So what did you find in your surroundings?

We were delighted to see the stalwarts of FHAS come up with some inspired work - but sad so many of you other members didn't forward your efforts.

John didn't look too far at all as we all know his adorable dog is always around.

Himself? This is an unusual title and such title often refers to an artist's own self portrait.
We are not quite sure whether 'Himself ' in this case is actually a self portrait  - or not - the nose does seem a little to large from what we remember! Just joking, John. Love the earring!

Other willing subjects in the Strickland household were also captured.  Love the back views and the pink ears. Excellent.

Don't you FHAS artists have cats, dogs, mice, birds?

Ann Zwets ventured outside after the rain and came back in to capture the drops on a leaf in graphite. She's obviously practicing for the next drawing competition! Rain drops are a fascinating subject and, if you fancy trying the effect, get a spray bottle and fill it with water and spray over a leaf until you have a good image to copy. Take a snap and work from life and the photograph.


Great stuff Ann!

Ann shows you that you don't have to go far for inspiration. 

Fiona got into seed heads and particularly these curly ones with edible white fluffy balls. Amazing shapes! And despite the suggestion for different colours, the colours are real. See example in middle.

Next week's theme is going to be shapes around you.

That means taking a bit of something - not the whole - and finding the shapes so that they, not the objects, become the subject matter.

I'll drop in a couple of photos in the next post to give you an idea of the subject matter.

Keep soaping, keep safe!

Dark, light? Lighter, darker?

Thank you FHAS artists for responding to the first weeks autistic challenge. artistic challenge.
If you don't fancy doing your nature work in a different color that is okay too.
The idea is to keep us active and have some fun.
I guess you all have access to a smartphone these days so I shall give some tips in the next weeks about using your smartphone to help you with drawing and painting. As we are stuck more or less indoors this is a valuable tool to use.
Of course you can also use a camera for the some of the same things but I'll go into that later.
Sharpen those pencils, wet those watercolours and let's get going friends. 

So you're stuck at home, huh!

How about a weekly challenge?

Simple stuff just to keep your pencils sharp and the mind ticking over.

We're proposing a subject each week that you can do in ANY MEDIUM you wish.

It can take you 15 minutes or 15 hours, we don't mind.
But we'd like to see what you do each week.

WEEK ONE
The proposal is to start with something easy. Have you got a garden or can you see something out of a window that is plant or tree?

If you have access to a garden, grab a twig, a leaf, a stalk, a flower ... whatever and take it back inside to capture on paper.

Now, here's the catch. Don't be tempted to draw or paint your tree/branch/flower in its realistic colours. How about a blue rose, a red tree, a green strawberry... You see what I mean.

If you follow this line of thought, you'll have to think in tone and not colour. That makes it a bit more tricky but with wild colour, it becomes fun.



Nothing wrong with this purple portrait...It gets the cute message across.

So don't be bothered by traditional colours. And why stick to just one colour? Splash out.

Click on the actual Fish Hoek Art Society blogpage to show you'd like to take part and we'll see how many of you are game to rise to the challenge.

When you have done your work, take a snap on your cellphone and send it to the web mistress at the email address at the top of the blogspot page. We'll include these in the following week's challenge.

Over to you, artist friends.

The Alma Byng evening in retrospect

We're doing something right, even if we're a small group! 

30 members and friends attended the evening and much enjoyed the exhibit, the snacks and drinks afterwards.

Our guest judge this year, Audrey Innes (SASA's current president) was very flattering about the standard of work from such a small society.

In total there were 63 entries (compared with 80 last year) but the quality was - according to Mrs Innes - very high. 

For once, a fabulous pastel won. Let's do more pastels and WELL DONE Sue Green, FHAS's bookkeeping and keen pastelist. She was thrilled and indeed she should be for her lovely study of a yellow leucadendron was impressive. 

Landscapes                 Dave Parry                  

Townscapes                Cynthia Fletcher

People, portraits          Karen Davel

Seascapes                  Robyn Cowie               

Interiors                       no entries

Still Life                       Karen Davel

Flowers                       Sue Green

Animals                       Karen Davel

Abstract                      Frances Johnson

Mini pix                       Denise Capel

ALMA BYNG

TROPHY                      SUE GREEN

Many thanks Maureen Copley for the photos.

Spread the word: FHAS has a high standard and we'd love more people to come and join in the artistic fun.

Happy Festive Season and see you all again next year!

Making Christmas cards - a fun workshop

Jenny Strickland hosted the afternoon Christmas card workshop this year and the results were wonderful!

Paint out in Kalk Bay

FHAS convened this week for its paint out at Lever Park, Kalk Bay.
Once again the weather was extremely pleasant and this poplar small park is popular was full of interest for us. Buildings, people, dogs and flowers gave us a variety of subjects. And although there was some live entertainment with a young man singing and playing his guitar we as a group of eight artists also generated our fair share of interest!

Maureen, thanks again for recording the outing and sharing your photos.

Upcoming workshop and the ALMA BING is nearing

Workshop on Tuesday afternoon the 12^th at 2 pm 

A fun afternoon run by Jenny Strickland on how to make pretty and effective Christmas cards using your imagination and skills.

There will be some packs of small pieces of different kinds of paper etc available at R12 a packet

Please bring with you:

SCISSORS

RULER

GLUE – PRITT OR WHITE CRAFT GLUE

WATER BRUSH OR PAINT BRUSHES

WATER CONTAINER

AQUARELLE PENCILS OR PAINTS

This is the last workshop of the year so we hope that as many of you as possible will be able to attend.

Paint-out on Tuesday Morning the 19^th at 10 am 

Kalk Bay Park which is behind the orange building in Kalk Bay.  Park anywhere you can and meet at the Park at 10 am or, if needing a lift, meet John S at the Fish Hoek Civic Parking at 9.30 am

THE ALMA BYNG COMPETITION AND END OF YEAR PARTY 

Wed 27^th at 7.15 pm

PLEASE BRING YOUR WORK/S TO THE HALL BETWEEN 5 AND 5.45 PM NO ENTRIES RECEIVED LATER THAN THIS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THAT TIME

COVER THE NAME ON YOUR WORK/S

BRING EASELS FOR YOUR WORK/S

OIL PAINTINGS ON BOARD OR CANVAS NEED NOT BE FRAMED 

WATERCOLOURS MUST BE MOUNTED PROPERLY BUT NEED NOT BE FRAMED

PLEASE BRING A SMALL PLATE OF SNACKS – WINE & FRUIT JUICE WILL BE SUPPLIED 

THESE ARE THE CATEGORIES. 

You may enter up to 2 works in each category and no more than 6 works overall.

A Landscape 

B Townscape or buildings 

C People portraits life studies and groups 

D Seascapes, boats and harbours

E Interiors

F Still life

G flowers and botanical studies

H Animal life, Wild Life

I Abstract and experimental

J Mini pix – see below

Subject – your choice, painted in any medium

Paint area – 62 x 87 mm (playing card size)

Mounted on a coloured card with a 5 mm white border all around  

The Rules of the Alma Byng Trophy Competition

1 The annual trophy with its cash prize is awarded to the artist deemed by the judges to have produced the best individual art work on show.

2 The Trophy may not be given to the same artist for a second or third consecutive year. 

3 Previous winners may enter paintings in categories other than the one in which they won their prize.

4 It is customary for the Committee to award certificates to the exhibitor of the work deemed to be the best in each category other than the category from which the trophy winner was chosen. 

5 The painting may be entered in any category of the member’s choice.  This is made known to the hanging committee on entry

6 The name of the artist must be suitably obscured.  It may be displayed after the awards have been made.

7 All artwork is to be submitted to the hanging committee members between 5 and 5.45 p.m. 

8 Viewing of the exhibits by the members commences at 7. 15 pm.

Please support your Society by participating in the competition and enjoying some end of year fellowship.  We hope that the newer members will submit some work.