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| Society of Botanical Artists Exhibition Invitation |
I'm back "on the book" this month - we're now at the editing / design / layout stage and refinement re images. For those involved I may be getting back to you!
As before this post is a recap of:
- recent posts on this blog
- things I've seen and highlighted on my Facebook Page. Many thanks to all those who have 'liked' my Facebook Page in the last two weeks. It took me nearly 6 years to get to 2,000 likes and under two weeks to collect another 200! :)
- other items I've seen and bookmarked to include in this post - and there's a heavy emphasis on art exhibitions this week.
Art blogs
Artists
Say 'Hello' to Andy Wood - the brand NEW President of the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour. Andy was previously the Secretary of the RI. He's one of a very few painters in watercolour to have broken into and become acclaimed within the Chinese watercolour painting community. Last year Andy was one of the judges of the Shenzhen International Watercolor Biennial in 2013 (Facebook Page)
For those wondering whether a change in President means any change to the scope and style of paintings favoured by the RI, my guess is Andy would say that's up to the selection panel. However, below I've included my photo of some of his paintings - as exhibited in the recent annual exhibition of the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour.
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| Watercolour Paintings by Andy Wood PRI |
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| Joanna Trollope, Author (left) presenting Suzanne du Toit (right) with the BP Portrait Prize 2013 |
It proved very popular when I posted it on Facebook so if you missed it there why not take a look?
Botanical Art
- Following the RHS Botanical Art Show in the Lindley Hall, this my very popular annual post - Interviews with six RHS Botanical Art Gold Medal Winners (2014)
- I want to celebrate those who have overcome a lack of confidence enough to put their work forward for scrutiny and judgement. Particularly those who then get a distinction in their Diploma - but let Jarnie Godwin (Sketchbook Squirrel) tell you about 'Enjoy What you Do
- If you ever fancy a change, these are the workshops in botanical art at the New York Botanical Gardens.
Collage Art
- Anticipating that artists who have visited the Matisse exhibition will be stimulated to wield their scissors, tThe May Share Your Art project on The Guardian focuses on Collage Art. You can see the work being shared on A cut above: share your collages now - and I have to say they are absolutely fascinating. Check out An Election Entertainment after Hogarth by Emma Richardson
Drawing and sketching
- Shevaun Doherty (Botanical Sketches) wrote about sketching natural history subjects in Museums Sketching
- I once went to a lecture by Gerald Scarfe at the end of which he drew in pen and ink - it's quite scary! This week he gave an interview to The Guardian
In general, Gerald draws on thick cartridge paper which is approximately 83cm x 60cm (34 x 24 inches), although some drawings are smaller. He mainly works in pen and black ink, adding water colour later. - See more at: http://www.geraldscarfe.com/originals/#sthash.0jA8VzIr.dpuf
Landscapes
- I recently came across the landscape paintings of Mary Bentz Gilkerson who is a Professor of Art at Columbia University. This is her website and this is her blog - and you can find her workshops here
- Wanderarti takes urban sketching to the next level - I think. It's a website which focuses on the art that people are making about places but has not limited it to just sketching. It includes an interview with Laura Frankstone. (Laurelines)
Miniatures
- Congratulations to David Lawton (Facebook) has been told he's qualified for membership of the Hilliard Society based on the quality of his work alone. David now needs to get himself a website (hint!)
Portraiture
- A selfie state of mind: How the British perfected the art of the self-portrait - is an article in the Independent which traces the involvement of British artists in the development of the self-portrait. Linked of course to the publication of a book! (‘The Self-Portrait: a Cultural History’ by James Hall, is published by Thames & Hudson)
Street Art
- Jonathan Jones got sniffy with Street Art and Banksy recently. New Banksy? Whatever. Graffiti is just a tame in-joke for Guardian readers
All good fun. Sadly it has nothing to do with art. Banksy is a cultural phenomenon but not an artistic one.
Art Business & Marketing
- Lisa Call quit her job - on her birthday - and is leaving software behind to go full time as a professional textile artist. Read about how she arrived at her decision and implemented it in Making a HUGE committment to my art …aka take this job and…
- Art Licensing Hoops & Pitfalls - An Interview with Attorney Jay Landrum by Christine Schrum on ArtBusinessNews
Art Competitions
Recent posts have provided an overview of the Call for Entries to a couple of prestigious exhibitions in the UK
- Jerwood Drawing Prize 2014 - Call for Entries
- The Sunday Times Watercolour Competition 2014 - Call for Entries
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| Part of the Sunday Times Watercolour Exhibition 2013 at the Mall Galleries |
- The deadline for entries for SkyArts Portrait Artist of the Year 2014 has been EXTENDED! You now have until 9am on Tuesday 6th May 2014 to get your entry in. See my blog post for more details of what you need to do to submit an entry.
- Next week I'll be writing about another prestigious prize!
Art Exhibitions
All those planning to come to London and use a tube to see an exhibition in the near future need to keep an eye on the Transport for London website and updates re. the planned industrial action during this next week (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday). This is the OFFICIAL ADVICE FROM TFLMajor Art Galleries and Museums - London
- I was at the National Portrait Gallery on May Day morning for a spot of cake and a celebration. My post Van Dyck self portrait saved for the nation by most successful fundraising campaign ever lists those art galleries around the UK which will be loaned the portrait over the next three years.
- A new exhibition has opened at the National Gallery - Building the Picture: Architecture in Italian Renaissance Painting (30 April – 21 September 2014). I found this page - Building the Picture Online Publication - an interesting jumping off point for finding out more about buildings on paintings (eg How artists used architecture to design their compositions) and how to interpret some of Italian Renaissance paintings
Other galleries in the UK
- "David Hockney: The Arrival of Spring" (8 May–12 July 2014) opens this week at Annely Juda Fine Art - and I'm going to the preview on Tuesday (fingers crossed for a tube running that goes somewhere near the gallery!!) However the link in the exhibition title takes you to where you can now see the artwork created from iPad drawings which will be in the exhibition. However you need to go to the gallery to see the videos.
- The "From root to tip: Botanical art in Britain" exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge finishes 11 May https://www.facebook.com/fitzwilliammuseum
Major Art Galleries and Museums - USA
- "Audubon's Birds, Audubon's Words" finishes at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston on 11th May.
- John James Audubon: Life-Sized and Larger than Life is a totally fascinating (and highly recommended) 90 minute video/lecture about Audubon as an artist, a bird lover (and mass murderer of birds) and an embodiment of a conservation movement - by Ben Weiss, the curator of the exhibition and Chair, Prints, Drawings and Photographs. It will also interest those who want to know how portfolios of prints used to be produced - and those who like bird puns! I had no idea "double elephant" as a paper size was invented to describe the size of paper used to produce the 3 foot high volumes of The Birds of America.
As author and illustrator of The Birds of America, John James Audubon (1785–1851) traveled thousands of miles throughout the eastern United States and Canada to seek out and draw North American birds in their natural habitats. This monumental work by the naturalist and painter includes more than 700 species and features more than 400 hand-colored prints, often showing the birds at life size. Produced in England and issued in a limited edition between 1827 and 1838 (sold in installments by subscription), only about 120 complete copies exist today.
- The National Gallery of Art in Washington has two exhibitions of note
- Albrecht Dürer: Master Drawings, Watercolors, and Prints from the Albertina March 24–June 9, 2013
- Andrew Wyeth: Looking Out, Looking In May 4 – November 30, 2014 The exhibition is to celebrate a recent gift of Wyeth’s "Wind from the Sea" (1947)—one of the artist’s most important paintings—the National Gallery of Art. It's not therefore surprising that the exhibition focuses on Wyeth’s frequent use of the window as the subject of his art. It comprises some 60 watercolors, drawings, and tempera paintings completed after "Wind from the Sea". The curator suggests that this is Wyeth’s first fully realized exploration of the theme.
Major Art Galleries and Museums - Europe
- You have until 29th June to see some great masterpieces by Albrecht Dürer at the Albertina in Vienna. The big surprise for me - as revealed by this film - is how small they are!
Art Societies - UK
- The Annual Exhibition of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters (Facebook Page) opens on 8th May (PV on the 7th) at the Mall Galleries. Note that of their various events during the course of the exhibition:
- Portrait Drawing from Life with Saied Dai is sold out
- There's a growing lobby amongst portrait artists for the RP to copy the Portrait Society of America and to put all their events into one big weekend and do a proper "magnet" event that people will travel to and arrange to stay over in London for. That way it's a lot easier to justify the travel expenses and you get a better return for any hotel costs incurred.
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| Catalogue for the Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition 2014 |
- Botanical Garden - the Annual Exhibition 2014 of the Society of Botanical Artists opens next week at Central Hall Westminster on Friday 9th May. The digital invite at the top of this post gives you details of the venue and times and free entry any day of the exhibition. The Private View is on the 8th and I'm very much looking forward to meeting up with friends from all over the UK and Ireland. (Please can the TfL strike be resolved before the 8th!). Demonstrations include
- Friday, 9 May Simon Williams SBA Gouache
- Saturday, 10 May Roger Reynolds SBA Watercolour pencils
- Sunday, 11 May Amber Halsall SBA Acrylic inks/coloured pencils
- Monday, 12 May Billy Showell SBA Watercolour
- Tuesday, 13 May Gaynor Dickeson SBA Coloured pencils
- Wednesday, 14 May Margaret Eggleton SBA Watercolour/gouache
- Thursday, 15 May Jill Winch SBA Graphite/pen and wash
- Friday, 16 May Sue J Williams SBA Watercolour
- Saturday, 17 May Maureen Jordan SBA Pastels
- Sunday, 18 May Ann Swan SBA Coloured pencils
- The Annual Exhibition of the Hilliard Society (for miniature art) opens to the public at the Town Hall, Wells, Somerset on 24th May and continues until 1st June.
- Buyers Private View is on May 23rd 3pm - 6pm (Please contact the office if you would like an invitation).
- You will be able to see an online exhibition of the artwork in the show from Saturday 24th May. Artwork will be available for purchase via their website from June 3rd.
- The Annual Exhibition of the UK Coloured Pencil Society opened last week at the RBSA Gallery, 4 Brook Street, Birmingham, B3 1SA and continues until 10th May 2014. You can see a slideshow of the artwork in the exhibition online.
- Cardigan Art Society 2014 Summer Show is at Oriel Mwldan, Cardigan, Ceredigion Saturday 24 May - Saturday 21 June. It opens with a reception on Friday 23 May from 6.30 - 8pm. Interestingly the Society has two Facebook Pages - one for generally promoting the artwork, exhibitions and activities of the Society - which is public and a "closed" Facebook Group for Members Only. Sounds very sensible to me.
Art Societies - Ireland
- The Irish Society of Botanical Artists have an exhibition of Aibitir – The Irish Alphabet in Botanical Art at the Visitor Centre, National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland. It was opened by Dr Shirley Sherwood and curated and organised by Ireland’s finest living orchid artist Susan Sex.
Art Societies USA
- The American Society of Botanical Artists' Second New York Botanical Garden Triennial Exhibition is entitled Weird, Wild, and Wonderful and can be seen until September 21, 2014. Feedback from Dr Sherwood is that it's wonderful - she bought two paintings! You can see photos from the exhibition on their Facebook Page
- You can see the the images of the portraits by the 21 selected Finalists (from 1,698 works entered) in the 16th annual The Art of the Portrait International Portrait Competition run by the Portrait Society of America on their Facebook Page (link below). The one that won the William Draper Grand Prize: "A Father's Dreams and a Son's Love" is by Bryce Billings, Utah
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| Portrait Society of America - Facebook Page |
Art History
- You can now visit the house, 87 Hackford Road in Brixton, which Van Gogh stayed in, when he lived in London for a year. The house was recently sold and purchased by a Chinese violinist and Van Gogh fanatic, who wants to restore the building and turn it into a residency for visiting Chinese artists. Read more about Van Gogh in London in my website - About Vincent Van Gogh – Famous Painter
- You can download this brilliant book about the drawings of Vincent Van Gogh in pdf form as part of the Met's Publications. So many people came to see the exhibition it's associated with - at the Metropolitan Museum of Art - that it had a noticeable impact on the economy of New York!
Art Holidays / Workshops
- Anybody fancying a rather different sort of plein air painting should take a look at these pictures
Art Studios
Don't forget, there's a Making A Mark Award each year for the best new or most improved art studio!
- here's an update on the long-running saga of the botanical art studio shed - as the water goes in Water, Water Everywhere
Art Supplies
- Unison Colour - who produce the best soft pastels (according to the polls I run) have got themselves a brand new website! It's got some great pics of both pastels and Northumberland - home of Unison Pastels http://unisoncolour.com/
Techies
Last weekend I wrote a couple of posts which aroused a lot of interest. Hardly surprising given the way our Facebook feeds for the all the sites we liked seemed to disappear overnight!
- This week's changes on Facebook - and what to do next. This explains what happened to Facebook Feeds and how your behaviour now needs to change as a result!
- Interest Lists: How to make sure Facebook does not filter the content you want to read This post covers
- links to my Interest Lists which are now being shared on my Facebook Page
- two guides I wrote a while back about why Interest Lists are a good idea and how to create them
- links to Facebook Help re Interest Lists
and finally......
Jonathan Jones continues his "top 10 series" (or is that his "how to get lots of clicks on my blog" series?). He's now done the The top 10 artworks of the 20th century which include:
- 8 artworks from the first two decades and
- just one from the second half century!!!
Anyway, here's his list and you can read the reasons why he chose them in his article.
- Paul Cézanne – Mont Sainte-Victoire (1902)
- Pablo Picasso – Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907)
- Henri Matisse – The Dance (1909-1910)
- Georges Braque – Man With a Guitar (1911-1912)
- Umberto Boccioni – Unique Forms of Continuity in Space (1913)
- Kazimir Malevich – Black Square (1915)
- Réne Magritte – The Treachery of Images (1928-29)
- Marcel Duchamp – Fountain (1917)
- Hannah Höch – Cut With the Kitchen Knife Dada Through the Last Weimar Beer-Belly Cultural Epoch in Germany (1919-1920)
- Jackson Pollock – Lavender Mist (1950)
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