News from Roseangle
The Newsletter of the Dundee Art Society. No.28 August 2008
President: John Berridge. Secretary: Liz Kay
Tel 01382 668572 /Tel 01821 642648
Email :john@berridge.net / lawside@freeuk.com
Subscriptions are now due!
Payment should be made to Derrick Moore Membership Secretary 12 Minto Place Dundee DD2 1BR. Tel:665975 Email eri.skay@hotmail.com
Jonathan Burns, who served us faithfully for three years as Membership Secretary, has had to resign due to the pressure of his work. Thanks, Jonathan, for all you did, and welcome to his replacement – none other than Derrick Moore, who was Membership Secretary from 1066 until he persuaded Jonathan to take over. However, he missed us all so much he has volunteered to resume his post when Jonathan was unable to continue. That should make for an easy transition – some members had never got used to the fact that it wasn’t Derrick any more, so now they can rest easy. Subscriptions are unchanged at £20 individual, £30 Family and £10 for a matriculated student – will the two members who think it is still £15 please note!
PLEASE pay promptly – it saves the Membership Secretary an endless round of letters and ‘phone calls chasing people up.
From the President
You will notice a rather worrying trend on the Membership Card this year – the number of vacant posts. The Vice-Presidency has been vacant for most of the time I have been President, but now we are also going to have vacancies for the Exhibitions Convener and Visits Officer – Val Beveridge has had a lot of extra responsibility at work and has had to withdraw from the post for the time being.. As from the 2009 AGM the Presidency will also be vacant if we cannot find a replacement. I have been trying for years to get somebody to take over, but nobody would do it, so I have decided to force the issue by making this my last year; I shall definitely not stand again for 2009-2010. Meanwhile we are trying hard, in particular, to find somebody to follow in John Davie’s footsteps as Exhibitions Convener. I suspect the fact that he has done the job so well is adding to the difficulty, but this remains a critical post to fill, especially since John only agreed to continue for this exhibition on condition that we found someone to shadow him, so if anybody feels like getting valuable experience arranging exhibitions, please tell me! Notice I do not say “as a replacement for John”; he is probably irreplaceable, but then records are meant to be broken, so we hope for another Exhibitions Convener who will make his or her own reputation for excellence.
The Summer Keyhole Kate exhibition was a disaster, because people were convinced the Perth Road was closed and they couldn’t get to anything on or off the Perth Road. However, we still made some money for Keyhole Kate’s Ninewells Hospital funds and for ourselves, and we are unlikely to experience the same situation again. The other successful aspect of the exhibition was the second Schools Competition for the Roseangle Trophy, won this time by Scott McAlpine (Craigie High School) with Mark Gourlay (Lawside) and Catriona McNeish as Highly Commended. The Roseangle Trophy is now a regular and valuable annual fixture, which we hope will, amongst other things , encourage young people to maintain an interest in the Society. The best bit of news is that Keyhole Kate, alias Dr.Jackie Wood, is responding positively to her treatment for cancer; needless to say it has not stopped her, in her other alias as Desperate Dan, continuing her fund-raising for cancer research in Dundee. She has now raised around £18 million.
Our experience during the first year in which I have been sending out general posting to all the members with email has been encouraging. It is particularly valuable for urgent notices – of changes or cancellations, for example – and together with the Breaking News page on the Website has helped to improve communications with members. I cannot replicate every email by post to those without internet access, but of course everything that would have been a main mailing will continue to be sent by post when necessary. This Newsletter is intended to be the last mass mailing; all being well the next will be by a combination of email and post.
Another innovation this year is that we are printing the Programme and Workshop Programme on separate sheets, following up a very sensible suggestion that members like to have a reference sheet displayed up on the wall or kept easily available. We hope this meets with your approval. The Notes on Speakers and Tutors will still be in the Newsletter if you wish to refer to them.
Notes on the Programme and Speakers
September 05. We start with one of our most popular speakers, and one of the best known,. Joe McIntyre has a growing international reputation as a painter, notably for his “Summer in the City” studies.
October 03 Dr.John Morrison, Senior Lecturer in Art History at the University of Aberdeen and a specialist in Scottish painting from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries, is the son of our Honorary President Dr.James Morrison.. His latest book, ”Painting the Nation.“, has been nominated for an important prize for works on Art History. He says his illustrated talk is much more interesting than it sounds!
October 17 Liz Yule will need no introduction to most members. For new members, she is an outstanding local watercolourist with a growing reputation, perhaps most widely known as the outright winner of the TV programme Watercolour Challenge.
October 31. Gill Low is an established professional artist from Fife. She paints all sort of subjects, but her particular love is for pet portraits, which will be the subject of her demonstration tonight.
November 14 Victoria Scrivener-Anderson is an established professional botanical artist and interior designer. Victoria paints in acrylics from her studio in Fife, working on a large scale for her botanical paintings, the subject of her demonstration tonight.
December 12 Shauna McHugh, an External Examiner in Art and an Artist herself, presents an illustrated talk on the up and coming talent from School to College and beyond. Shauna was to have been with us earlier this year, but was ill, so it is good to have her now.
January 09. Rikki O’Neill. Rikki paints using a computer – not using it as an aid in painting, but it as medium and materials. Rikki has taken photographic art into the digital age, and tonight he tells us how..
January 23 Martin Ridely is one of the leading wildlife painters in the UK, producing absolutely stunning paintings of wildlife in the landscape. He often camps out to be there with the wildlife at the crack of dawn – have a look at his fascinating website on www.martiinridley.com.
February 06 Douglas Matthews Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow University. Jordanhill all led to a long careen in interior design and teaching – and, always, painting. Douglas has a distinguished record of exhibitions behind him, and is a little unusual in that he makes particular use of gesso. Tonight he tells us why – and how.
February 20 Casey Campbell Each year we try to get one of our recent graduates from Duncan of Jordanston to tell us of their post-graduate experiences. This is a little bit different; Casey was the driving force behind the 4th Year’s attempt to raise money for a catalogue – ours was the only Art School in Scotland without one. Casey tells us the story of the catalogue and her subsequent tour of Europe.
March 06 Dorothy Alexander. Dorothy’s very useful and helpful crit evening, now by popular demand an annual event, is always arranged to be in good time to help members before handing in to one of the exhibitions. Bring a painting in, listen to her crit, make any necessary changes – and sell it.
April 03 Harry McGregor. A well-known, established local artist and one of our members. Harry’s demonstrations are always popular. Tonight he is going to show us how to use line and wash.
April 17 Gejui Zhang. Known throughout her four years at Duncan of Jordanstone as Jill Zhang because that was the nearest they could manage to Gejui when she matriculated, here she is under her real name to tell us of the scholarship she won to Florence. She has been a member of the Society throughout, and stepped in to act as Secretary when Elspeth Collier resigned., and still manged to produce her beautiful paintings.
May 01 Allan Perera. Allan is best known in the Society as the tutor for our series of oil workshops, but some of the longer-term members may remember his tour de force as a Friday evening demonstrator – in watercolours. Here he is again, by request, and not to be missed.
May 15 Lorna Radbourne . From a family with a artistic tradition, Lorna has carved out a niche for herself in stained glass. That always brings to mind church windows, but Lorna produces beautiful jewellery, lamps and other artwork. She does not use stencils or patterns, so each item is unique, usually starting with her own sketches.Her illustrated presentation shows us how she built her career and how she works.
Description of the Workshops
Most members of the Society will be aware of the structure and operation of the workshops, so the following notes are aimed mainly at new members. For the same reason I have included notes on the tutors.
All workshops are from 10.30 until 4.30, in the Gallery and cost £10, so you will need to bring a packed lunch. All except Fiona Haldane’s pastel workshops are on a Saturday; Fiona’s are on Fridays because until this year she worked on Saturdays, and though she has now given up the day job and is a full time artist her devotees had got used to Fridays and it seemed better to keep it like that. In any case we are running short of Saturdays – in an exhibition month, for instance, two Saturdays are taken by the Exhibition plus another for the handing in day. Bookings for the workshops should be directed to Joy Scott, (01828 633811) who will be continuing to handle the administration of workshops. If you book for a workshop and then cancel, you will be responsible for the £10 fee unless a replacement can be found.
Normally the tutor will give some instruction on the medium, and perhaps do a short demonstration, before setting you to work and coming round from one to another to give help and advice. All workshops have participants of mixed ability, unless otherwise specified – my beginners workshop, for example. At all workshops, bring something to paint, preferably something for which you have the copyright. If you are completely stumped here, the tutors will give you something to start you off. Photographs are allowed except for Dr.Morrison’s Masterclass.
WORKSHOP TUTORS
Fiona Haldane, the Programme Convener of the Society, is a distinguished local pastellist whose work may be seen in the Eduardo Alessandro studios in Broughty Ferry. Many competent pastellists in the Society – and outside, for that matter, began their careers in her classes or workshops - so although her workshops for the Society have a good regular following you need not hesitate to join if you are a beginner. Fiona will spend extra time with you to introduce you to the medium. The number of pastellists exhibiting in Society exhibitions has increased dramatically since our workshops started, and no doubt will continue to do so.
Allan Perera’s Oil Workshops are also developing a regular and enthusiastic following, but every year members who are new to oil painting join the workshops and are delighted with their results. Most people are using traditional oils, some use water-soluble oils and one or two paint in acrylics. If you are new to oils, get a minimum of materials to start with (ring Allan on 01764 6632175 or me on 668572 if you need advice), and Allan will give you more guidance at the first workshop. He is an established artist who works in oil and waterecolour and his work can be seen on his website www.pereraliyanage.co.uk
John Berridge – that’s me! – takes the Beginners’ Workshop, which was started around three years ago so that non-painters - or despairing painters or befuddled painters or those who have been to painting classes where everybody else seems to know the terminology etc and now wish that they could do a basic course on materials and techniques - could get a good grounding in the basics – materials, colour theory and techniques. It’s usually a small workshop, but since I don’t take a fee there are hardly any costs to cover, and we can do it for just a few if necessary. It has worked alright, as each year people go on to join one of the classes., and some of the first students are now exhibiting.
.Nikki Martin did a very popular and well-received demonstration on Friday evening in Jan 2008 of her beautiful work in charcoal, and this workshop is the result of a number of requests made that night. Participants should bring charcoal and an A3 or A4 sketchpad, and something to paint – one of your own photographs, for example, but in black and white, not colour. Get it photocopied at A4 size if you have nothing in black and white – it’s easier to work from an A4 master anyway.
Douglas Roulston was another popular demonstrator in the 2007-2008 programme. He paints in oils, but has agreed to fill a gap in our workshop curriculum by offering a workshop in acrylics, with room for follow-ups if there is sufficient demand.
There was a suggestion that we might hold a workshop on silk painting, and as usual we will be happy to do so if there is sufficient demand. Please ‘phone me or Joy Scott if your are interested.
Bookings & Enquiries
Booking enquiries should go to Joy Scott (01828 633811). As usual, if you book , and subsequently cancel, you will be responsible for the fee unless a replacement can be found, and as usual we are happy to try to arrange workshops on suggested topics as long as there is sufficient demand – usually around eight definite bookings will be enough.
For Fiona’s pastel workshops – John Berridge 668572 or Fiona herself on 778577
For all other workshops and the Masterclass - Joy Scott 01828 633811 or John Berridge 668572.
All workshops run from 10.30 to 16.30 and cost £10, except for Dr Morrison’s Masterclass, which costs £20. There will only be ten places for the Masterclass, first come first served. Students in the Masterclass should bring a sketch or coloured study done in situ to work from, and their painting materials. Dr. Morrison works in oils, but he will not insist that students who normally paint in watercolours or acrylics must use oils. Use of a sketch or coloured study done outside as a basis for work in the Masterclass, however, is de rigeur.
Life Group
Many members may not know that we also have a regular life group meeting, with a live model, on three Monday evenings every month. This is a very successful and enthusiastic group, and deserves to be better known. If you are interested, contact outr Caretaker, Allison Hall, who runs the group, on 322429.
John Berridge, Editor