The Finest Quality Handmade Artists’ Brushes
‘‘ It’s not just a brush, it’s an experience. A ritual. It’s life changing and it’s your life.’’
OUR quarterly NEWSLETTER filled with INTERVIEWS & TIPS for your ENJOYMENT
www.rosemaryandco.com
Autumn 2016
The KATHY ANDERSON FLORAL SET
SET INCLUDES 12 BRUSHES (ALL LONG HANDLES): Series 275, Masters Choice Angulars, Size: 3/8” Shiraz Round, Size: 0 Series 278, Masters Choice Long Filberts, Sizes: 4, 6 Ultimate Bristle Filbert, Size: 4
Ivory Long Flat, Size: 12 Series 77, Pure Sable ‘Brights’, Sizes: 4, 6, 8 Series 272, Masters Choice Rounds, Size: 4 Classic Long Flat, Size: 7
FULL SET £75 $81 AVAILABLE FOR
01535 632666 www.rosemaryandco.com www.kathyandersonstudio.com
TAKE a LEAF OUT of OUR BOOK!
I
t’s been a busy, but wonderful summer! I’ve been out of the workshop a lot trying to spread the word about our company, and offer the chance for people to see the brushes in person. Places we’ve been since the last newsletter include Florida, Dallas, California, Oklahoma, Nottingham, Nashville, Easton, Oxford and Manchester. Phew! Actually, it’s safe to say I’m now going to enjoy being at home in Yorkshire with my Mum, our wonderful staff, and spending time in the workshop. This issue has been so much fun to put together! One of my best friends agreed to be the Master of the Issue; what a treat for all of us. Thank you Jeremy, for your time and as always for your support to our company, myself, and Rosemary. Thank you to everyone else who jumped in on this issue too; you are all wonderful artists, and people!
SIGN UP for a COPY of OUR NEWSLETTER Sign up for a free online copy of this newsletter at: www.rosemaryandco.com/newsletter Or if you would like a hard copy through the post please email your address to: enquiries@rosemaryandco.com
Do YOU run an ART group, ATELIER, or SCHOOL? If you’d like us to send enough copies of the newsletter for your students we are happy to do so. Get in touch! The same goes if you’d like us to visit.
WANT to get INVOLVED? If you’d like to be involved with the quarterly newsletter, we’d love to hear from you! We’re always looking for fun stories to feature, brushes to be reviewed, books to be read and so on. Get in touch and you could see your name amongst these pages.
KEEP in TOUCH by FOLLOWING us ON...
I have so much news to share this time we’ve extended the introduction onto page 20.
FACEBOOK: Rosemary & Co Artists’ Brushes
In the meanwhile, please enjoy this issue! And, if you’d like us to send you more copies to share with friends or your art group, just ask!
INSTAGRAM: Rosemary Brushes
TWITTER: @rosemaryandco
Rosemary & Co Artists’ Brushes, PO BOX 372, Keighley, West Yorkshire, England, BD20 6WZ. UK: 01535 632666 Int’l: +44 1535 632666
Symi Jackson, Sales & Marketing Director.
E & OE
W: www.rosemaryandco.com E: enquiries@rosemaryandco.com
{CONTENTS} 05
We LOVE to HEAR from YOU
06
FRIENDS in FOCUS
07
SYMI; A GREEK ISLAND
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HAS BRUSHES, will TRAVEL
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ONES to WATCH on SOCIAL Media
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The IMPORTANCE of MUSEUMS
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What’s NEW on the SHELF
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You ASKED, we ANSWERED
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A LOVE of WILDLIFE Art
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Featured MASTER Jeremy LIPKING
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BRUSH reviews and ADVICE
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Featured GUEST Peter KEEGAN
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BEAUTY of the NORTH
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MASTER from the PAST
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What PAINTS are on your PALETTE
COVER IMAGE Ariella, 20 x 16, Oil. Image courtesy of Jeremy Lipking. If you’d like to buy Jeremy Lipking’s DVD’s, please visit our website. Limited stock available.
YOUR LETTERS We LOVE to HEAR from YOU Rosemary, I just received a new order of your great brushes and realized that I had always meant to send you this story about your product. I think it’s amazing. A few years ago we had our cabin in Montana sand blasted and stained. After the staining was done all the lines of chink (the cream coloured material between the logs) had to also be painted. Chink contains lots of sand and is a very rough surface. The chink paint contains so much sand that every fourth loading of the brush has to be preceded by a good swishing in clean water to get the sand out of the bristles or they will splay. I was helping the paint crew and they gave me their standard brush to use. Because of its poor quality it was all frustration until I remembered that I had just received an order of Ivory brushes from you…Ivory #6 and #8 long flats. I assumed that because of the sand that I would have to reorder a new set because they would be worn out after using them to cover miles of rough surface with sand paint. The paint crew saw that I was doing a much better job and going much faster and they asked what I was using. I gave them each a brand new brush and we worked together for two or three days covering all that chink. At the end of the job they gave me back the brushes and, even though I was sure they were now worthless, I washed them out and compared them to the one new brush we hadn’t used. I couldn’t believe it but they were exactly the same. Same spring, same shape to the tip, same length….and I’ve been using them for my oil paintings for the last five years. Wonderful brushes. Unbelievably tough. Thank you. Darrell Anderson…. sometimes in Washington, sometimes in Montana. Thank you for getting in touch Darrell, your £20 gift voucher is in the post. If you would like to be picked out of the hat for next months gift voucher, please send us your letters.
Rosemary & Co
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{FRIENDS in FOCUS} We TALK to the GENERAL PENCIL Company
G
eneral Pencil Company’s art and craft pencils come from their factory in New Jersey, USA. They believe in quality, tradition, value, and the fun of creating. They take pride in hand-crafting quality pencils and artist materials using traditional methods passed down for six generations. General Pencil’s history dates back to 1864 when Edward Weissenborn, a brilliant mechanical engineer, founded one of the first pencil factories in America. Weissenborn learned the art of pencil making in Germany while working for the I.I. Renbach Lead Pencil 06
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Company. In 1854, he came to America to establish his own pencil factory. In 1860 he accomplished just that. In 1889, Edward and his son, Oscar A., began what is now General Pencil Company. Still family owned and operated, their goal is to create consistent, quality products in a sustainable manner for artists of all levels. In 1965, General Pencil expanded operations into California to become closer to the incense cedar supply and to the Western markets it was developing. Oscar A. Weissenborn took over as President in the 1970’s, and James Weissenborn became CEO
in 1979. James expanded the product line, and increased the sales and distribution capacity of General Pencil to become a worldwide supplier of fine art and craft products. James has led the company since then, and continues to inspire creative and innovative products for the fine artist. While selling pencils and managing the company, James has managed to pass along his passion for pencils to the fifth generation of the Weissenborn family. For more information about General Pencils, please visit their website at: www.generalpencil.com
SYMI; A GREEK ISLAND By Chuck Albanese
Symi, a beautiful small island just off the coast of Turkey, strongly influenced by the Italians after the second Crusade, and pretty much unspoiled (at least this time of year).
W
e are enjoying our pre-season adventure and opportunity to see small islands without the heavy tourist traffic that will surely arrive by mid June. The painting workshop with Phil Stark is terrific. Phil is a great teacher and extremely generous with his time. He spends as much time as anyone wants with him and still manages to get two or three painting demonstrations done every day. But, all this good experience comes at a price... Mostly everyone is exhausted at the end of the day. We are up before 7:00 and meet about that time for breakfast, then off on a bus to small fishing villages in coves far away from any visiting boat. If we are not on an early bus we are climbing 400 steps up to a high village or walking down 400 steps to the port! Everything is beautiful so we don’t complain, just our legs
and backs do. Each of the painters carries about 30 pounds of gear and it takes a full backpack and two hands to carry canvas, tripod, extra water, a camera and of course the occasional hand rail to guide one down the steep stairs or to haul one up the next flight! With the average age of each painter somewhat between heart attack and respirator these stairs are killers! The painting is going great and the endless carafes of wine at the end of the day worth the boot camp style of learning. Everyone is having a good time. The non painters (half of the group) are just loving the expression of the painters as they sit quietly wondering why we do what we are doing! And so, this gives you an idea as to why Rosemary chose Symi’s name. Visit Chuck’s website at: www.albaneseart.com Rosemary & Co
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{Our FEATURED MASTER} We TALK to JEREMY LIPKING “Drawing was an important part in my first stages, the old masters were such great draftsman...”
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eremy Lipking is one of the worlds most prolific realist painters of the 21st Century.
Jeremy was one of the first artists Rosemary met during her first business trip to America over seven years ago. Since that day Jeremy has been team Rosemary; freely shouting about our brushes to all his students and helping us design new ranges. HOW DID YOU START PAINTING? My dad’s an artist so I grew up painting with him at an early age. It’s always something I did. But it wasn’t until I was 19 or 20 until I took up painting seriously. 08
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WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY SERIOUSLY? By studying the masters from the past, especially the 19th century European painters. It was such a high point for painting and their skill level was so high that it took me some serious studying to begin with. Drawing was an important part in my first stages, the old masters were such great draftsman. I followed the naturalists that I looked up to a lot because of their different types of natural light. “Once I studied that I realised I had a long way to go, and a lot of work to do!”
“I see my paintings as visual ideas. I don’t like pretentious explanations about representational paintings. Save that for the abstract and postmodernist conceptual movements.”
WHAT DIRECTION DO YOU WANT TO GO TOWARDS IN THE FUTURE? I have no idea! WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO FIGURE PAINTERS? Draw more, that’s basically it. A lot of people feel like they know how to draw good enough already, but don’t trust yourself. Learn to draw better. When you’re working with your model, do colour studies from life with the figure or the portrait. A lot of people get used to painting the figure under the same light, your studio light for example, but it’s really useful to paint the figure under different types of lighting like outdoors, bright sunlight, outdoors overcast, sunsets, light bouncing off the walls and so on.
HOW DO YOU GET IN THE ZONE? When I’m painting outdoors it’s pretty easy. HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE THE ZONE BY THE WAY? When I define it, it’s when I have focus but also I’m slow and accurate with what I do. The studio is a lot harder, there’s a lot more distractions like WiFi! DO YOU KNOW EXACTLY HOW YOU WANT A PAINTING TO LOOK LIKE BEFORE STARTING IT? Most of the time I have a pretty clear image in my mind of the painting before I even start. It doesn’t always come out exactly how I imagined it but sometimes it comes out even better. I think its important to be flexible with your ideas, not every idea that sounds good is worthy of being painted. Continued overleaf. Rosemary & Co
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“I followed the naturalists that I looked up to a lot because of their different types of natural light.”
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU’VE FINISHED A PAINTING? I don’t know if a painting is ever finished, they just get signed and varnished and sent to a gallery or collector. If you are always pushing your boundaries and experimenting with new things when you paint you will learn something new with each painting. When a painting gets to a point where I can’t add anything to it that will make it any better, it’s finished. IF YOU COULD ONLY PAINT ONE SUBJECT FOR THE REST OF YOUR CAREER WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY? I would probably choose the portrait because it’s the most complex subject that gives you the ability to tell a universal human story. 10
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DO YOU PREFER TO PAINT FROM PHOTOGRAPHS OR FROM LIFE? I work from both photographs and from life. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. In general I can’t say that I prefer one over the other but there are specific situations where one would benefit me more than the other. For example painting a midday landscape I’d prefer to work completely from life. Too much information would be lost in a photograph and most of all I would miss the experience of being outdoors in that particular place and time. On the other hand if I were painting a life size figure at twilight outdoors in southern California all those benefits I would get working from life wouldn’t outweigh the disadvantage of only having about 30 minutes of light to work with.
HOW DO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY INFLUENCE YOUR WORK? If I ever get stuck on a painting or need someone to look at it with a fresh eye I have a few trustworthy artist friends who I can get some feedback from. WHICH ARTISTS DO YOU ENJOY FOLLOWING? I enjoy following a pretty eclectic variety of artists, a couple of examples of artists who work in completely different mediums and styles would be @desireobtaincherish and @marc_dalessio (on Instagram). HOW CAN PEOPLE STUDY WITH YOU? If people want to study with me they can take a workshop with me or buy one of my DVD’s. I teach an outdoor painting workshop every summer in the Sierra Nevada mountains in CA and I also teach some figure and portrait painting workshops at my studio in southern California a few times a year. I love the outdoor workshop because that is one of my favourite places to paint but also because it’s five days long and gives me enough time to cover some nuanced topics that I don’t always have time for in the shorter studio workshops. WOULD YOU LIKE TO VISIT ROSEMARY & CO AND GIVE YOUR OWN WORKSHOP? I would love to come to the UK to do a workshop! Watch this space! Images courtesy of Jeremy Lipking. For more information on Lipking please visit his website at: www.lipking.com
To view our Jeremy Lipking brush set, please go to our website and search for: Jeremy Lipking. Rosemary & Co
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{BRUSH reviews, and ADVICE} Your SIGNATURE is IMPORTANT By Symi Jackson
S
ignatures are an old tradition and date back to 176 BC. They were originally enforced to accept a marriage.
In legal terms, the definition is ‘‘a mark or sign made by an individual on an instrument or document to signify knowledge, approval, acceptance, or obligation’’. Artists are still very much keeping the signature tradition alive by signing their work. The signature on your painting has always been, and always will be, an 12
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important item in the assessment of art. However, the amount of artists I meet, both professional, and amateur, who create the most beautiful work, but struggle with their signature is astounding. Unfortunately, many artists see a signature as an after thought, some don’t even use a signature any more. I urge you to reconsider. When someone sees your art for the first time, you want them to recognise the work. Undoubtedly over time your work will change, move direction, improve. Your signature is a record that you created that piece.
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s an artist, you may have spent hours trying to think of a unique, yet simple signature to sign your paintings. From experience, the more simple your signature, the more consistent you will be, but also it will remain looking stylish for years to come. Why struggle signing your work when there’s plenty of brushes available to help you? For watercolours, try a small pointed round; Series 33 or Series 301. For Oils and Acrylics, look at the Ivory and Shiraz ranges. The riggers are popular as you don’t have to re-load your brush so often. The Series 46 are good for all mediums, as the sable tip gives you control, but the squirrel allows a greater carrying capacity. Try using a shorter handle too. Your signature doesn’t necessarily have to spell out your name. For example, Vermeer signed some of his work with a characteristic monogram or different combinations of the letters in his name.
TOP TIPS on SIGNATURES: 1. Sign your art as soon as it’s finished. 2. Don’t sign on top of a varnished painting. 3. Date your art. If not on the front, on the back. 4. Sign your art in the same medium which you create it. 5. Be unique, but be literate whether that be with a monogram, or name. 6. Remember, your signature stands for your identity and also for your works authenticity. To view our signature brushes, please go to our website and search for: Signature brushes. Rosemary & Co
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{BRUSH reviews, and ADVICE} PRECISION to the FINEST DETAIL By Anna Mason
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nna Mason is a leading botanical watercolour artist from the UK and has a huge following for her online school; Watercolours with WOW. These spotter brushes, with their shorter-thanusual hairs give you the precision that’s so important when you’re painting detail. To use them actually feels closer to using a felt-tip-pen than a brush because you can be that confident about where you’re placing your marks. They combine two great features which are perfect for achieving two mainstays of my paintings: texture and detail. 14
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Firstly they’re shaped so as to be wider at their base. This means they hold plenty of paint so you’re not forced to reload too often making them perfect for applying washes. Holding this amount of paint means the brushes also lend themselves to creating the type of ‘‘stippling’’ marks I so often use to create texture in my work. And secondly their perfectly pointed tips mean that you can create the finest of line. This is so important when working on the tiniest of nature’s details! It’s a winning combination!
‘‘Spotter brushes, with their shorter-than-usual hairs give you the precision that’s so important when you’re painting detail.’’
I
use these brushes in small sizes - from a size 5 down to a 3/0. This can often seem surprising because I create paintings up to about 30 x 30” big. But as I rarely look to cover a large area in a wash at once, these brushes still fit the bill. My ‘‘Anna Mason Brush Set” of spotters are made from synthetic fibres which I slightly prefer for the added firmness it gives the mark, this translates into even more control for the artist using them. It was when I discovered this style of brush that my painting made a dramatic leap in quality in a way I wasn’t even sure was possible with watercolour. So if you enjoy
painting detail, I thoroughly recommend you give these spotter shaped brushes a try.
To view our Spotter brushes please visit our site and search: Spotters. Images courtesy of Anna Mason. Visit her website at: www.annamasonart.com Rosemary & Co
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{BRUSH reviews, and ADVICE} SMOOSHING, SMUDGING, TINTING By Rosemary Thompson
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’ve designed this new range to be an inexpensive blending brush. The Smooshing Brush is made from a blend of different grades of badger hair. I’ve packed the hairs into the ferrule really tightly to create a dense brush, which will be firm to the touch, but still flexible. The beauty of the domed shape allows for a multitude of brush strokes. Sometimes known as a smudger, a tinter or a blender, this versatile brush can be used in all mediums and is available 16
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in sizes small, medium and large. In decorative painting, you would tend to use it as a dry brush and for softening edges. But this brush is a good little all rounder and useful in any medium. For Oil and Acrylic painters, if you load this brush full of pigment, it’ll be great for your seascapes, stippling, clouds, highlights and shading. For watercolourists, practice loading with dry pigment to get a similar effect. To view our Smooshing brushes please visit our website and search: Smooshing brush.
The NEXT GENERATION Brush By Timothy Rees
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he Eclipse extra long comber is a synthetic fibre that against all odds performs like the mongoose of yesteryear - a firm springy base and a soft wispy tip that offers the flexibility to execute any style of painting. The offset rows of hair provide a slightly irregular tip that can produce the distinct claw like brush strokes I have come to love in alla prima painting. A slight modification on paint or medium load and the end comes together to produce a solid paint stroke. The base of the hairs has a solid concentration, allowing for a heavy pick up to knock in those impasto accents, or firm pressure to lay down some dry-brushing.
The icing on the cake is that a synthetic brush, which has always struggled to produce the variety of spring from ferrule to tip, and the flexibility of irregularity/conformity of the tip, accomplishes all of this. The synthetic hairs last longer, re-form and take more abuse than natural hairs, cost less than natural hairs, and no animal by-products are needed (for those animal lovers out there). To view our Comber brushes please visit our site and search: Combers. Please visit Timothy Rees’s website at: www.reesfineart.com Rosemary & Co
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{Our FEATURED GUEST} PAINTING a GARDEN through the SEASONS By Peter Keegan
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ritish artist Peter Keegan moved into his new studio within the beautiful grounds of the National Trust’s Claydon House and Gardens in Buckinghamshire at the start of this year and his new surroundings are proving to be both surprising and inspiring.
flower meadows. I love the mixture of the beautiful natural landscaping against the impressive stone architecture and more formal, designed areas.
I moved into my new studio primarily to give me more space, allowing me to develop my own practice as well as run my own art courses directly from the studio. What I did not anticipate was how captivating the environment would be, inspiring me to try and put it onto canvas.
Specialising in commissioned portraiture, landscape was a relatively new genre for me and one that I found rather overwhelming at first. With portraiture there is a clear focus but with landscapes this is less so and much more in the hands of the artist - how would I begin to take it all in? If I needed to break it down, how would I do that? Should I focus on the light, the colours, a vantage point, an object or something else? Ultimately I wanted to explore how I could capture not just a view or a scene but “a season” on canvas.
Claydon House has been the home of the Verney family for over 500 years and offers a wide range of landscape interest from a Victorian glass house, walled kitchen garden, rose gardens and far reaching wild 18
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‘‘With portraiture there is a clear focus but with landscapes this is less...’’
‘‘Ultimately I wanted to explore how I could capture not just a view or a scene but “a season” on canvas.’’
I
decided to let the seasons themselves dictate what I should do and how I should tackle it. In the winter I worked inside, on a fairly small scale trying to reflect the quieter, often serene quality of the gardens around me. I used oils and either Chungking Hog Filberts or a palette knife. My palette was kept tonal and limited allowing me to play around with and get drawn into the calmness a winter landscape can bring. When the weather got better I ventured outdoors painting plein air, opting to work in faster drying acrylics using Rosemary’s Ivory Flats. My palette became much brighter and vivid in hues trying to describe the sunny, busy scenes in a loose and lively way.
It’s painting outside, trying to capture the buzz and excitement of a colourful scene which enthuses me the most and as a result, I feel much happier with the work I produce. At the moment I’m keeping the scale no bigger than 40cm wide but my next challenge is to try and work much bigger to see if I can achieve the same results on a larger scale. When Peter is working at the studio, the door is always open for the public to come in and have a look around. For further details about Peter’s work and art courses at Claydon, please visit his website at: www.peterkeegan.com Rosemary & Co
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HAS BRUSHES, WILL TRAVEL By Symi Jackson
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t’s been a very busy three months for us here at Rosemary & Co. We’re so fortunate to be invited to attend so many wonderful events throughout the year. Sometimes these shows all seem to come at once. In America, I’ve attended the Oil Painters of America in Dallas, The Prix de West in Oklahoma, Plein Air South in Florida, Plein Air Easton in Maryland and various other smaller events showing how the brushes are made, and giving an opportunity to purchase. In the UK we’ve been to Patchings in Nottingham, Urban Sketchers Symposium in Manchester, and Art in Action in Oxfordshire. We’re sad to hear that after Rosemary attending the event for 21 years, this is it’s final year. We will take so many wonderful memories from Art in Action. 20
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In June, I was lucky enough to be invited back to Jeremy Lipking’s Plein Air workshop in the Sierras, California. This was my second year attending the workshop, and my second attempt at Plein Air. It’s safe to say, I was dreadful! One evening I showed the group how we make the brushes, and thought it would be fun to ask Jeremy to make a brush. It was refreshing to see Jeremy struggle! It just goes to show, we all have our place in the world of art, and so long as you’re having fun with it, that is the main thing! We’d also like to welcome to “team Rosemary”, Foster Grissim. Foster is a brilliant young artist, and will be a representative for us at some of the American shows. Please make him welcome when you meet him! Thank you to everyone along the way, we wouldn’t have the fun we do without all of your support and friendships.
{ARTISTS around the WORLD} ONES to WATCH on SOCIAL MEDIA
Susan Lyon
Jan Jewell
yon’s technique is to paint wet on wet to start and then wet on dry for her finishing touches. Susan draws much inspiration from painters such as Zorn, Fechin, Sorolla, and Celia Beaux.
an Jewell focuses on representational oil painting and is based in Washington State. Jewell enjoys studio and Plein Air work and has studied with Masters including Lipking and Christensen.
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Susan Lyon
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Alexander Fjelnseth
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he 28 year old Swedish Artist, Fjelnseth uses vibrant colours together with his wonderful draftsmanship to create unique and exciting work. He has a wide array of work that is worth checking out.
@jewell_jan
afjelnseth
KEEP in TOUCH by FOLLOWING us ON... FACEBOOK: Rosemary & Co Artists Brushes
TWITTER: Rosemary&Co @rosemaryandco
INSTAGRAM: Rosemary Brushes
LINKEDIN: Rosemary & Co Artists Brushes
Rosemary & Co
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{BEAUTY of the NORTH} PAINTING in the YORKSHIRE DALES By James Tennison
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“Many years ago I was introduced to the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales by way of the British television series, “All Creatures Great and Small”.
The Rosemary & Co workshop is based at the gateway to the Yorkshire dales. The little village that we are based in is a hidden gem, and a place most artists could only dream to paint. When James Tennison wrote to tell me about his time in Yorkshire, I thought it would be wonderful to share his experience.
Picturesque villages and towns, stone walls crossing the landscape, dramatic scenery at every turn - these are some of the features that enticed me to paint in Yorkshire. I was finally able to experience this landscape in person a few years ago when my wife and I made the trip from our home in Texas. It was a magical, memorable time.
orkshire is the largest county in Northern England. Renowned for it’s beautiful countryside, sweeping valleys, medieval abbeys, fishing villages, rugged sandy beaches and much more.
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Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
‘‘Ear all, see all, say nowt. Eat all, sup all, pay nowt. And if ever thou does owt fer nowt – allus do it fer thissen’’
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t was also cold and wet. But that didn’t dampen our enthusiasm as we navigated the countryside on winding roads barely wide enough for one car. We explored ancient churches, a 13th century castle, surrounding towns and villages and a farmyard where I felt that James Herriott himself might round come the corner at any moment as he went about his veterinary duties.
The step-by-step above is a typical barn amongst the countryside. We welcome you all to come and visit us here at our workshop when we open in October. You’ll be able to paint in the gardens, attend workshops, and buy brushes. We’re having our first workshop in September run by Timothy Rees. He will lead a group of artists for the week painting “En Plein Air” around Yorkshire.
Our trip was brief and I didn’t do as much painting as I would have liked, but someday we hope to return to this welcoming land of friendly folks and scenic vistas. And maybe next time we’ll see the sun”.
The quote above is an old Yorkshire saying. If you’re not sure what it means, google it! Images courtesy of James Tennison. Visit his site at: www.jamestennison.com Rosemary & Co
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The IMPORTANCE of MUSEUMS By James Willis
In 1837 Sir John Soane, the architect of the Bank of England, died leaving his entire collection and house to the nation. This visionary man knew the importance of studying from great collections and his treasuretrove of a house museum still inspires thousands of architects, artists and designers from around the world today. A museum can be the beginning of a wonderful creative journey for us whether our interest is in the arts, sciences, humanities or technology. It can stimulate ideas and extend knowledge to provide us with the answers we need to continue our work, or to enrich our understanding of different cultures and philosophies. For an artist like myself a museum gives me the confidence to place my work in context with others and through visiting galleries, exhibitions and museum collections around the world the ideas keep on flowing. In particular as a painter I can learn from seeing what other painters have achieved and the gallery or museum is the perfect place to do this. On a recent trip to New York, paintings I saw in the Metropolitan Museum and the Frick Collection are still haunting me and demanding I respond to them in my own work – a rather daunting feeling! Museums are for everyone and should remain an important stimulus for all. Soane himself stipulated that his Museum should remain free to students and artists in all disciplines so that they could benefit from his great collection and enrich their society as a result. And to this day it does just that. How can anyone argue with that? www.jameswillisart.co.uk
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{MASTER from the PAST} JUSEPE DE RIBERA (1591 - 1652) By David Kassan
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n artist that consistently blows my mind when I happen upon one of his paintings in museums is Jusepe de Ribera. The way that he combines the concepts of realism and the strength of Baroque Chiaroscuro. His raw paint handling really accentuates his honest stark realism and his use of texture to turn different forms in and out of the light. He was a Spanish painter, however he lived and painted most of his life in Italy. In 1611 Ribera quenched his longing to study art in
Italy, when he made his way to Rome. According to one source, a cardinal noticed him drawing from the frescoes on a Roman palace facade, and housed him. At this time in Rome, Caravaggio’s influence was very strong and followers of his baroque realism were called Caravaggisti. While in Rome, Ribera was given the nickname “Lo Spagnoletto” which means The Spaniard. In 1616, Ribera moved to Naples, to escape some creditors, also similar to Caravaggio. His works can be seen in museums around the world, from the Prado in Spain, to
the Louvre in Paris, as well as Naples and the National Gallery In London. Recently I was able to bring a number of my workshop students to see a Ribera up close at the Cleveland Museum of Art. In 1992 the Metropolitan Museum of Art had a major exhibition of his work and produced a must have book for the exhibition that is a must have for all painters. Besides painting, he was also an Etcher of note, having produced nearly forty prints. Images courtesy of: en.wikipedia.org Visit David Kassan’s website at: www.davidkassan.com Rosemary & Co
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What OIL PAINTS are on YOUR PALETTE? We teamed up with some of our wonderful artists, all of which are teachers, and asked them to let us know what paints they’re using and recommending. Some of them are brand specific, others are happy to use any. FRANCIS BOWYER Cerulean Blue, Cobalt Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Naples Yellow, Cadmium Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Red, Alizarin Crimson, Viridian. www.francisbowyer.com JEFF HEIN Transparent Red Oxide, Transparent Yellow Oxide and Ultramarine Blue. www.jeffhein.com 26
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LINDA MATTHEWS Bright Red (Transparent), Cerulean Blue (Semi Opaque), Chrome Yellow (Semi Opaque). www.broadskiesgallery.co.uk JULIETTE ARISTIDES Naples Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Umber, Venetian Red, Vermilion, Ultramarine Blue, Alizarin Crimson and Ivory Black. www.aristidesarts.com
EVERETT RAYMOND KINSTLER White, Cadmium Yellow, Raw Sienna, Cadmium Red Light, Alizarin, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Cerulean Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Black, Chrome Green Oxide. (He does favour the Jack Richeson brand). www.everettraymondkinstler.com YOSSI SEGURA Cadmium Yellow, Raw Umber, Cadmium Orange, Cadmium Red, Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Blue and Titanium White by Michael Harding. www.yossisegura.com MICHELE DEL CAMPO Cadmium Yellow Pale, Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Orange, Cadmium Scarlet, Cadmium Red, Permanent Carmine,
Permanent Mauve, Cerulean Blue, Cobalt Blue, French Ultramarine Blue, Viridian, Yellow Ochre Pale, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber and Raw Umber. www.micheledelcampo.com CHRIS SAPER Holbein’s Foundation Greenish Holbeins’ Monochrome Tint Warm, Naples Yellow, Gamblin’s Radiant Magenta, Naples Yellow, Caucasian Flesh and Gamblin’s Radiant colour range. www.chrissaper.com For more information on this article please visit our blog at: blog.rosemaryandco.com Photo courtesy of: New Wave Palette Company. Visit their website at: www.newwaveart.com Rosemary & Co
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{Whats NEW on the SHELF} WHAT to LOOK OUT for this AUTUMN
JEREMY LIPKING The Nude Figure Oudoors www.lipking.com
JULIETTE ARISTIDES Lessons in Classical Painting www.aristidesarts.com
HAIDEE-JO SUMMERS Vibrant Oils www.haideejo.com
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ward-winning author, artist, and teacher, Aristides breaks down the drawing processes so beautifully.
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Juliette’s new book conveys a start-to-finish overview of the drawing experience, shows what to tackle when first starting a drawing and how to lay the groundwork for each step in creating a well-crafted drawing.
Her new DVD, ‘‘Vibrant Oils’’ allows her to demonstrate painting five Plein Air works on the beautiful Roseland peninsula in Cornwall and around Portscatho, St Mawes and St Just in Roseland.
n this 3+ hour demonstration, Lipking takes you through his process of painting the nude figure in the lush outdoor landscape of the Eastern Sierras. Get a first-hand look into his methods creating his beautiful ethereal figures amongst the beautiful Aspen trees. You can buy this DVD through our website.
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aidee-Jo Summers is a full-time professional English artist well known for painting landscapes and seascapes ‘‘En Plein Air’’.
{You ASKED, we ANSWERED} WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SERIES 33, 22, AND 8? This is a popular question! The Series 33 are our Kolinsky Sable Pointed Rounds; ideal for general watercolour use, and to this day, still our most popular watercolour range. The Series 22 Pure Kolinsky Designer have a sharper, more tapered point to the 33’s which is not only longer, but slimmer too. They are ideal for drawing and expressive work. The new addition to the Kolinsky Sable Pointed Rounds is the Series 8. They are in-between the length of the 33’s, and the 22’s. This is the brush many of you have been waiting for, we have had great feedback. As always, the balance of the handle is paramount and we have made no exception here, the ‘feel’ of them is perfect. I HAVE ARTHRITIS, WHAT BRUSHES DO YOU RECOMMEND? A recent addition to our ranges, by popular request is the Series 98 Pure Red Sable pointed rounds. These brushes are offered on a triangular shaped handle. We also offer the Series 101, available on a matt burgundy handle which have a bulbous part enabling the fingers and hand to sit comfortably.
I’VE ORDERED FROM OVERSEAS AND THE TRACKING NUMBER YOU SENT ME FOR MY ORDER DOESN’T WORK. WHAT SHOULD I DO? It can take the tracking website up to three days to update their system. Rest assured, if you have received an email from us telling you that your order has been dispatched, it is on it’s way. Please check back with your tracking number on their website tomorrow. I AM ARRANGING A GIFT FOR MY FRIEND, WHAT CAN YOU OFFER? We offer free gift wrap for all occasions (including birthdays, christmas, retirements, graduations) throughout the year. When you order, you will see a box you can tick for free gift wrap. We also offer e-vouchers, or paper vouchers that we can send you through the post. Please view your frequently asked questions on our blog, for more information: blog.rosemaryandco.com Any questions please feel free to contact us at: enquiries@rosemaryandco.com Rosemary & Co
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{The NATURAL WORLD} A LOVE of WILDLIFE ART By Anne Corless
Having spent many years living in Nigeria, Australia and Kenya, Anne is continually inspired to create art of the natural world.
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y love of the natural world and seeing wildlife in its natural habitat has led to a life-long desire to create artwork which conveys an array of sights, sounds and memories. As a wildlife artist and conservationist I want to share these precious experiences of a world that is under threat as poaching of wildlife reaches new levels. How I go about producing my own unique style of art comes down to making sure that I use visual reference which I have seen and have first-hand knowledge of. My reference sketches may be quick gestural marks or carefully considered studies. Photographs are continuously so that the images are less about the pose and more about building up a library of information to work from. Colour charts and written notes are my aide memoires. A knowledge of comparative anatomy helps me make sense of what I am looking at. Not everyone can travel to see wildlife in far off destinations but fortunately the natural world surrounds us, if we stop to look. I have seen exquisite artwork of everyday creatures created with great sensitivity and an 30
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obvious understanding of their subject; from intricate drawings of insects to a colourful abstract painting of birds with exaggerated dashes of colour denoting flight. Looking at such artwork evokes an emotional response which outweighs a static work of technical excellence that an artist may have copied from someone else’s photograph. The artists who inspire me know how to make marks that are descriptive, expressive and interpretive; almost like a language of art!
Image courtesy of: Anne Corless Visit Anne’s website at: www.annecorless.com
The JEREMY LIPKING COLLECTION
SET INCLUDES 12 BRUSHES (All long handles unless stated):
Visit Jeremy’s website at : www.lipking.com
Classic Long Flat, Size: 12 Series 279, Masters Choice, Sizes: 1 - 10 Series 441, Pure Kolinsky Sable, SH, Size: 2
FULL SET £126 $136 AVAILABLE FOR
01535 632666 www.rosemaryandco.com
TAKE a LEAF out of OUR BOOK, PAINT AUTUMN with ROSEMARY’S BRUSHES