Focal Point

Issue Five

November 2013

In-house Magazine

of the

Western Cape Artists’

Society

2

Focal Point Issue Five November 2013

EditorialSpring has arrived and we artists are getting

excited about the lovely vistas that surround us

once again. I, like several others, have found

that painting en plein air (by direct

observation) is the most satisfying method of

creating art whether it be a pencil or ink

sketch, a painting or a few lines and some

notes. Some of us carry colours well in our

heads, but others need notes to jog the

memory. Photographs are often used as a

reminder also, although I find the colours are

rarely as lively as those directly observed.

Photography can lower the passion and

spontaneity of a painting. If the proportions

and perspective are too perfect, or the

shadows too exact, where is the artist’s feeling

and mood shown? A certain roughness and

elaboration of colour was acceptable in the

works of the Impressionists and this gave

personality and uniqueness to each work.

Photographs can act to jog the memory, but

may be the enemy of style. Art communicates

best when the artist has had to struggle to

achieve his aim. I know that because we now

have digital cameras I tend to snap away

without due artistic consideration. Whereas if I

paint directly from the subject I take more

care, I can filter out elements I don’t wish to

show, I can simplify and I can add my own

personality to the picture.

This issue of “Focal Point” will concentrate on

sketching outdoors, working with the variety of

greens all around us at this time of year and

what you need to take when working out of

doors, including the selection of a sketchpad.

We also give some information on using

varnishes with oil paintings and I give feedback

on my experiment with Inktense Blocks.

In addition we have our regular articles and

one of our members, Anne Selbach, has also

contributed an article on her recent art break

up the west coast.

Please see the challenge I am throwing out to

you all in the article on sketching. I hope that

you will find it stimulating and I look forward to

seeing some of the results.

Happy creativeness!

Kathy Wivell

You can’t use up creativity

The more you use, the more you have

Maya Angelou

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Articles in this issue

Page

Branch member news Imibala exhibition June 2013 4

Di MacNaugton Workshop 5

The long read

When is copying to be applauded? 6

In conversation with… Cherry Nichols 7

The artistic journey Drawing and Sketching 10

Learning points Painting Greens 13

Using Inktense Blocks 15

Technical information Varnishing oil paintings 16

Review Ann Selbach reports back on the West Coast art workshop

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What’s on Local gallery guide 19

4

Branch member news

Imibala Gallery Exhibition - Opening 11 June 2013

What a fabulous evening we had for our opening! We made good sales on the evening and a few more over the exhibition. Such a lovely venue.

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Di McNaughton Workshop

Eight WCAS members were lucky enough to attend the one day workshop on using Mixed Media run by Di McNaughton. It was a real experimental day in which we tried out lots of new techniques.

The first one was to use masking tape, instead of masking fluid, to leave white paper and then to drip in lots of water to create runs and sit back and wait for the lovely shapes to evolve. Then we could subtract or add in colour using paint, ink, Inktense or watercolour pencil. We obtained some interesting results.

The next experiment was to pour water from a jug over the almost dry watercolour on another page. After drying we could cut a shape out of an old painting (e.g. a leaf shape) and use this to scrub out some colour, or we could take a soft pastel and grate it over the wet paint.

Our next page was first primed with gesso and left to dry. We then painted in watercolour and ink over this and then dropped in some diluted bleach and watched the effect.

Another experiment was to create a collage using tissue paper stuck onto the page and then floating inks onto wet paper. We then played with the ink and observed how it behaved once again.

Di also showed us how to spray with ink for a background start to the work, but time ran out all too quickly and we could not try this out.

I am so busy now trying out these techniques and learning such a lot about the behavior of different media on different supports and used in different ways. Thank you so much Di you have freed up my style.

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The Long Read

When is copying to be applauded?

I recently came across an interesting article about an artist who has built up a formidable reputation as a copy artist. She can rustle up a Van Gogh or a Monet for you. Susie Ray is a British artist who paints copies of famous artworks for millionaires and sells them at a fraction of the cost of an original (if you can find them?). Susie is not a forger, as she does not try to pass her work off as an original, but she signs each copy on the back. She calls herself a Copyist and has recently opened the world’s first copyist art gallery. She mainly copies the work of Impressionist artists, as she loves that period and this work sells well, but she finds it very challenging to copy these works. The Impressionists created their work with quick brushstrokes, but she has to carefully place each stroke in her copies. She says that Vermeers and Rembrandts are far easier to copy.

She sells her results for £600 (for a sketch) to £9,000 (for the most laborious copy). Her prices vary not according to the value of the original, but depending upon the time it takes her to create the copy. Who buys these works? She says they are mainly celebrities and politicians as well as Russian millionaires. She is also commissioned by owners of originals to make copies as they carefully keep their originals in vaults and yet want to show that they own such work. She only makes one copy of each work – no duplication.

She says a lot of famous people tell their friends that they have an original when they have a Susie Ray, but she says that is up to them.

She does not know of anyone else doing similar work to herself. She despises Hirst and Emin as she does not consider them to be proper artists.

Susie obtained a first class degree in scientific illustration, but then earned a pittance as a botanical illustrator at Kew Gardens. By the late 1980s she had established herself in a gallery doing copies of Renoir, Monet, Caravaggio, Stubbs, Gauguin and Modigliani. She became the artist in residence for the British Museum’s 1990 show “Fake?: The Art of Deception”. She says she is too critical of her own work. She is an illustrator and not a fine artist.

Taken from an article in The Guardian by Stuart Jeffries 22nd July 2013.

Visit her website here: http://www.susierayoriginals.co.uk/

In Osaka, Japan, an artist was frustrated at the time he wasted travelling on the train and not having enough time for his art. He decided to try out iPad painting and copying old masters with his finger as he travelled. Seikou Yamaoka receives thousands of hits for each YouTube painting shown. Take a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug3n6HTKqHc

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In conversation with

Cherry Nichols

When did you first realise that you wanted to be an artist?

I always used to draw as a child. At school I took private art lessons, but was not much good at it, I used to rather roll up my wet paper into balls and throw them around at the other kids in the class: much more fun!

I then studied Commercial Art at Cape Town Technical College. I only reaped the rewards of doing Graphic Design many years later. This helped me with composition, layout, colour and design. It was only when I was 24 that I started to dabble in drawing and painting and then knew that I was given this gift for a reason and that art was always going to be an important part of my life. I started lessons with the then well-known Eric Wale. This was the beginning of my journey into the artistic world.

Who has been the biggest inspiration or role model?

I have always loved Turner’s watercolours: the softness appealed to my spirit. When I lived in Irene, Verwoerdberg, I was fascinated by Ulrich Schweineke’s work and was fortunate to be able to watch him paint on numerous occasions. I tried to follow his style, but realised that an artist needs to find their own way into their painting and this was a major milestone in my art career. I read volumes of art books, particularly studying artists’ methods of painting in all mediums. As painting Cosmos was all “in” at the time, I would sit with the flowers in front of me and do one watercolour after another, throwing away reams of useless paintings. I had to get the colour of cosmos just right, and after hundreds of hours I finally achieved what I wanted. This was a big lesson learnt, an artist has to practice continuously and sacrifice many hours of their time to get to this stage.

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It was in East London that I met my ‘soul-mate’ to be, Marilyn Norton. Marilyn was a deep inspiration for me, she encouraged me continuously, and we spent many hours ‘plein air’ painting, often sitting on rafts in dams or amongst the oak trees trying to capture light and colours.

Between us we created a deep bond that had started with our joint love of painting with watercolours and this deepened into a friendship that has lasted for over 30 years. I do feel strongly that if ever I had a role model that I aspired to, it was Marilyn, with her beautiful spirit, her deep wisdom and her awareness that I had to constantly push myself to achieve higher planes in my art.

Which medium do you prefer to work in?

I had dabbled in acrylics and oils, but when living in East London in 1984 I joined a class of watercolour artists and this was when I knew that my real love was watercolours. I was fortunate at the time to have the freedom to be able to spend hours painting: my husband was a gold exploration geologist and he was very often in the bush. I was thoroughly spoilt with a full-time house-keeper and so I painted every hour of the day. I realised then that watercolour was the medium that I preferred to work in, as it was mysterious, sometimes unmanageable, but so very exciting.

What inspires you most as a subject matter?

My love of flowers has always tugged at my heart. My Russian grandmother was called Rose and she had her own florist shop. During the weekends I used to spend with her, I was always to be found in the back of her shop playing with the flowers. This experience stayed with me through the years and it was the love of flowers that inspired me.

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How do you feel about the South African art world at the moment?

I try not to be critical, yet I cannot help feeling that somehow a lot of the artists are confused about how they want to paint. I see this confusion in a lot of our top artists’ work, almost like a desperate plea to be accepted by their peers. The age old miracle of drawing seems to have got lost along the way and yet it is the basis of all art forms. We have so many brilliant artists that never seem to get to the top.

This magazine speaks mainly to part time artists who want to improve their work. What advice can you give them?

My very simple advice for all artists is that it is your attitude to your painting that

matters more than anything else. I think there are 3 types of artists:

‘Social artists’ who love to paint and might join a group of other artists who also only

paint for that reason alone. They might get together once a week and dabble,

experiment and do it for the glorious reason of breaking their normal day to day life

with a bit of fun. They do not mind if their work does not reach a higher standard.

Then there are the ‘Part-Time’ artists who work at other jobs; they may have other

interests that take up their time. Sorry to say this, but the only way to improve their

work is by spending as much time as possible, every day if they can, on painting. Time

and painting go together, if you paint once a week, there will be little improvement. Go

to as many demonstrations as you can, go on workshops that cover the medium you

work in. Join a serious group of artists where you can get advice and learn what others

are doing. Try experimenting with mixed media. Never, ever give up! At a

demonstration, try not to write down copious notes that you might never look at again,

but carefully watch the demonstrator’s brush strokes; colours used can always be

played around with later. Always remember: ‘Believe that you can do it’ and you will.

Then there are the ‘Reach for a Dream’ artists who will sacrifice their time, money and

energy to get to the pinnacle of success. If they work during the day, they will spend

their nights painting and painting. They will learn everything they can and paint even

when exhausted, knowing that is the only way to get to the top. If a painting flops, they

will tear it up and do it again, never giving a thought to the cost of the paper. The saying

‘at all costs’ applies to these artists. Their work must demand awards and recognition

so that one day they can truly say that they reached for a dream through their passion

of ‘loving, thinking and doing’.

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The artistic journey

American artist, Kevin Macpherson challenged himself to paint the pond outside his window,

from the same vantage point, every day for a year. Many may find this limiting, but he found so

many visual elements to choose from. He says “If you approach a subject as just a subject, a

tree or a person, you can see it one way in your mind. If you approach it as a vehicle for light,

the reflection of light, and take your response to the subject into consideration, then the

subject changes constantly. When you put aside preconceived values and observations and

memories of the last time you painted a certain subject, the opportunities for a fresh look are

endless”.

His paintings were all 6 inches by 8 inches and he had his easel set up in the window prepared

to go at a moment’s notice. He highly recommends en plein air painting – painting from direct

observation.

Taken from an article by Courtney Jordan 28 July 2013 in “Artist Daily”.

I am fortunate enough to have a view of the Hottentot Holland Mountains from my lounge and

decided to try and make several sketches of the view to see the effect. I completed about 10

and each one was completely different, depending on the weather, time of day and how I felt

about the subject or what I wanted to portray.

Drawing basics

My challenge to all readers

Following Cherry’s comment that the age old miracle of drawing seems to have been lost along

the way, my challenge to you all is to do a quick sketch a day for at least a month – not

necessarily of the same subject. This can be done in a sketchbook or on loose pieces of paper.

They don’t need to be large and can be of everyday things around you e.g. a cup, a chair, your

foot. Don’t spend ages looking for the ideal sketch – use what is in front of you and draw things

you would not normally consider. See some of my examples displayed below.

Please let me know how you did with this challenge and whether you found it beneficial.

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I have a little A5 pad and a fine liner ink pen (held to the book with an elastic band). This goes

with me almost everywhere and I sketch as often as I can – whilst stuck in traffic I draw the

vehicle in front of me, in an airport I draw people sitting around or an aeroplane, waiting for a

meal in a restaurant I always find something to sketch (the salt and pepper set, glasses and

plates, other customers etc.). These sketches must be done quickly as people and scenes move

or change constantly. The use of a pen also makes me resist any urge to delete lines. It’s a

great way to loosen up and observe more.

Here are a few examples from my sketchbook

This brings me to the next topic in drawing basics – how do you choose the best

sketchbook?

You need to consider the following questions:-

Is it spiral or cloth bound? Which do you prefer and why? I always prefer spiral bound

because the pages fold back and can be held flat with no problem

Does it have ample sheets to last a while? This is especially important if you are taking

up my challenge of a sketch a day for a month.

What is the quality of the paper? You need to consider the medium you will be using

and find a suitable support. If you want to make watercolour sketches choose at least

180 gsm – don’t forget you can use both sides of the page. Quick watercolour sketches

are fantastically liberating. I recently found a waterbrush – a brush with a water

capillary that allows me to do several watercolour sketches outside without the need to

carry additional water. It is great. (obtainable from The Italian Artshop)

What size is most appropriate for me? Do I want it to fit into a pocket or would I prefer

something slightly larger?

Do I prefer a hard cover or a soft one? I prefer a hard cover as it gives me a good

support to work on, but this may not be so convenient to fit into a backpack or pocket.

How durable does it need to be? Consider where you are likely to do most of your

sketching – if outdoors it will need to be more durable than one used mainly at home.

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How much does it cost? You want it to be inexpensive enough so that that you feel free

to draw as much as you like.

How familiar am I with the paper, or book quality? Do I purchase it because it is the one

my local shop sells and I don’t want to try something new?

It would be good to publish some of your daily sketches, so please send a few in to me on

Kathywivel@gmail.com.

Or maybe post on the WCAS facebook page, like I have! Click here for the link.

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Learning points

Painting greens

Scientists and researchers have conducted experiments with patients in hospitals and nursing homes where screens were put beside their beds presenting 24 hour imagery of a scene at the appropriate time of the day.

They found that the patients became more alert and happier when they could see a green landscape in the sunshine or in autumnal colours etc. Pushing them out into a garden brought even better results.

Plein air painters have felt this soothing effect. A couple of hours painting outside mellows one, relieving the tension often felt whilst working in a studio. This is brilliant for an artist’s soul, but it also improves the quality of their work over time.

So grab your hat and head outside to paint!

But now you are faced with all the different greens of spring. Where to start?

Many artists advocate that you should never buy a premixed green, but that you should mix your own from suitable blues and yellows and reds etc. Others advocate the use of bought greens tempered with other colours and yet others see nothing wrong in using a colour straight from the tube.

1. Mixing your own greens The best way is to experiment and make your own colour chart of greens. You can try mixtures of many different colours. If you are new to painting try the following: French ultramarine and Winsor Yellow Indigo and Indian Yellow Cobalt blue and cadmium lemon yellow Hansa yellow light and Prussian blue or Pthalo Blue

2. Tempering bought greens with other colours. Again you should experiment and make your own colour chart. Try mixing: Sap green and French Ultramarine Olive green with cerulean blue or cadmium yellow Viridian with Aurelin (and a touch of a red) Winsor green with cadmium red

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3. There are many different greens to choose from. You need to decide if you want a warm green such as Winsor Green Yellow shade, or a cool shade such as Winsor Green blue shade. Purples and roses such as Ultramarine Violet and Rose Madder Genuine are excellent neutralizers for loud greens. Greens are often loaded with orange

The first thing to do when thinking of greens is to observe in nature carefully. Then try to figure out its makeup in pigment. You can then consult your colour charts and decide which meet your observation most closely. Try painting the sunlit section and then the shaded part of any number of leaves.

Although greens in nature never seem to clash, they may not sit well in a painting. To manage it better add a contrasting colour or, as the Impressionists did (with amazing results) add the opposite on the colour wheel to your painting. Opposite colours include violet and yellow, blue and orange, green and red. Try using red of some kind to make your colours sing. Many use Burnt Sienna, but any red/orange will do. It could be splattered in some grasses or a tree branch somewhere near your greens.

Next you can consider using different textures to create foliage, grasses etc. in nature. Try using cling wrap, wax resist, splatters, lifting out, using a sponge or using twigs and dried grasses found around you to make different marks.

Experiment and have fun!

"Of all the colours, blue and green have the greatest emotional range. Sad reds and melancholy

yellows are difficult to turn up." William H Gass, On Being Blue: A Philosophical Inquiry.

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Using Inktense Blocks In the last issue I promised you feedback on my experiments with my new Inktense Blocks. So here it is:

Step One

After sketching in the main shapes I shaved some bright yellow, iris blue and light earth colours into pans and added a little water to each. These were used to develop my first wash wet-in-wet on Saunders HP paper, taking care to put the blue area of the wash where the boat was to be etc.

Step Two

After allowing the initial wash to dry I started to intensify the colours by taking a wet brush directly to the blocks and painting negatively in many areas using the foundation colours already on the paper. The paper dried quickly as it was HP.

Step Three

I continued to strengthen my colours and added seed heads to the grasses, definition to the tree trunks and the boat.

Conclusion

The colours are very strong and so need to be watered well in the initial stages. Some of the colours were more intense that others e.g. the bright yellow is very strong, whereas the raw sienna colour was more difficult to obtain in strength.

I copied this exercise from a demonstration given by Liz Seward in “The Artist” magazine Summer Issue 2013. She used a combination of Inktense Blocks and Inktense Pencils, but I do not have the pencils.

I enjoyed the experiment very much and will continue to try out this new material. After the Di McNaughton workshop I used Inktense to work in my negative shapes on a work I completed at home which I titled Abstract Flowers – a copy can be seen on the WCAS Facebook page.

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Technical information

Varnishing oil paintings

Oil paintings should be protected with varnish. Firstly you need to know the type of

varnish to use. Modern varnishes (also called picture varnishes) comprise of mineral

spirits or petroleum distillate as opposed to traditional varnishes which contain

traditional resins, usually damar. Modern varnishes don’t yellow or become brittle, and

they are removable with mineral spirits to allow for cleaning at a later stage.

Ensure your oil painting is placed on a flat, dust-free surface and that you are working

in a well- ventilated area. The first varnish to apply is the retouch varnish which is a

traditional one with a little bit of damar resin. This should be applied as soon as the oil

painting is dry to the touch. It will protect the layer of paint and bring all the colours

up to an even sheen.

After six to eight months a final varnish should be applied. This should always be

removable to allow for cleaning or restoration.

When using any type of matte varnish, ensure the varnish is at room temperature so

that it does not bloom and cause shiny and dull patches across the artwork

Varnishes can also be purchased in spray form. Ensure the artwork is lying flat and

that there is ample ventilation when spraying. Apply a light coat in one direction and

let that dry before applying a second light coat in the other direction. This will prevent

puddles and runs.

Adapted from an article in “Artists Network Newsletter” 3rd September 2013.

Review – out and about recently

Ann Selbach sent us this report of her recent trip to an art workshop

I have just returned from a super art

experience! I have always wanted to go on an

art workshop, but never had the opportunity

until now; my husband, Walter, kindly gave it to

me as a gift.

Di sent us an announcement in May regarding

this West Coast Art Workshop, organised by

Yvonne Ankermann from the 30th August to

3rd September. My friend Melani Smit and I

signed up and with great excitement and a

loaded car we set off early on Friday morning.

We didn't get too far before we stopped to

photograph the snow on the Helderberg

Mountains! I am sure you will all agree what a

beautiful sight that was.

Arriving in Britannia Bay just in time for lunch

at the Absolute Beach Guest House, we were all

welcomed and treated like family, but royal

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family. What a delightful family own this place.

Andries and Ria Greyling with their daughter

Marina and her husband Duncan Boxshall-Smith

run it smoothly. Duncan is the chef, who

created some very interesting meals for us:

which consisted of three meals per day. Our

group of 12 people ate each meal together and

at the end of the four days we had certainly

made some lovely new acquaintances.

We painted ‘plein air’ and the settings were

stunning, as the wild flowers were blooming, and

yes, the sun did shine! We painted on the

beach, with lovely old boats; we painted amongst

the flowers, on a farm with many quaint old

cottages, where two horses came to greet

Patsy, one of the artists, and me.

On Sunday morning we left early to catch the

sunrise at the harbour, and what a sunrise it

was! While we were painting our young and very

talented chef Duncan and his wife Marina

arrived with brunch and we all gathered around

the station wagon and had a feast! What

service!

In the afternoon we sat around watching art

DVDs, while our hosts organised an art

exhibition upstairs - each artist was allowed to

bring two framed paintings along for this

purpose. Incidentally, Dries the owner, an

architect by profession, also paints.

On Monday morning we painted on the Shelly

Point beach, where the delightful lighthouse

stands. What fun we had as some of the

residents ambled by to see what we were doing.

The paintings which we did were critiqued each

day by Adolfo McQue, our very good ‘plein air’

teacher, who was constantly on hand, going to

each artist with suggestions or advice. For me

who had never painted plein air before, I felt a

bit out of my depth at times, after lugging

everything but the kitchen sink around with me,

it was rather overwhelming trying to do

watercolours whilst sitting with the pad on my

lap with containers filled with water as, you

guessed it, I left my small easel at home.

We had demos by Adolfo and also Yvonne, who

did some terrific work in oils with a palette

knife. I liked her style very much. I don’t work

in oils, but I was almost convinced by the end of

the four days that I should take up this

medium, but sanity returned to me, and I will

stay with my watercolours and acrylics, for now

anyway.

I did not come home with any masterpieces.

They may still ensue as I have loads of photos

and wonderful memories. It was quite

exhausting at the end, as it seemed that we

just never stopped to catch our breath, but

what a wonderful experience, and my thanks go

to Yvonne Ankerman (yvonnea@soft.co.za) for

organising such a smooth and wonderful four

days.

Anne Selbach

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What’s on

If you are interested in visiting local galleries here is a list of selected gallery contact

information:

Somerset West

Liebrecht Gallery, T 021 852 8030, www.liebrechtgallery.com

Wallace Hulley Gallery, T 083 268 4356, arthul@telkomsa.net

Stellenbosch

Art on 5, T 021 887 7234, maryna@adept.co.za

Oude Libertas Gallery, T 021 809 7463, www.oudelibertas.co.za

Rupert Museum, T 021 888 3344, www.rupertmuseum.org

Sasol Art Museum, T 021 808 3691, corliah@sun.ac.za

Stellenbosch Art Gallery, T 021 887 8343, www.stellenboschartgallery.co.za

Cape Town

The Cape Gallery, T 021 423 5309, www.capegallery.co.za

Irma Stern Gallery, T 021 685 5686, www.irmastern.co.za

Iziko SA National Gallery, T 021 481 3891, www.iziko.org.za

Durbanville

Rust-en-vrede Gallery T 021 976 4691, www.rust-en-vrede.com

Kalk Bay

The Studio Gallery, T 083 778 2737, www.thestudiokalkbay.co.za

Franschhoek

The Gallery at Grande Provence, T 021 876 8630, www.grandeprovence.co.za

Look for galleries wherever you are and explore the art world around you!