Mrs Jones Spring Open Exhibition
I am delighted to be exhibiting 'Winter Sunshine' in the Mrs Jones Spring Open Exhibition in Shrewsbury from Saturday April 6 - May 4 2024.
118 Longden Coleham, Shrewsbury, SY37DU
hello@mrsjonesgallery.co.uk
@mrsjones_artshopandgallery
I have been visiting north Pembrokeshire regularly since 1987 and never tire of the area, particularly the coast. I love the craggy cliffs, swooping and diving birds, wildflowers, the coconut perfume of the gorse and the changing light.
I spent a few days there last week and did some sketching in between the showers.
Drawing on the RBSA collection - Dry media 1822-2022
FEBRUARY 29 - APRIL 7 Royal Birmingham Society of Artists' Gallery, 4 Brook Street, Birmingham, B3 1SA
https://rbsa.org.uk/event/drawing-on-the-rbsa-collection/
I have a pastel painting entitled 'Winter at the Chase' (Cannock Chase) in this exhibition. In 2022 I exhibited 6 pastels of landscapes for the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists' Members to consider and vote on. I was successful, and donated one of my six artworks to the RBSA permanent collection. https://rbsa.org.uk/about-us/collection/ This artwork is currently exhibited as part of this exhibition.
‘Drawing with dry media is as old as mankind. Ochre and charcoal dust were blown through straws onto cave walls by the first artists. In more recent times, the dry media of pencil, pastel, and charcoal were favoured by travelling artists as ideal for drawing with minimum of fuss on site in sketchbooks or portfolios. Drawing was the means through which European artists recorded, prepared, studied, and imagined, and it was often a prelude to painting or engraving. Dry media were also central to art training and versatile both en plein air and in the studio.’
Artists in Conversation: Saturday 23 March 2.00 – 3.00pm Join me in conversation with Brendan Flynn, Professor of Art History, when we talk about ‘Winter at the Chase’.
As part of the first heritage exhibition of 2024, join Brendan Flynn, RBSA Professor of Art History, for an in conversation event with four of the artists whose work is included in Drawing on the RBSA Collection – Dry Media Works 1822 – 2022.
We will be joined by:
Paul Bartlett RBSA – Not Very Well, 1994
Linda Nevill RBSA – Winter at the Chase, c.2022
Janette Summerfield RBSA – Vitalism 2, c.2015
David Walton RBSA – Hippopotamus Amphibius, c.2005
Brendan will give an introduction to the exhibition before inviting the artists to discuss their work and approach to dry media. Questions from visitors will then be welcome.
There is no need to book for this event.
I arrived at 7am to check in and have my canvas stamped. There was a buzz of excitement. I struggled to carry everything that I might need, but some people had a huge cart of materials and equipment. After registration the cameras were put in place and we were filmed as we processed to the designated Wild Card area on a cobbled area near a huge anchor. In one direction we faced the Tate Gallery and in the opposite direction we could see layers of buildings, old and new.
We were based at the docks on a very hot day! Painting in the heat was challenging and I was very happy to have a parasol. In retrospect I wish I had used oil paints. I used Open Acrylics which dried more slowly than classic acrylics but oil paint would have given more time to work.
I made a quick start to sketch a possible composition but soon decided that it wasn’t what I wanted and chose to paint the old Great Western railway building with slices of modern architecture behind it. I had just started painting when Tai Shan Schierenberg came round and stood looking at my artwork. Much to my surprise, I froze and couldn’t paint any more until he had moved on. What an opportunity missed! I would have loved to have spoken to him.
I did managed a conversation with Stephen Mangan, the presenter of the programme. He was very charming and humorous and I felt quite relaxed.
As the morning progressed, so did the heat - it was about 30C. I was very lucky that my husband was there bringing me cold drinks and minding my things while I went into the Museum of Liverpool briefly. I am usually quite a slow painter compared to other plein air painting friends but on this occasion I finished in three hours, quicker than the allotted 4. I am used to working outdoors and the public and cameras milling about didn’t upset my concentration unduly. It was fascinating to see how others tackled the view, the heat and the changing light. If you work outdoors regularly then the weather and the variations in light are not a surprise - you just have to make a decision as to what moment and atmosphere you are capturing and stick to it. I am more used to colder and wetter weather when painting outdoors in the UK but it’s good to be prepared for anything. I don’t think I could have lasted 3 hours without a parasol.
It was interesting to listen to the judges discussing the work of the artists in the pod. Of course they say a great deal more than you see on TV as it is edited. The pod artists had a very difficult view, I think . They were looking through a gap between modern buildings towards more distant Victorian architecture and it was interesting to see how they tackled it.
When I emerged from under my parasol Kathleen Soriano came by and made positive comments about my artwork which was sitting proudly on my easel. My husband brought me a celebratory ice cream.
The programme was broadcast on Sky Arts on 17 January and I appear briefly in a few shots.
I am exhibiting 3 landscape paintings in this exhibition.
I've been having a lot of fun working with oil paint mixed with some cold wax medium. This gives it texture and it is possible to work with transparent layers to create depth. I've also embedded slate dust and raw pigment into some of the paintings, including of the Honister Pass in the Lake District.
This painting conveys the atmosphere of a beautiful, Autumn day in the Lake District. The sky is grey, it has been raining and the colour of the mountains is muted. Then, a moment of excitement as the sun breaks through illuminating the more distant fell. There is a sublime splash of colour. The burnt sienna of the bracken and the light slope next to it are revealed.
The exhibition is on from 16 November to 6 January 2024, 4 Brook Street, St Paul's Square, B3 1SA
Iceland is a cool place, in all senses of the word. It has a stark and, at times, unbelievable landscape. I am still processing what I saw and felt about it. I love seeing bare rock and there was a great deal of black, volcanic rock visible. Some of the cloud was like thick, dense, white stripes of shaving foam floating low across the volcanoes.
I've never seen so many eider ducks and arctic terns and there were quite a few puffins too at Heimaey.
My one souvenir was a woolley hat.
I am thrilled to have two drawings selected for this exhibition.
'The RBSA is proud to present the first ever RBSA Drawing Prize. This show exhibits great draughtsmanship and celebrates all forms of drawing. Drawing has been practised by humans since the Stone Age and has developed as a form of visual communication and artistic expression ever since. Drawing continues to be the backbone of artistic practice, whether it is used for preliminary ideas and plans, or to achieve a finished piece.
Featuring 128 works from 96 artists, RBSA Drawing Prize exhibition showcases the best of contemporary drawing with the inclusion of both established and emerging artists. A wide range of styles, techniques, and practices are on display, including traditional mark making, digital drawing, performance drawing, sculptural drawing, and more.'
This year’s exhibition was selected by:
Barbara Walker MBE RA – Turner Prize Nominee 2023
Kate Mason – Cultural leader and changemaker – across arts, heritage, cultural and creative sectors
Steve Bulcock – Deputy Head of Institute of Creative Arts at Birmingham City University
