DRAWING COMPETITION, 24th May 2017

Where were you, fellow, FHAS artists? So few of you supported the annual drawing competition!
13 drawings were entered into the competition and Liz de Jager (née Vels) kindly officiated the evening.



We had fun despite the poor attendance.
The winner was the adorable kitten drawn by Fiona.
John Strickland came in second and third place.

Many thanks Rob McAlpine for your photos.

COLOURFUL ACRYLICS with Ronnie Biccard

This was an evening demonstration that we will remember!

Ronnie Biccard, a relative newcomer to Fish Hoek, brought along some of her bright and beautiful acrylic paintings to inspire and encourage FHAS artists to try this medium.

As a professional artist, Ronnie has taught art, had her paintings published in books, calendars and cards, and now works at her studio in Fish Hoek selling nationally and overseas. She painted for many years in oils but has now adopted acrylics as her medium of choice for its wide range of colours, ease of application and speed in drying.



Looking back, it is not often we have had an artist work at the Society in acrylics so this was very exciting,

In less than 20 minutes (and Dave Parry was timing her...) she produced an abstract landscape which was vibrant, colourful and very impressive. We were all mesmerized by the speed with which the painting emerged from its black background.

Ronnie was a great demonstrator, a warm and charming lady with a real enthusiasm - and talent - for what she does.

She did much to promote using acrylics and there were many in the audience who commented that they too would like to try the medium.

Thanks Rob for the pix.

On the move - sketching as you go by Barbara Moore

This was a great workshop and the enthusiasm that Barbara brought to Fish Hoek Art Society should encourage us all to take up a pencil, if not pen, and get on with sketching.

She pointed out that you don't have to be in a special place to do a sketch: just waiting for a friend in a café, bored by the boys watching rugby, stopping on the edge of the road, or even waiting for supper to warm: you use those five minutes to sketch. And Barbara does so very well!!



18 members and guests came along - those that didn't missed a treat.

As Barbara comments, sketching is a way to create a visual diary - a journal of her life, as she says, one sketch at a time. And slowly it becomes a habit, one that constantly improves your style and drawing.

Being part of a sketching group is a great incentive and many of these groups can be found online in Facebook, where their work is shared. And groups go out sketching together.

So what does Barbara suggest as tools for a sketching moment?

Firstly, a good sketch book. She favours one that opens up to give the option of a panorama. One that can take water too for cartridge paper is great for a single line drawing but if you use a brush with water, this paper isn't the most apt. She usually uses pens, and enjoys the colours that fountain pens can produce with old fashioned Quink ink. She also uses platinum carbon ink pens. See below:

https://www.gouletpens.com/platinum-refillable-carbon-fountain-desk-pen-medium/p/Plat-DP-800S-M

and the refill cartridges https://www.gouletpens.com/platinum-carbon-black-cartridges/p/Plat-SPC-200

The Lamy Safari fountain pen favoured by many sketchers worldwide, including Barbara, is available on line in South Africa:  These come with water soluble ink.

http://writegear.co.za/product/lamy-safari-fountain-pen-blue/

  

Barbara looked at why people sketch, and the varying styles and quirky ways that people choose to record their lives.

She showed simple line drawings with soluble ink and wetting the ink to create shading and then looked at hatching and cross hatching using permanent ink. 

Here are more of Barbara's own sketches from her travels - but remember: you don't have to travel to sketch!!!

THANK YOU BARBARA!

March newsletter

We were happy to see Clive Tyler visit us briefly at our workshop this past Tuesday. He looks well and coping with his difficult situation. We will continue to pray for Clive's and Lilian's wellbeing.

PAST EVENTS :

The previous coloured pencil workshop by Fiona was well attended and was enjoyed by all.

We had 12 people who enjoyed the paint out at The Range which is off Spaanschemacht Road. We gathered around the stone church to capture the beautiful surroundings. We also welcomed a visitor from STAG ... Simon’s Town Art Group. We are truly blessed, living in beautiful Cape Town.

Our AGM went off smoothly and the quiz proved to be a huge success. Karen Davel won First prize and Els Dorat, second prize.

Our Life Drawing Workshop this past Tuesday was an event sadly missed by many members, We had 8 or 9 folk enjoying their opportunity to draw  our model Thola who exuded confidence and beauty.

John gave us valuable advice on drawing with pencil. He takes drawing extremely seriously and certainly is passionate about us doing the right thing.

Thank you Fiona for arranging another successful and highly enjoyable Life Drawing Workshop,

And Thola, we look forward to seeing you again !

FORTHCOMING EVENTS :

Our Paint out to Rondevlei on Tuesday 21^st March was cancelled because it fell on Human Rights Day. But we will be visiting there shortly.

Wednesday 22^nd March : Yvonne Ankerman will be presenting her work and speak about her recent trip to the Antarctic. Please do not miss this one ! It promises to be extremely exciting and interesting ! Bring you friends and relatives: They will not be sorry,

Let us show Yvonne that we are a society which believes in the adventure of art.

Also please read our latest update of our Events Calendar and note the events you should all be participating in.

Any suggestions from you are always welcome. Your input is valuable to our Art Society.

The Drawing Competition is on 24^th May and we trust that you ALL are drawing away, Let’s have a record number of entries this year !

GENERAL :

Almost two years ago the South Peninsula Gallery opened in Kommetjie. If you have not paid them a visit, we urge you to do so.

A variety of artists have their work on display and it is in our interest to collaborate and participate in other art ventures such as this. Let’s broaden our vista and learn about displaying one’s work and gathering useful information we as artists require to survive in this competitive art form.

Don’t forget that Jacqui’s Framers supply acid free backing boards for artists who prefer that way of mounting their work.

The Write Shoppe at Longbeach Mall offer 10% discount on all purchased over R200.

Also note that Write Shoppe has a small branch in the Sun Valley mall.  They carry a limited stock but their branch at Steenberg has a comprehensive range of product, similar to Longbeach Mall. We will check to see if these branches will honour the 10% discount.

Rob discovered a workshop in Obsevatory called Made by Hand. They do framing and also offer old frames to be refurbished.

They are willing to offer art societies their services and so we shall be in touch with them to see what terms and discounts they would offer us. They appear to have a dedicated team who are proud of their product. We have the owner's contact details and further information will be passed on to you. 

We are finding that more and more folk are discovering the world of Google.

Because we have the tools available to us, we should be going online more and more to enlarge our borders and discover a wealth of art in our “office / home / smart phone.

We often ask questions about certain topics and forget that the answer lies in our bag / pocket / laptop / desktop. The answer is a click away. We hardly need a newspaper any more.

Framers:       Jacqui’s Framery, Main Rd, FH, tel: 021 782 7324

                       John Steer, Silverglades, tel: 0832631798

                        Frame 4 U, Marlene, tel: 082749652

Art Supplies: The Write Shoppe, Long Beach Mall, tel: 021 785 7614

                       The Deckle Edge, www.deckleedge.co.za, Constantia Village,

                        tel: 021 794 8995 or Brickfield Road, Salt River, tel: 021 180 4442

                        The Italian Artshop: www.italianartshop.co.za  tel: 021 685 1877

                        Riverside Mall, Rondebosch

Printing:        Art Assist, specialized printing, artassist@cybersmart.co.za

                       tel: 082 257 4896

                       Lam it All, repro printing cards etc lamitall@vodamail.co.za.

                       Recreation Rd, FH, tel: 021 782 7397

FISH HOEK ART SOCIETY – 2017 EVENTS CALENDAR 

	Workshops 2nd Tuesday 2 pm	Paint outs 3rd Tues 9.30 am	DEMOS 4th Wednesday 7 pm
MARCH	14 LIFE DRAWING FIONA	21 RONDEVLEI Cancelled due to public holiday	22 SHIP TRAVELS AN ARTIST’S VIEW YVONNE ANKERMAN
APRIL	11 PowerPoint presentation and sketching workshop BARBARA MOORE 081 271 3238	18 RONDEVLEI	26 DEMO RONNIE BICCARD 081 271 3238
MAY	9 Tips on handling perspectives JOHN S *	16 NOVA CONSTANTIA OR OHIO FARM tbc	24 DRAWING COMPETITION NO THEME
JUNE	13 CLAY WORKSHOP JOHN S***	20 ALEX 12 Dabchick Quay Eastlake Island Marina da Gama 021 788-2244	28 DVD
JULY	11 Painting negative spaces INGE SEMPLE	18 ANN 1 Fynbos Rise off  Pass Road Fish Hoek 021 782-6297	26
AUG	8 USEFUL COLOUR MIXES	15	23 HUGH MURDOCH TROPHY THEMED
SEPT	12	19	27
OCT	10	17	25 Demo INGE SEMPLE
NOV	14	21	22 ALMA BYNG COMPETITION

* FOR THE PERSPECTIVE WORKSHOP PLEASE BRING SOME KIND OF BOARD, DRAWING PINS, STRING AND SHIRRING ELASTIC IF YOU HAVE

*** FOR THE CLAY WORKSHOP - CLAY WILL BE PROVIDED AT A MINIMAL CHARGE. BRING NEWSPAPER, A BOARD TO WORK ON, SCULPTING TOOLS OR SIMILAR

2017 AGM Wednesday 22nd February

In the absence of our chairman, Clive Tyler, vice chairperson, Alex Johnson, stepped in and did an excellent job of handling the 2017 AGM. Reluctantly Clive will step down as chairman as he is currently in Johannesburg with his wife who sadly requires frail care after a stroke last year.

Enough members attended - 21 present and various proxies received - to pass the usual motions and mention was made of needing to amend the constitution as the current work was penned at a time when the FHAS had many, many more members. This will be on the agenda later in the year and with the new committee - essentially the same as the old one with two new members, Cynthia and Maureen. And very welcome they will be.

Sue Green gave the financial report - not a very healthy one, unfortunately - and secretary Ann took notes. We need more artists, more members!!!

THE MORE MEMBERS WE HAVE THE MORE EXCITING OUR EVENTS WILL BE ABLE TO COME.

The AGM notes will be circulated later for all members of the Society.

 

After the business was terminated, there was time for a glass of something (wine or juice) and some nibbles which Ann had so kindly brought.

Next it was the art history quiz devised to stretch the mind. Most people correctly answered over half the questions and the winning couple were Karen and Els. The prize gifts comprised automated pencil sharpeners and more. Much appreciated by the artists!

To round off the evening, John S gave us a hilarious impression of Donald Trump. We were a little lost as to the relevance of this to the AGM but it was a very amusing ending to a pleasant evening.

Thanks Rob for recording the event.

Paint out at the Range, Tokai

It's as pretty as a picture and a great venue. Thank you John, or was it Clive, for introducing us to this little church. Behind it, there is the Range with a small place to eat. Around the church, and by the Cape Dutch homestead, there are magnificent old eucalyptus and other imposing trees.



And while the dozen or so artists turned up on time and had a good morning sketching, one of the best aspects of Tuesday's paint out was that we left the hurricane strength (ok, a bit of an exaggeration) wind back on the coast and enjoyed just mild zephyrs and cool shade here in Tokai. Does it get better?

Hard at it, John and Angela hardly paid heed to the barking dog intend on sending off a rather large male baboon that was not welcome with our group. He left, and we continued peacefully.

We were particularly taken by the blue of the sky and the very verdant foliage: a surprise as most ofthe peninsula is crying out for rain and water.

We were all absorbed and hardly noticed Rob, artist and photographer, wending his way around the area and capturing the concentration.

Let's do it again and hope the weather is as favourable.

Coloured pencil workshop

Eighteen members of the Society turned up for the coloured pencil workshop run by Fiona Nichols.

This was coloured pencil, as in wax and oil based coloured pencils, not those that are water-soluble or called aquarelle. Faber-Castell's Polychromos, Lyra Rembrandt's coloured pencil range, and the American Prismacolor were all used.

Those water-soluble pencils that are also popular here will have to wait for another workshop for they too require a different technique and different papers.

We were allocated the Blue Room at Nerina this time and took the airy patio room beside it. Unfortunately there weren't any decent tables so the workshop was done on our knees!

Fiona demonstrated some usual techniques with this particular medium, brought out a few of her works and then also showed how a different surface also changed the nature of a coloured pencil - on a sanded surface, it becomes something like pastel.

There were some apples and coloured peppers to drawn, and two orchids - though they were not all very visible to the whole group! Aah well...

It proved an informative and enjoyable afternoon despite the slight inconvenience.

Thanks Alex for taking the photos.