We then continued with our favourite Portraits which were varied to say the least!

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Everett Glenn
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MARCH MEETING As the Impressionists were so popular last

vilified for its content of menial workers by the critics!

of English Impressionists which included this

We then continued with our favourite Portraits which were

1 MARCH MEETING As the Impressionists were so popular last month we continued with Wendy and her investigations into Gustav Caillbotte. Apparently this painting of the Floor Scrapers was vilified for its content of menial workers by the critics! Nancy ended our Impressionist period with her collection of English Impressionists which included this self-painting by her aunt, Peggy Angus, milking a cow. We then continued with our favourite Portraits which were varied to say the least! \A portrait of Madame Paul by Manet Startled in Blue by Anne Hamlyn Portrait of a Jew by Chagall 1

The Cradle by Berthe Morisot W B Yeats by Augustus John Pastel portrait

Mallet Prison where she painted this portrait of some of her students

.. and finally, Anton chose to introduce us to plant portraits by Billy

Bamboo and Lilies : Billy Showell SHIPS AT SEA : MARCH 2012 This was a

However, we had a really lively session and the dissenters had actually

Mary started us off with The Slave Ship by Turner, and told us of his

2 The Cradle by Berthe Morisot W B Yeats by Augustus John Pastel portrait of Germaine Greer by Paula Rego Lucy Willis spent some time at Shepton Mallet Prison where she painted this portrait of some of her students Her Majesty s Pleasure by Lucy Willis... and finally, Anton chose to introduce us to plant portraits by Billy Showell. Bamboo and Lilies : Billy Showell SHIPS AT SEA : MARCH 2012 This was a topic which we discovered several members were not too keen on! However, we had a really lively session and the dissenters had actually enjoyed their research. Mary started us off with The Slave Ship by Turner, and told us of his inspiration to paint this picture after reading The History and Abolition of the Slave Trade by Thomas Clarkson. The painting shows sick slaves having been thrown overboard so a claim could be made for death by drowning. 2

Wendy then followed with her choice of two works by a modern artist, Regina Orchard. The first was an oil painting depicting a pilot cutter.

The first boat to reach the ship needing piloting was the winner! Glennis s offering was two paintings by Willem Van der Velde (b.

He was employed by Charles II to aid his father in taking and making draughts of sea-fights.

Wendy s second work was a collage of a brigantine and after explaining the technical difference between a brig and a brigantine, she told us

These paintings were obviously done very quickly and woe betide the artist who left out any part of the boat or rigging!

3 Wendy then followed with her choice of two works by a modern artist, Regina Orchard. The first was an oil painting depicting a pilot cutter. These boats had to be strong and very fast. Those based at Pill, near Bristol, served the River Avon and were privately owned. The first boat to reach the ship needing piloting was the winner! Glennis s offering was two paintings by Willem Van der Velde (b in Leiden). His paintings are very accurate portrayals of 17th century ships. He was employed by Charles II to aid his father in taking and making draughts of sea-fights. Here we have The Cannon Shot and The Gust painted around 1680 and in the collection of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. Wendy s second work was a collage of a brigantine and after explaining the technical difference between a brig and a brigantine, she told us how artists would be commissioned by owners to paint their ships from piers. These paintings were obviously done very quickly and woe betide the artist who left out any part of the boat or rigging! Pam brought along a book containing our oldest painting of ships at sea: a w a l l p a i n t i n g d e p i c t i n g t h e Laestrygonians destroying Odysseus s fleet. Probably painted in the first century BC and in the collection of the Vatican in Rome, this is taken from Homer s tale of The Odyssey. The Laestrygonians were a cannibal tribe living in the region of Mount Etna. 3

Barbara s father-in-law, Joseph French, had been an marine artist who worked for an advertising agency.

Again, these paintings had to be accurate in their detail and some very fine work was the result.

All inspired painters are impressionists, even though it be true that some impressionists are not inspired." This beautiful painting is entitled The Three Sails.

Anton chose to show us Art at Sea based on the work of Giancarlo Impiglia (1940-) and this painting is an example of his work done for the Cunard liners : Queen Mary 2; Queen Victoria and Queen

4 Barbara s father-in-law, Joseph French, had been an marine artist who worked for an advertising agency. When commissioned, the artists would visit the ship in question, make a model in very thin plywood, then doing the painting. Again, these paintings had to be accurate in their detail and some very fine work was the result. Nancy continued the Impressionist theme from last month by choosing work done by Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida, a Spanish artist who lived from All inspired painters are impressionists, even though it be true that some impressionists are not inspired." This beautiful painting is entitled The Three Sails. He was a very fast painter and said "I could not paint at all if I had to paint slowly. Every effect is so transient, it must be rapidly painted. Anton chose to show us Art at Sea based on the work of Giancarlo Impiglia (1940-) and this painting is an example of his work done for the Cunard liners : Queen Mary 2; Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth. These paintings were done in acrylic on aluminium panels rather than oil on canvas to comply with health and safety regulations on board. They are very lively and evocative of the Art Deco period. There are three reasons why the figures in his works are devoid of features. "First of all, I am not painting portraits, I am painting situations so there is no need for physical features. Also, the images are very stylized and flat. Also, they reflect the idea that we live in a society that is faceless. We do not pay much attention to faces, we pay more attention to other things." 4

Finally, Denise shared with us her love of Lyonel Feininger s paintings of boats which ranged from a simple watercolour painted when he was 17 through various oil paintings and woodcuts.

watercolours and drawings. Feininger constructs his paintings with transparent or translucent overlapping geometrical planes that catch light like prisms or reflect it from solid surfaces.

His softly muted colour is applied lightly in both oils and water colours and the resulting works have the misty iridescent quality of motes of dust in sunbeams.

She had prepared lots of visual work for us to look at while she told us about the scribes employed to write the words, the illuminators who beautified the capital letters and also how the

5 Finally, Denise shared with us her love of Lyonel Feininger s paintings of boats which ranged from a simple watercolour painted when he was 17 through various oil paintings and woodcuts. He was a prolific artist and during his lifetime produced some 1,500 caricatures and illustrations for various newspapers; 539 paintings; 320 woodcuts; 65 etchings; 20 lithographs and several hundred watercolours and drawings. Feininger constructs his paintings with transparent or translucent overlapping geometrical planes that catch light like prisms or reflect it from solid surfaces. These planes rise up to form an architecture that continues into a similarly constructed atmosphere, while light pours through them as if through a series of gauzy veils. His softly muted colour is applied lightly in both oils and water colours and the resulting works have the misty iridescent quality of motes of dust in sunbeams. HOW MEDIEVAL BOOKS WERE MADE : JULY 2012 This was a fascinating discussion led by Nancy. She had prepared lots of visual work for us to look at while she told us about the scribes employed to write the words, the illuminators who beautified the capital letters and also how the proof-readers changes were left in the manuscript to prove how carefully the document had been produced. This is far too big a subject to explain in this newsletter but have a look at or see if you can find Scribes and Illuminators by Christopher de Hamel. We were amused by Jan s picture showing probably the earliest baby walker in the world! The Holy Family at Work from Hours of Catherine of Cleves THIS IS THE LAST SESSION THIS YEAR. ENROL FOR OUR NEXT EXCITING PROGRAMME ON AUGUST 24 AT THE EDGAR COMMUNITY HALL FROM

pointed out that the ties we had worn were not like those depicted and we realised that this illustration was of an earlier breed of girls!

pointed out that the ties we had worn were not like those depicted and we realised that this illustration was of an earlier breed of girls! SECOND MARCH MEETING - Continuation of Art Movements On our new day, the third Monday of the month, we convened in the Pinney Room and continued with Children s Illustrators. Andrea started us off with