September, 2012

President’s Report

Thoughts about Life Drawing

We called our 29th Life Drawing Exhibition Body and Soul.  Our philosopher friends say the soul is close to the personality.  We all have original personalities and if we demand originality in Art we love new personalities in ourselves, and others.  In Christian terms it is a call to make al things new.

But this new personality, the drawing, in life drawing is not a novel one.  Each woman wants their child to be a new personality but not a novel one with three arms.  So life drawing keeps us on track in this way.  If we want a Kali with many arms we must leave drawing from life and paint a more psychic world with its particular reality.  Picasso did not do much life drawing, Matisse did.  Matisse was asked once why he drew models that if you met them in the street (the drawings of the models) you would run a mile.  He said I draw from a model to leave her, if I did not have a model I would not be able to leave her: in other words, to form a new personality from the model.  Art is usually learnt from Art, so we learn from the masters.

To empathise from the model we usually need to free ones hand and to love originality we need to bypass the controlling and planning mind to celebrate an aspect of what is.  Come to our Life Drawing group and be surprised.  Different drawers will give you help if you asked, before and after class.  We need to keep our centre at the centre.

Richard

Blurb

The Life Drawing Group held its 2012 Annual Body and Soul Exhibition at Glenbrook Theatre, with the Official Opening on Friday 31st August and over the following weekend, the 1st and 2nd of September.

Wow! Was the comment from one visitor and this sentiment was repeated by many over the weekend. Ten artists exhibited their works which included drawings, paintings and individual portfolios. The variety of expression in the drawings and paintings added to the visual smorgasbord.  You not only enjoyed the art for its own sake but were also able to learn something about the artists’ motivation.  Strong and/or subtle lines, colour and/or monotone, composition etc., all told a story. 

Red wine and tasty nibbles plus wonderful company made the opening a warming experience.  Thank you to Richard especially for his work in ensuring that the exhibition was manned throughout and for those who helped with setting up and taking down the display. 

Overall, the success of the exhibition was in enjoying the diversity in art on display and in bringing together like minded people. The Life Drawing Annual Exhibition was a positive experience for all and a wonderful way to promote the BMCAC as a central point for creative people in the Lower Blue Mountains. The artists’ enthusiasm for creativity is the real measure of success. 

Liz

Class Co-ordinator’s Report

The new timetable for term 4 is out.  Enrolment day is on Saturday 13th October form 10 till 2pm.  Anyone intending on returning next term is asked to please re-enrol early to ensure that classes run. 

Joanna Jensen is offering a class in children’s art on Tuesday afternoons, and Torben will be offering woodcarving on Monday nights.  Welcome back Joanna and Torben, hopefully we get the numbers for your classes to run. Also new this term will be a photography class on offer on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 9:30.  Check the website for details. In line with the committee decision, the children’s classes will be $120 per term – a small rise, but necessary to cover increasing costs.

Ingrid

Workshop Report

Peter Gonzalez will hold a watercolour painting workshop at the centre on Saturday 13th of October. Peter has extensive experience using watercolour throughout his career.  Watercolour gives a transparency that is not achieved with other mediums and this is an excellent opportunity to learn the basics of using this technique. The workshop will include an introduction to using this medium and demonstrations with each participant creating their own artwork by the end of the day. A few art materials are needed to get started including paper, brushes, paint, an art board and cotton rags. The workshop will run from 10am-4pm with a lunch break throughout the day, costing $80 per person. Please contact me with any queries and to book your place.

Lauren

Life Drawing Group Report

It was such a delight for me at our hanging last Friday.  All exhibitors were there helping one another to do their best for the benefit of all.  I’d like to especially mention Richard who was in charge of the hall key and virtually manned the exhibition most of the time with help from some others.  It’s so rewarding to see synergy happen in a group. I will hopefully have two models on Friday 5th October.  We’ve had good intentions recently, which is also encouraging.  Congratulations to each of those 12 people who exhibited their works for our 29th annual event, we’re going from strength to strength.  Well done. 

Joy

Events

September 16th- October 21st

Richard Cutler painting and drawing exhibition, 349 King St

Newtown

September 29th

Lise Edwards, wood fired pots from the new kiln exhibition, Potters Needs, Oberon

October 13th-14th

BMCAC Potters Annual Exhibition at 

October 13th

BMCAC Watercolour workshop with Peter Gonzalez, 10am-4pm

Term 4 enrolment day 10am-2pm

October 14th-

November 18th

Contained, ceramics by Keiko Matsue, Sturt Gallery Mittagong

October 17th

Grant writing in

practice workshop at Penrith Library

October 20th

BMCAC Rotary Market stall at Glenbrook

Infants School

April, 2012

 

Annual Member’s Exhibition

All members are invited to exhibit. Work can be for sale or just for display. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to show what you can do and to see the stunning range of works from our talented members.

May 25th, 26th & 27th

Take a look at our Website and Blog for information, updates and news: www.bmcac.com

President’s Report: What to Paint

My art teacher, John Ogburn, shocked me one day by saying that the question of what to paint will not be settled in my lifetime. This was because of the uncertainty of the age that we live in. In other ages the community had settled beliefs so the artist was relieved of this problem. The artist was more a craft person carrying out a job. In the 20th Century Artist tended to change a lot in their imagery, even from month to month. They normally started with mood painting, choosing a mood that would occupy the whole canvas, each part contributing to the whole. At their maturity they often painted two moods in one painting, we used to call this subject painting (e.g. rise and fall or young and old). Another decision that has to be made in our age is whether to paint from nature (developing gesture drawing) or to paint from the psyche or from feeling or ideas. The traditional way was to copy from the masters realising that copying is different from mere imitating. In copying one learns how the master works. The copy may not look at all like the master’s. In imitating the student slavishly makes an object outwardly like the master’s but not learning anything at all. Another way is to find a teacher who does not teach just techniques but guides the instincts of the student about what they personally want to paint and then advises them how to do it. Arbitrary learning of techniques I have found leads to hardening of the heart to achieve outward cleverness that tends to destroy art. Art is always personal, I’m afraid. In the beginning one may chose to experiment as much as you like and paint the subject “I do not know what I am doing” or the subject “I love generosity”. This for many years can be fruitful but just arbitrary learning to be clever tends towards being a picture maker not a painter.

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of past BMCAC president and much valued active member Lyndal Walsh on the morning  of  Wednesday  21st  March.  Lyndal  lost her battle with cancer which she so courageously fought. She will be greatly missed. We send our heartfelt sympathies to her loving family.

In Memory of Lyndal Walsh

Lyndal believed in the person as creative - she gave her time freely to the Blue Mountains Creative Arts Centre for over nine years, she put out our Magazine Creations and worked not only as President but also as a model, and exhibitor and encourager of the Arts. She was a no-nonsense forthright person and we all loved her for her generosity of spirit. She is sadly missed by all at the centre.

Richard

Potter’s Report

As we have not yet had a meeting there is no report, however the clay order arrived, was distributed and is nearly all paid for. A big thank you to those hard workers involved.

Jan

Gallery Report

We have two new signs up. They look great with their updated information, thank you Frank. Sales have been poor for the last two months, although we have had quite a few lookers. Comments from the ones I have spoken to were favourable, but it remains to be seen if they will return to buy when the occasion demands. Let’s hope so!   Jan

 

Landscape Art Group

The Group now has nine members. Two productive and enjoyable painting excursions have taken place to Glenbrook Lagoon and Jelly Bean Pools in the Blue Mountains National Park. Since the Garage Sale is on April 21 and the forecast is heavy rain the next meeting is on April 28.

All attendees must be paid up members of the Blue Mountains Creative Arts Centre. You can bring a friend, once, before membership of the centre becomes compulsory. An Indemnity Form must be completed by everyone in the group to cover all outdoor meets away from the Centre. Members must pay a  $7 fee each meet. Bring your own easel, paints and canvas, as well as drinks and snacks to all outdoor meets. When we meet at the home at the Centre for   Show and Tell sessions, members can bring work in progress. Tea and coffee will be provided.

Date Time and Location April 28 10am-12pm Lenox Bridge - Meet at 10AM at BMCAC. Drive to Lenox Bridge May 5 10am-12pm Yarramundi Reserve - Meet at 10AM at BMCAC. Drive to Yarramundi Reserve May 12 10am-12pm Glenbrook Lagoon - Meet at 10AM at BMCAC. Drive to Carpark at Glenbrook Lagoon May 19 10am-12pm At Home - Meet at 10AM at BCMAM. Bring work in progress May 26 10am-12pm Nepean River near Penrith Regional Art Gallery - Meet at 10AM at BMCAC. Drive to Penrith Regional Art Gallery

Contact Mary Greig 02 47 511 549