrait work. This is the story of my journey so far.

Hazel said at the workshop that we could send pictures to her and she would give feedback. So I did a pencil self- portrait and sent it to her and asked if I could attend classes with her.

For my first lesson I decided to use charcoal and a putty rubber – I had heard of this method, but never tried it and so it was a new venture for me. Hazel helped me choose a suitable picture to copy and I started work on thick brown paper. I continued the work at home and added some sanguine and chalk – this was really enjoyable.

I took a book out of the library – “How to draw with charcoal, sanguine and chalk” by Jose M. Parramon. I learned so much about using these media – drawing, blending, erasing etc. I had always thought of charcoal as one thing, but now I knew that there are hard and soft sticks, pencils and even powder that you can use. You can also add water to charcoal. See later article under Technical Information for more details about these media.

Under Hazel’s guidance I then decided to embark upon an oil painting. I haven’t touched oils for more than 30 years and although it is very different to my usual watercolours, my knowledge of colour mixing and drawing came into play. I repeated the same portrait of the Himba woman I had completed in charcoal. This was exciting.

Some time ago I fell upon an article giving guidance to students at high schools in England on how to develop a portfolio over a year to show their own learning on a particular topic in art. You can find this article on studentartguide.com. This article sparked an idea for me and I decided to do something similar. First you need to decide upon your subject matter or theme and then develop a body of work using various media showing your personal journey. I decided that my topic was “Portraits”. You also need to select artists whose work appeals to you and study their work. Complete some drawings or paintings taking some of the chosen artists’ methods and ideas into your own work. The final piece of work should be a mixture of all that has been learned plus your own ideas.

I thought this was an interesting concept and although I am not completing it as a sketchbook project for an exam, I am following some of the guidelines.

I will continue with this journey and who knows where it will lead me.

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Try something new…don’t work in ‘auto’ mode

Once my mind was centred on the idea of progressing by trying something new, synchronicity stepped in, as it often does.

At the March meeting our Chairman, Herman van Zyl, gave a short plea for us not to work on auto, but to explore other “settings” or abilities within ourselves. He bravely put up one of his paintings and asked the audience to critique it. Then he promised to re-work the piece and he duly returned with it at the April meeting. I think we all agreed that the second work was an improvement upon the first and although there was still some criticism (which he accepted willingly) he told us that he had learned a lot from this exercise. He had pushed himself to explore new ways of thinking about his work and he challenged us to do the same. Well done Herman!

We were all blown away at the April meeting by the creative backgrounds that Samantha Jordaan produces. She had so many ideas to share that I couldn’t note them all down quickly enough. She told us that art is her life, it is the language she uses to communicate with and she said that as artists we need to express some idea in our work. She doodles and draws a lot and tries out anything she can find. She doesn’t have a recipe that she uses (i.e. she doesn’t work on auto) – she dances with each painting until it says what she wants it to. She uses art as therapy – thinks of a feeling, expresses it in her work and then lets the work feed back to her. She has fun art days with a friend regularly and is not afraid to create works using any manner of things from artists’ paints, to lace, bubble wrap, glue, rubber stamps, sand, coffee and tea. Samantha also tries out different tools to apply her medium such as feathers, ear buds, straws, leaves.

All of this has reinforced my idea that we need to relax, try out something new and not be too precious about the end result.

Watch out for Samantha’s workshop in 2016.

“To create one’s world in any of the arts takes courage.”

Georgia O’Keefe

‘Georgia O’Keefe hands’ photograph by Alfred Stieglitz

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The artistic journey What makes a painting ‘good’ or ‘bad’? Some ideas from others:

Asking the deceptively simple question: “What makes a painting a good work or art?” and quoting Andrew Wyeth as saying “Some artists think that every work they do is a work of art, I say keep working and you may produce a work of art”, Brian (BrRice) started a fascinating debate on the Painting Forum. Here are some responses:

“I think that great art either causes a viewer to think or to feel. If it doesn’t stir

something up they may say ‘That’s nice’ and move on, and wouldn’t walk 10

steps to look at it again. In my opinion, great art can be any style or technique

or level of skill, but to qualify as great it has to create a substantial amount of

activity in the viewer’s mind or heart. Good art can be a matter of good concept

or excellent skills in execution, but I think great art touches the mind, heart or

soul of the viewer”. Michael

“A painting should evoke a thought, a memory or idea to the viewer. I will give

you an example: My 90 year old grandmother has one of my earlier paintings on

her wall in a nursing home. It is a painting of my grandfather (her husband who

passed away years ago) walking down to the ocean to his boat in Newfoundland

from a small cabin on a hill above the sea. I personally never appreciated the

piece. She told me she looks at it every day and gets something out of it. She

loves it. I realised now that this is the whole purpose of art, to communicate a

memory, a thought or an idea.” BrRice

“I was taught a thought-provoking piece with the formal conditions of beauty,

composition, rhythm, colour manipulation all contributed to a good work of art,

but mostly it is the ‘leap in the imagination’ that stirs my soul.”

Cynthia Houppert

“Maybe photorealism tells the viewer too much, there’s not enough left to the

imagination. All the facts are there. Maybe there’s too much information, the

human brain likes to keep things simple. Some of the best artists in the world

keep their paintings simple. They convey one idea at a time. Too many ideas in

one painting can complicate.” Brian

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“What makes a good work of art? Plain and simple (to me anyway): something

you just cannot take your eyes off of. Something that you see that strikes your

soul to the very depths, that opens your eyes and your mind to the beauty of it.”

Tootsiecat.

“Good art, no matter the style, has certain elements that give rise to the piece

being successful, or not. It does not have anything to do with looking ‘pretty’.

Good art is not about beauty in the normal sense of the word. (Guernica) is a

great example of a great piece of art. It’s not pretty, it’s disturbing. It is meant

to provoke thought …and to make a statement about a particular war. Good art

will always be good. Crap will never be good. Someone may like that piece of

crap, but it does not raise it to the level of good art”. Nancy

This article was sent to me by Marianne Cronje – it is written by a painting expert, Marion Boddy-Evans. I have reproduced some extracts.

“The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude.” Friedrich Nietzsche

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Learning points Painting a ‘selfie’

Please note the lingo – I am not a great cell phone user, but this word has become synonymous with people taking photos of themselves. So now to take it one step further and paint a “selfie” – how should one go about it?

Painting a self-portrait is a brilliant project for developing your artistic techniques and, providing you have a mirror and suitable materials, your model is always available. Choose a composition with just a head and shoulders with strong light on one side and experiment with different coloured backgrounds: varying the colour, light direction and intensity will produce different effects including reflected light and tonal shadows.

Here are three golden rules from James Hall:

1. Avoid a passport photo pose

There have been some great full-frontal self-portraits, but not many. By all means look straight ahead, but don’t make the viewer think they’ve got your undivided attention.

2. Activate the body

The main innovation in the modern self-portrait is its activation of the body.

3. Don’t be a martyr

You don’t have to be the isolated, misunderstood, traumatised genius. Some of the greatest portraits in the past were kinship self-portraits, showing the artist interacting with family and friends.

Taken from “The self-portrait: a cultural history” by James Hall

There are many examples to show the above – here are a few:

David Hockney painted “Self-portrait with Charlie.”

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Van Gogh painted many self-portraits during his life, creating more than 43 paintings of himself. The gaze is seldom directed at the viewer, even when it is a fixed gaze, he appears to look elsewhere.

Artemisia Centileschi created “Self-portrait as the Allegory of Painting

Before you start, decide on a pose, remember that you need to be comfortable in the position you choose, you need to be able to paint freely and keep in mind that it may be possible for you to adopt the pose for long painting session and should be able to easily retake the position if multiple sessions are needed.

Next consider the type of expression, mood and emotion you wish to convey and how this will be reflected in how you handle the paint, the colours you choose and the technique that you will employ.

Experiment with moving the face forwards to fill the reflection in the mirror or moving away. Try placing your head in the centre of the reflection, facing straight forward or to one side.

Think about how you will use warm and cool tone –these can help to portray a character trait or an emotion. See the following example:

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Self-portrait by Julie Davis

Julie Davis, a portraitist and tutor, states that “A portrait is a record of a unique collaboration between the sitter and the artist and their own self- identity, in the case of a self-portrait. Everything about the work: clothes, setting, any subjects included, etc. will have been carefully chosen to tell the world something about that person. In portraiture, nothing is random.”

Some exercises you can try:

1. Examine your head in a mirror and see it as a sphere with an undulating surface of planes. Paint by grossly exaggerate these planes – change colour or value between the planes to emphasise them. Feel the part of the face you are painting with your hand – light exposes most of the planes, but your hand can show you those hidden beneath the surface

2. Paint a close-up of the face – cram your features into the page – let the edge of paper crop off the outer parts of the head (as in the example above). Keep the planar structure in mind.

3. Tell a story by holding your head at an angle and include one hand – what the hand does determines the drama. Attempt some facial expression also.

4. Experiment with colour or a different medium

Have fun with your selfie!

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Painting an interior scene with a good focal point

This is an important compositional tool. To investigate the effect of focus, choose a cluttered interior space. Decide what will be your focus and what kind of focus you want to use – colour, value, scale, shape, technique:

1. You can isolate something and make it stand out.

2. You can tell a story – e.g. an open book with a pair of glasses, a letter falling from a hand.

3. A colour spot of a different hue among many others that are similar – e.g. a red item amongst greenery.

4. A value change – e.g. a dark spot among middle and light values or a light among middle and darks.

5. Vary the scale – can have a small shape amongst larger ones, or vice versa.

6. Vary the shape – e.g. a square amidst circle.

In every painting you make always consider if, what, and where focal points will be used.

The above are ideas taken from ‘Experiments in Watercolour’ by Michael Crespo, but they are applicable to any piece of artwork.

“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” Aristotle

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Technical Information Charcoal, Conté, sanguine, chalk and pastel

Charcoal is made of carefully selected knot-free twigs of light, porous wood that has been partially burnt and carbonized, and then converted into bars of fine, natural drawing charcoal. Charcoal comes in sticks and pencils in three degrees of hardness: soft, medium and hard.

Conté – the compressed charcoal pencil was invented in the last century by the Parisian manufacturer Conté. This is why all subsequent pencils of this kind haven been known as Conté pencils or sticks. They are now manufactured using natural pigments and a binder. Some of the manufacturers today include Conté, Faber, Hoh-i-noor and Steadtler and Brevillier. Conté can be used for an entire work or to lay down initial layers before using pastel or in conjunction with other media

Most of these manufacturers also produce bars and sticks of charcoal and charcoal pencil. In some cases the charcoal has been mixed with clay and binders added which gives these products the stability of charcoal pencil and the strength and smoothness of pastels.

Powdered charcoal may be combines with chalks or pressed charcoal by blending with a stump or the fingers. It can be poured on the surface or brushed in a soft brush. It creates a tonal background onto which darker and lighter values can be worked.

Chalk is a kind of soft limestone of organic origin that can be white or coloured. You can use it in conjunction with charcoal or alone. Try wetting sticks of chalk by immersing in water for 10 minutes before using for a more painterly effect.

Sanguine was originally chalk mixed with iron oxide. However, today many use alternative binders, but still colour with natural pigments.

Pastels come in many gradations of hardness and you need to experiment to find the ones you like. Pastels and chalks are available in the form of bars, sticks and pencils. Soft pastel sticks allow for better blending, while hard sticks are better for details. Pastel pencils are good for fine lines.

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Fixative should be used on charcoal and sanguine works and some artists use it on pastel. It is sold in cans of spray and must be applied in various stages without wetting the surface too much at each stage and waiting for each layer to dry before applying the next. It is best to lay the work flat outside or in a well-ventilated space and spray in even one way strokes. When dry apply the next layer with strokes in the opposite direction. Coloured chalks and pastels tend to darken somewhat when fixative is applied and so some artists prefer not to spray their work. As all of these works can easily spoil, care must be taken how they are stored.

There are workable fixatives and final fixatives. Workable fixatives allow you to continue working between layers in a painting. Final fixative is a non-workable and should only be used when the artwork is completed. You can use fixative on separate layers of pigment, allowing you to start a new layer without the pigment blending with the one below.

Framing: All of the artworks created using the above media should be framed behind glass.

Supports can be bought ready prepared as boards, sheets of paper in colours, pads of paper and sanded paper. You can also prepare your own surfaces by applying Pastel Ground. Supports should have some tooth or texture.

Tips:

If working in charcoal or pastel on an easel, the powder will easily fall away, so put a layer of tissue on the easel ledge to catch the powder.

Do not confuse soft pastels with oil pastels. Oil pastels are a completely different and unique medium.

Use a paper towel to clean your sticks of pastel after each use and store with uncooked rice to keep them clean.

Keep wet wipes handy to keep your hands clean.

Many of these notes were taken from a book “Charcoal, Sanguine and Chalk” by José M. Parramon

“Every artist was first an amateur,” Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Product News …from the Italian Artshop Skye tells us that the Italian Artshop has quite a few new products. Now they have moved to new premises they have more space and so she is adding something new almost every two weeks!

Skye mentioned in particular the Lyra Aquacolor crayons: “Because they are unique and certainly not found in most art shops. They are similar to the Caran d’Ache Neocolor crayons but are available as individual crayons.”

LYRA Aquacolor Water-Soluble Wax Crayons

Aquacolor is a water-soluble wax crayon which suits the highest of creative demands. The highly lightfast and rich pigmentation gives the crayons a very high colour brilliance. They are water-soluble and easy to blend, allowing an almost unlimited range of shades. Apply them dry and release the colour with water from a brush or blender. You can even apply a wet brush directly onto the crayon to load it with pigment.

Crayons measure 90mm in length, 9.5mm in diameter.

Water soluble and easy to blend

Intense pigmentation

Highly light-fast

Large 48 colour range allows an unlimited range of blended shades

Suits even the highest creative demands

They are R21.00 each.

The Italian Artshop postal and courier service: “We have a set postage rate to anywhere in SA of R40.00, regardless of how much you order. It excludes oversized items like canvas and easels but includes all paints and brushes etc.

We also have a set courier rate of only R50.00 (delivered to your door) for all major cities and surrounds, regardless of how much you order, although again it excludes oversized items like canvas and easels but includes all paints and brushes etc. Somerset West is included in the set courier rate.”

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News from your Committee1. New discount for members

Apart from discount at Deckle Edge and the Italian Artshop, we have now negotiated a similar deal with Crafters Inn in Somerset West. 10% discount will be given to all members – a list has been given to the shop of current paid up members. Discount is offered only to people on this list and for purchases made for their own use (i.e. no buying on behalf of family and friends).

2. Trophy Design Competition

For some time the trophies we present for our awards have not reflected the wide range of artwork we now recognise at our exhibitions. It is felt that new trophies are required and we invite members to submit suggestions for designs either as individuals or in groups for trophies representing the following categories: oils, watercolours, pastel and charcoal, acrylics, mixed media, photography, sculpture. It is hoped that each trophy will be a work of art in itself. Full details have been circulated and entries close on 31 July 2015.

3. Exhibitions

Unfortunately only one sale resulted from our recent exhibition at Blaauwklippen, but the gallery has

retained several paintings as it is felt that they still may sell. The committee is working hard (with advice from SASA) on alternative venues and ways to exhibit and sell our art in the future. All ideas and contact details for possible venues are welcomed. Selection for the Merit and Little Gem Exhibition will take place on 24 October.

4. Workshops

A very successful workshop with Roelof Rossouw was held on 30 May with a second one to follow on 22 August.

5. Library for member use

We are currently in the process of overhauling our library to establish where and in which areas we can improve on the materials available to our members and to automate the process. Kindly RETURN ALL books, magazines and DVDs in your possession at our next meeting on 18 July. We would also appreciate any donations to this library – your contact person in this regard is Marga Bezuidenhout (082 551 3235).

6. Art Weekend It is hoped to run an art weekend to Barrydale in November. Details to follow.

For further information on any of the above, please contact Shelly at

wcartsoc@gmail.com.

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From our readers The excitement of plein air painting

On a beautiful 9th May a group of WCAS members were busy painting and sketching in Gordon’s Bay Harbour. Many of us were intrigued by a little green boat, tied to the jetty and bobbing gently in the water. A couple of young boys were casting their fishing lines off the end of the jetty, just behind the little green boat. A perfect scene.

A man walked down the jetty towards the boys. Suddenly there was a loud “plop”. Not another sound, just the one “plop”. We all looked at one another wondering what it could be. To me it sounded like a seal playing in the water.

Suddenly someone noticed the young boys and that the man was no longer with them. Herman van Zyl and Ricky Liebenberg hurried down the jetty to see the man in the water and had to help him back onto the slippery jetty.

It transpired that he could not swim – so it was lucky that the WCAS Plein Air Artists were on hand.

Quick thinking by “moi” took the following photograph:

This is an edited version of an article sent in by Ann Selbach

All contributions to Focal Point are welcome and appreciated. Please send information, articles, queries or any other feedback you may have to Kathy at kathywivel@gmail.com

“Painting should do for the eyes what poetry does for the ears”.

Antoine Coypel

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The Western Cape Artists’ Society