ROYAL WATERCOLOUR SOCIETY
Autumn 2014 & Spring 2015 Workshops, Talks & Events
Royal Watercolour Society Bankside Gallery • 48 Hopton Street • London • SE1 9JH Tel. 020 7928 7521 www.banksidegallery.com www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk
Cover Image: Hydrangeas, Delphiniums and Orange Seed Heads [detail], watercolour, bodycolour & pencil, Sophie Knight RWS
ROYAL WATERCOLOUR SOCIETY WORKSHOPS, TALKS & EVENTS AUTUMN 2014 & SPRING 2015 GENERAL INFORMATION The 2014/2015 RWS Education Programme begins with the introduction of our first two-day watercolour courses at The Heatherley School of Fine Art, Chelsea, in a beautifully designed and fully equipped art studio. The creation of these lengthened workshops was at the request of our students and we do hope you enjoy them. The one-day courses also continue and the chance to benefit from the expert tuition of our artists in a stimulating taught environment is an opportunity not to be missed. Our tutors are all Members of the RWS and practicing artists. To ensure individual attention, the maximum class sizes will be twelve students. A varied and exciting programme of talks and events will take place at Bankside Gallery during the Society’s Autumn Exhibition, Watercolour Secrets - a show that celebrates the publication of the latest RWS book of the same name - as well as during the Spring Exhibition, Watercolour Etc.
BOOKING Booking is essential for all workshops and events unless otherwise stated. To book your place please visit www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk Friends can take advantage of discounted rates on workshops and talks. For more information about joining the Friends please call 020 7928 7521
WORKSHOP
THE COLOUR/TONE CONUNDRUM SARAH HOLLIDAY RWS Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 September 2014 10am - 4pm
The White Table Cloth [detail], watercolour, Sarah Holliday RWS
The Heatherley School of Fine Art, Chelsea There are so many misconceptions about colour, and this workshop will try and unpick these through various painting exercises as well as identifying students’ individual use of colour in their own work. We start by experimenting with coloured paper, exploring colour and tone. Benefitting from this knowledge we will start painting from a colourful still life as a reference, using your preferred medium and paper. We will review the work frequently and discuss what students have discovered. Each student will go home with a greater understanding of how colour and tone work, which will feed into their own work, as well as change the way they look at paintings in galleries.
ÂŁ90/80 Friends For a full list of materials and to book: www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk
WORKSHOP
EXPERIMENTING WITH GOUACHE WENDY JACOB VPRWS Saturday 4 October 2014 10am - 4pm
Claire and Eric’s Lavender [detail], gouache, Wendy Jacob VPRWS
The Heatherley School of Fine Art, Chelsea Gouache - opaque watercolour - is easy to master. It is a versatile, adaptable medium and a joy to use. After a brief demonstration and introductory exercise you will be encouraged to take risks with colour, composition and form. Still-life subjects will be provided and you will take home more than one finished painting and the confidence of a new skill. Teaching will take into account the aspiration and experience of each student. Students will leave the workshop with a thorough understanding of the use of gouache and be able to use this medium independently and with confidence.
ÂŁ50/45 Friends For a full list of materials and to book: www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk
TALK
EDWARD SEAGO: LIFE AND ART JAMES RUSSELL Thursday 9 October 2014 6pm for 6.30pm Bankside Gallery
Turf Fen, Norfolk [detail], watercolour, Edward Seago
Edward Seago RWS (1910-74) is best-known today for his oil paintings of Norfolk landscapes, but in his lifetime he was renowned as a watercolourist of great sensitivity. In this lecture we will survey his work in both media, while also exploring the life and times of this fascinating man. A prolific author, he overcame childhood illness before running away with the circus. At the same time he mixed in aristocratic circles, making friends among the Royal family; a colourful wartime career and a trip to Antarctica aboard the Royal Yacht add to this fascinating account. James Russell is the author of Edward Seago (Lund Humphries), the definitive account of the artist’s life and work. Signed copies will be availble from the Bankside Gallery bookshop. Having lectured on Eric Ravilious at the RWS in 2013 James is delighted to return with a fully illustrated talk on another intriguing 20th century artist. £10/8 Friends To book: www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk
WORKSHOP
DRAWING ON MEMORY FAY BALLARD RWS Saturday 11 October 2014 10am - 4pm The Heatherley School of Fine Art, Chelsea
Jim’s Flipper, watercolour, Fay Ballard RWS
Fay recently held a solo exhibition entitled House Clearance which looked in detail at the contents of her father, J.G. Ballard’s, home. This day will take this theme of identity and focus on the drawing and painting of a personal belonging of yours which evokes memories or associations. She will consider ways of exploring memory through depicting these objects. Please bring along an object to work from. There will be an opportunity to make more than one work. Tuition and close guidance will be given throughout the day.
£50/45 Friends For a full list of materials and to book: www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk
TALK
WATERCOLOUR SECRETS REVEALED: IN CONVERSATION WITH RWS ARTISTS Wednesday 15 October 2014 6pm for 6.30pm Bankside Gallery
Arizona Horse [detail], Caroline McAdam Clark RWS
Join Sophie Knight, Caroline McAdam Clark, Paul Newland and Peter Quinn as they exchange ideas on watercolour and consider their diverse approaches to this fascinating medium. Referring to examples of their work they will discuss their motivation and working methods, and the role of watercolour in their professional practice. A chance to meet the artists, join the conversation, and explore the exciting possibilities of water-based media.
ÂŁ10/8 Friends To book: www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk
WORKSHOP
Hydrangeas, Delphiniums and Orange Seed Heads [detail], watercolour, bodycolour & pencil , Sophie Knight RWS
FLOWERS FROM A PAINTER’S PERSPECTIVE SOPHIE KNIGHT RWS Saturday 18 October 2014 10am - 4pm The Heatherley School of Fine Art, Chelsea Taking inspiration from Emile Nolde’s bright and bold watercolour flowers, we will aim to see flowers as blocks of colour and pattern by placing them in a composition in a dynamic way. The day will include an introduction to the work of Emile Nolde, a presentation of Sophie’s own work and a short demonstration of working wet-on-wet. Students will begin by working in a small format, experimenting with techniques and will move on to working on a larger scale. Students should come away from the day with a good understanding of working wet-on-wet, how to draw with a brush rather than colouring in a pencil drawing, and a new way of looking at flowers as the subject for a watercolourist.
£50/45 Friends For a full list of materials and to book: www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk
PORTFOLIO REVIEW BILL HENDERSON RWS
Saturday 25 October 2014, 11am - 4pm Saturday 1 November 2014, 11am - 4pm
Greening On [detail], acrylic, Bill Henderson RWS
Bankside Gallery
An opportunity to discuss the composition of a portfolio of work prior to application for Associate Membership of the Royal Watercolour Society with Bill Henderson, former Senior Lecturer at Central St Martins. The review will take the form of an informal and open-ended discussion of your work, ideas, interests and influences. Bill will discuss with you the ways in which you might develop a painting from sources, drawings or studies, including some general technical advice where necessary. Bill will also be able to go through work that you may be considering entering into the RWS Contemporary Watercolour Competition 2015.
ÂŁ35/30 Friends for a 1 hour session Please telephone Bankside Gallery to book: 020 7928 7521
WORKSHOP
FROM REPRESENTATION TO ABSTRACTION THOMAS PLUNKETT PRWS Saturday 25 October 2014 10am - 4pm
Fragments [detail], watercolour & gouache, Thomas Plunkett PRWS
The Heatherley School of Fine Art, Chelsea This workshop will introduce you to, and give you an understanding of, the working methods of the tutor using ink and watercolour as a medium as well as using gouache and wax resist techniques to develop work. The day will be punctuated with demonstrations using watercolour and gouache to create abstract works. There will also be the opportunity for individual attention should students require it, as well as a group critique at the end of the day. Students will go away having been introduced to, and be confident in, using two new working methods.
ÂŁ50/45 Friends For a full list of materials and to book: www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk
ARTIST DEMONSTRATION DAY STUDIO SECRETS
Sunday 26 October 2014 12am - 4pm
Shepherd’s Delight [detail], watercolour, Francis Bowyer PPRWS
Bankside Gallery
To accompany the publication of our fascinating new book, Watercolour Secrets, a group of RWS Artists including Jill Leman, Francis Bowyer and David Brayne will be at Bankside Gallery to give the public an insight into their working practice. It is the perfect opportunity to see behind the scenes in the life of an artist and look at their painting, portfolios and sketchbooks. They will be able to answer any questions you may have about their work - where they find inspiration, how they start a painting, how to tell when a painting is finished and all the other problems that beset both professional and amateur painters.
Admission Free
FAMILY WORKSHOP
THE BIG DRAW: SECRET WORLDS Wednesday 29 October 2014 11.30am - 4.30pm Bankside Gallery
Join RWS artists and receive your very own envelope of clues, prompts and items to inspire you to make a picture of the world around you. You might want to remember a place you love, where you live, where you go on holiday, or an imaginary world. Have fun experimenting with drawing, painting or collage.
Studio Interior [detail], watercolour, Sonia Lawson RWS
This is a free, drop-in event for all ages. Materials are supplied and there is no need to book - just turn up! ‘Secret Worlds’ is part of the Campaign for Drawing’s Big Draw and the Family Arts Festival 2014.
Admission Free
WORKSHOP
BLACK, GRAPE. ENGINE, RED. YOURS, MINE. JONATHAN HUXLEY RWS Saturday 1 November 2014 10am - 4pm The Heatherley School of Fine Art, Chelsea
Cherry Pie [detail], watercolour, Jonathan Huxley RWS
Black, grape. Engine, red. Yours, mine. These are typical responses when playing word association games. What happens when we apply similar rules to painting? What can happen when more than one artist works on the same painting? Exercises will include working in collaboration on a large floor-based painting, circulating numerous small paintings, adding visual responses as they are passed from student-to-student and re-using washed paintings to create a new work from the marks and shadows that remain. Students will come away from the day with their sense of ownership and imagination tested. This workshop is suitable for artists of all abilities at any stage in their artistic career.
ÂŁ50/45 Friends For a full list of materials and to book: www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk
WORKSHOP
PAINTING SET FREE ISLA HACKNEY RWS Saturday 8 November 2014 10am - 4pm
Melting Snow Spring Approaching [detail], acrylic, Isla Hackney RWS
The Heatherley School of Fine Art, Chelsea
JMW Turner once said, “I never lose an accident”. Working with ideas of atmosphere, climate, and mood, this workshop is concerned with the means of making painting in an improvisatory way that embraces chance and controlled accident. Learn how to exploit the fluid and unpredictable nature of water-based media and experiment with dropping in colour, pouring & dripping, blotting and scraping. Move paint around, push it, or dab it with fingers, take charge and allow the image to emerge. Consider how large paintings painted on the floor differ from small works created at a desk. Work from photographs and your own sketches, or make paintings that respond to other artworks, or the written word. Teaching will be by demonstration and close one to one supervision.
£50/45 Friends For a full list of materials and to book: www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk
WORKSHOP
STILL LIFE WITH IMAGINATION ANNIE WILLIAMS RWS Saturday 15 November 2014 10am - 4pm
Shades of Blue [detail], watercolour, Annie Williams RWS
The Heatherley School of Fine Art, Chelsea
This workshop looks at composition and colour within the Still Life. Annie Williams’ later works have focused almost entirely on this genre and her knowledge of the medium, its strengths and its limitations, is detailed and accomplished. The day will consist of a number of exercises which will include; setting up your own still life and creating your own backdrop with the aim of taking away a finished work by the end of the day. Discussions, both group and individual, will be held throughout each stage of the painting process. This course aims to shed a new light on a well known genre and enable students to approach it in a fresh way within their own work.
ÂŁ50/45 Friends For a full list of materials and to book: www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk
WORKSHOP
FLOWERS FROM A PAINTER’S PERSPECTIVE: TWO DAY EXPLORATION OF WET-ON-WET SOPHIE KNIGHT RWS
Dried Grasses, Sunflowers and Delphiniums [detail], watercolour, body colour & pencil, Sophie Knight RWS
Saturday 28 & Sunday 29 March 2015 10am - 4pm The Heatherley School of Fine Art, Chelsea This two-day course is an in-depth version of Sophie’s workshop in autumn 2014. Taking inspiration from Emile Nolde’s bright and bold watercolour flowers, we will aim to see flowers as blocks of colour and pattern by placing them in a composition in a dynamic way. This will include an introduction to the work of Emile Nolde, a presentation of Sophie’s own work and a short demonstration of working wet-on-wet. Students will begin by working in a small format, working and experimenting with techniques, and will move on to working on a larger scale. Students should come away from the two days with a good understanding of working wet-on-wet, how to draw with a brush rather than colouring in a pencil drawing, and a new way of looking at flowers as the subject for a watercolourist.
£90/80 Friends For a full list of materials and to book: www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk
TALK
THREE-WAY CROSSING: MARY FEDDEN, MARY NEWCOMB & WINIFRED NICHOLSON CHRISTOPHER ANDREAE Wednesday 1 April 2015 6pm for 6.30pm Bankside Gallery
Wading Bird [detail], watercolour, Mary Fedden
Three artists who had much in common: they were painters, they were women, and they were English. They lived all or most of their lives in the 20th century. They were well aware of Modernism but developed their own distinct, individual styles. Christopher Andreae called this talk about these three female artists “Three Way Crossing”, because they all met, if briefly and were interested in and influenced each other’s work. Christopher Andreae will be signing copies of his book Mary Fedden: Enigmas & Variations (Lund Humphries).
£10/8 Friends To book: www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk
WORKSHOP
MEANINGFUL OBJECTS PAUL NEWLAND VPRWS Saturday 4 April 2015 10am - 4pm
Objects and Photograph [detail], watercolour & gouache, Paul Newland VPRWS
The Heatherley School of Fine Art, Chelsea This workshop explores Still Life with an emphasis on composition and the significance of the arrangement of chosen objects. The focus of the morning will be small experimental studies; trying different colour sets, working with light and shade and looking at scale and point of view. The afternoon will be dedicated to a larger scale work which will draw on the experiments of the morning. The goal for all students is to understand how their objects may be used – not just represented or imitated – to produce expressive compositions which work through colour, through tone and through the dynamics of surface arrangement.
£50/45 Friends For a full list of materials and to book: www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk
FAMILY WORKSHOP GET HAPPY
Friday 10 April 2015 11.30am - 4.30pm Bankside Gallery
Coastal Breeze [detail], watercolour, Ann Wegmuller RWS
A Family Workshop guaranteed to get you smiling. Join RWS artists for a day of fun. Draw, paint and design, whatever makes you happy. Spring is here and summer is on the way. Paint sunny subjects. Experiment with bright colour, big writing, bold squiggles, decorative patterns and crazy shapes. Take your imagination for a joyride and enjoy an adventurous, fun packed day. The workshop is a free, drop-in event for all ages, with all materials provided.
Admission Free
WORKSHOP
BEGINNERS WATERCOLOUR CHARLES WILLIAMS RWS Saturday 11 April 2015 10am - 4pm The Heatherley School of Fine Art, Chelsea
The Paintbox [detail], watercolour, Charles Williams RWS
A course suitable for beginners and for those who feel they have not had a sufficient grounding in the basics of watercolour painting. This class will work through a system of step-by-step exercises designed to introduce and develop the main principles of this deceptively difficult medium and work, with still life set ups, to compose a final painting.
ÂŁ50/45 Friends For a full list of materials and to book: www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk
WORKSHOP
URBAN SKETCHING SARAH HOLLIDAY RWS Saturday 18 April 2015 10am - 4pm
Strange Meeting Paternoster [detail], watercolour, Sarah Holliday RWS
The Heatherley School of Fine Art, Chelsea
How do you decide what to draw or paint? This day will help you find a more individual take on what you are sketching, rather than just automatically copying what’s in front of you. Using Heatherley’s as a base, the day will start in the studio with an introduction to various ways of drawing and gathering information. Students will then venture out into the streets of Chelsea where they will find old warehouses, new developments, house boats, Chelsea Harbour retail outlet etc. They will return to Heatherley’s for lunch and the afternoon will be spent in the studio, away from the subject. A final venture out will take place before the end of the session which will leave time for a review at the end of the day.
£50/45 Friends For a full list of materials and to book: www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk
TALK
‘ALL THIS TOMFOOLERY ABOUT SCENERY’: A NEW LOOK AT ST IVES MICHAEL BIRD Wednesday 22 April 2015 6pm for 6.30pm
Crucible of Modern Art or Cornish sideshow? Michael Bird reassesses St Ives’ place in the cultural landscape of postwar Britain. He shows how the artists who arrived in the 1940s and 1950s were looking for all kinds of things and experimenting with many types of practice, from constructivism to action painting and photomontage.
Meander I [detail], oil, Bryan Wynter
Michael Bird is a writer and art historian. His books include The St Ives Artists: A Biography of Place and Time and monographs on Sandra Blow, Bryan Wynter and Lynn Chadwick. He is currently writing a children’s history of art, to be published by Laurence King in 2015.
£10/8 Friends To book: www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk
WORKSHOP
ABSTRACTING THE LANDSCAPE GEOFFREY PIMLOTT RWS Saturday 25 April 2015 10am - 4pm
On a Day in May [detail], watercolour & graphite, Geoffrey Pimlott RWS
The Heatherley School of Fine Art, Chelsea This workshop will investigate how to find and use the abstract elements presented in landscape and interpret these effectively in a structured response. Using studies taken from sketchbook work, students will explore the power of shape, gesture, mark, and colour in the build-up of a compositional framework for abstraction. The objective of the course is to make the student visually aware of the abstract elements that exist in painting. Students will understand some of the opportunities working in watercolour can offer, and be confident to go away and develop and apply what has been discovered in the future development of their landscape painting.
ÂŁ50/45 Friends For a full list of materials and to book: www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk
WORKSHOP
GOUACHE AS A BASIS FOR MIXED MEDIA WENDY JACOB VPRWS Saturday 2 May 2015 10am - 4pm
This and That [detail], gouache & mixed media, Wendy Jacob VPRWS
The Heatherley School of Fine Art, Chelsea As well as gouache, we will use pastels, charcoal and collage to create exciting and colourful mixed media paintings. Explore the expressive potential of the materials and discover the excitement of manipulating them on the paper, responding to the still life subjects provided. Experiment with line, form, colour and texture to make vibrant paintings. The day will start with an introduction and discussion about combining other media with gouache and will move to short exercises that experiment with these combinations. Students will then begin a larger piece and individual attention will be given as well as a group discussion at the end of the day. Students will expand, through experience and experiment, their skill with gouache used in combination with other components and materials.
ÂŁ50/45 Friends For a full list of materials and to book: www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk
WORKSHOP
USING LANDSCAPE TO INFORM ARTWORK COLIN MERRIN RWS Saturday 9 May 2015 10am - 4pm The Heatherley School of Fine Art, Chelsea
Woodland I [detail], watercolour, Colin Merrin RWS
This workshop encourages the exploration of the local landscape for ideas that can later be developed further in the studio. This may not necessarily be a direct recording of what is observed but a personal response, an interpretation. The day will begin with a brief discussion on using sketchbooks as a launch for ideas, before working outside, gathering imagery and other information and returning to the studio to develop a piece of artwork. The aim of the course is to produce ideas that encourage free creativity and a feeling of confidence in making artwork.
ÂŁ50/45 Friends For a full list of materials and to book: www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk
WORKSHOP
THIS GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND MICHAEL COLLINS RWS Saturday 16 May 2015 10am - 4pm
Birling Gap [detail] , acrylic, Michael Collins RWS
The Heatherley School of Fine Art, Chelsea Working in acrylic paint, this workshop looks at the British Landscape, particularly the abundance of green tones and shades. Students will be shown how to use this colour to its full potential within landscape painting. Exercises will include working from photographic sources with a limited palette, exploring subtle mixtures of colour to produce different greens in small landscape studies, and finally working on a larger scale. By the end of the day, students should have a number of landscape studies which show a more thoughtful, objective approach to mixing greens and other colours in their landscape work. This course will use acrylic paint only and is an exciting chance to find out more about this versitile medium.
ÂŁ50/45 Friends For a full list of materials and to book: www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk
HOW TO GET TO BANKSIDE GALLERY HOME OF THE ROYAL WATERCOLOUR SOCIETY
Bankside Gallery, 48 Hopton Street, London SE1 9JH 020 7928 7521 www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk www.banksidegallery.com @RWS_Art Royal Watercolour Society
HOW TO GET TO THE HEATHERLEY SCHOOL OF FINE ART FULHAM ROAD Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
E D I T H
GUNTER GROVE
HORTENSIA ROAD
To Fulham Broadway
KINGS ROAD
G R O V E
WORL D’S END
C R E O
BURNABY STREET
M R N
LOTS ROAD
PARK Wes tfie ld Park
E R O A D
Heatherley’s is located outside the western extension of the congestion charge zone.
LOTS ROAD Chelsea C ree
k
to Beaufort Street and Battersea Bridge
CHEYNE WALK
RIVER THAMES
Taxi Rank to Chelsea Harbour River Bus Imperial Wharf Overground 5 minutes
Walking distances from bus stops and underground 14, 414, 211
Fulham Rd – Hortensia Rd
5 minutes
11, 22
Kings Rd – Lots Rd
2 minutes
C3
Lots Rd (stops at door)
0 minutes
328
Gunter Grove – Edith Grove
5 minutes
Overground
Imperial Wharf
5 minutes
River Bus
Chelsea Harbour
Underground
Fulham Broadway (District Line)
5 minutes 10 minutes
The Heatherley School of Fine Art, 75 Lots Road, London, SW10 0RN info@heatherleys.org 020 7351 4190
WHAT OUR STUDENTS SAID ABOUT RWS WORKSHOPS: ‘Our tutor was very knowledgable, prepared and enthusiastic about the topic for discussion. Her interactions with the participants were supportive and encouraging’ ‘I’ve now been on two courses, and I can’t recommend them highly enough. Thank you! I will be back for more’ ‘Excellent value for money compared with other workshops I’ve attended locally’ ‘We had a brilliant tutor, very inspirational, enthusiastic and encouraging. She spent a lot of time with the group and worked extremely hard’ ‘A thoroughly wonderful day - I will heartily recommend RWS workshops to friends who might be interested’ ‘Despite there being a broad range in ability I thought the course met all levels very well indeed’ ‘This was a very positive and helpful experience. I took away a great deal to think about and I am confident my own work will benefit from what I gained on the day. I will be back again. Thank you’
Bankside Gallery | 48 Hopton Street SE1 9JH | www.banksidegallery.com | www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk | 020 7928 7521
Royal Watercolour Society Bankside Gallery • 48 Hopton Street • London • SE1 9JH Tel. 020 7928 7521 www.banksidegallery.com www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk