Focal Point Issue Six
February 2014
In-house Magazine of the
Western Cape Artists’ Society
Focal Point Issue Six
February 2014
Editorial We are already several weeks into another year and I’m sure many of you will have been thinking about what you would like to achieve during 2014. The WCAS committee is also busy planning the year ahead for you, our members. The society exists to serve the needs of our members and we love to hear from any of you (whether new or old members) with ideas or suggestions. We have 3 main sections to our service:
To provide monthly meetings to stimulate the creativity or knowledge of members To offer workshops (at least 2 per year) where members obtain practical experience in new artistic skills Organising regular exhibitions where members can show their latest work and hopefully sell. We hold 2 annual exhibitions but in 2013 we managed 2 additional ones (one at Imibala and one at Livewell Suites) which resulted in additional sales. I would like to request that as many of you as possible give us feedback on our services.
Do you take part in one, two or three sections? If you do, are we meeting your expectations? If you do not attend some of the sections, please tell us why.
Please send your feedback to kathywivel@gmail.com At our AGM in February we will be electing a new committee who we hope will continue to build on the strong foundation of previous committees. Here I would like to say a huge thank you to Di White who has held the chair for the past two years and done a fantastic job. During her tenure she has opened the society to a wider group of artists, listened to your ideas and developed a facebook page and monthly newsletter and this magazine. We have had some excellent speakers to open our exhibitions and inspiring workshop leaders and professional judging at selection for our exhibitions. Thank you so much Di and we hope that you will now be able to devote more time to your own artistic skills. In this magazine we will look at who we create art for and how we critique artwork. Some tips are given for loosening up and working faster to stop fiddling with detail. We have had some interesting submissions from members too which I am sure you will find of interest. It is so good to receive these interesting messages and so please continue to submit them to me. Kathy Wivell
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Articles in this issue Page Branch member news
Annual Merit & Little Gems Exhibition December 2013
The long read
Who do we create art work for and how do we critique artwork?
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In conversation with… Marion Langton
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The artistic journey
Inspiration from Gavin Collins
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Learning points
How to loosen up
Out and About
Barrydale artistic upliftment festival – by Anita Glenister
From our members
Dividing your time – by Ann Selbach
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Sumi-e and Chinese painting - by Moira Hulley What’s on
Local gallery guide
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Branch member news
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The Long Read Who do we create art work for? How do we critique artwork? Quote - “Any artist should paint what they love and think about and feel about most strongly. Artists do a lot simply by documenting the beauty of what they see – and by acknowledging that it is finite. It is one way of saving and preserving.” Adam Strauss
Most of us start to create art because we enjoy the process and we give little thought to anyone looking at our work – we are creating for our own pleasure. However, as we grow as artists our attitudes may change and we may be more concerned with the viewer than with ourselves. I know of some artists who create similar work over and over because it is selling well, tweaking it a bit here or a bit there. They are clearly painting for a buying public. Other artists obtain commissions and so they paint to the customer’s desire. In this case there has to be some relationship between the type of art the artist produces and the request from the customer. Artists may want to enter work for the prestige of winning competitions or awards. This allows them to have free rein but within certain rules of the competition – some being more restrictive than others.
Quote – “Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.” Edward de Bono
Some artists want to continue to push the boundaries, either of their own knowledge or of the established art world. One such group is those generally referred to as “street artists”. (Here we need to distinguish between artists and those who want to vandalise space or make territorial statements) Street artists also work from various motivations but they want to communicate with the public at large about socially relevant themes and they are commonly using their art to make political statements for the oppressed as can be seen in Egypt, Libya and Madrid. While some street artists wish to raise social or political awareness, others simply see urban space as an untapped format for their personal artwork whilst yet others relish the adrenalin rush of illicit artwork in public spaces. Many just want their work to reach a wider
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audience than the traditional galleries allow. Some view street art as a criminal activity, some as a denigration of our city walls, others see it as a form of art or a way of beautifying ugly industrial or derelict buildings. Some cities are setting up legal walls for street art and some artists obtain commissions for huge murals on public buildings or have their work displayed in art galleries or on film. Quote – “I have never seen a painting that I couldn’t be interested in. Even when I go to a little motel and see someone painting a little pink poodle, I know how difficult it is to get that bunch of chemicals translated to a surface without embarrassing yourself beyond belief.” Picasso
Therefore, I ask which critic is correct? This leads on to the question - What is the value of critiques? Robert Genn in his regular newsletters recently commented on the way workshops critique work. He says there are several ways instructors go about this: Where the instructor crits each work one at a time either one-onone or with the group
Another is where the instructor picks out work that needs help and explains how to fix it Students may be asked to crit each other’s work The better work may be examined so that students learn more from seeing and talking about better work Another way he has tried, is to get the learners to crit the instructor’s work without the use of words such as love, like, nice and good. He noticed that the novices are often freer with their opinions than those with more skill. The lesson here is that opinions vary widely and no one crit is an accurate reflection of another’s work. Quote – “certain defects are necessary for the existence of individuality.” Johan Wolfgang von Goethe
Many of us do not consciously think of who we are painting for and why, but maybe we should. Some of us take the critiques of others too seriously. Maybe we need to take them for what they are – the opinions of others, which we may agree or disagree with.
”If the object of crits is to hone our critical abilities, then we are winning. If it’s to give arbitrary personalized opinions, then it’s not so hot. The wisdom of crits may be simply to build the faculty of ‘authority’.” Robert Genn 6
In conversation with
Marion Langton Continuing in our interview series with some of our long-standing WCAS members, I interviewed Marion in her bright and busy studio at her home in Somerset West. Her initial comment to me was that “every artist should have a wife – I’d rather do a watercolour wash than the laundry!” Interview by Chris Hall
When did you first realise you wanted to be an artist? When I was 10 years old and attending Rondebosch Girls School, it was clear that I was artistic, but it wasn’t encouraged. We were expected to strive for something more academic. It wasn’t until I was 40 when I met Len Thomas; I had asked him about art lessons, then I changed my mind and tried to cancel – but he wouldn’t let me. So I studied under Len for two years.
Who has been your biggest inspiration or role model? Ray Bridgman made a big impression; he was a purist. Then Susan du Preez, Stephanie Watson and Barbara Burry. I met local artists through SWAG (Somerset West Art Group). I also studied under Derric van Rensburg and Dale Elliot.
Which medium do you prefer to work in? Why? I am passionate about watercolour; it’s sophisticated and very versatile. And you can just do it now! There’s no smell, no special preparation…and it always surprises. 7
What inspires you most as a subject matter? I began painting flowers from the garden, then landscapes. I paint figures, mostly women – maybe that comes from the feminist in me! I begin my paintings with random washes and then I look for shapes. I create the images from there to develop the painting. It’s painting in the negative.
Have you ever experienced a real bolt of lightning – a moment that changed your art going forwards? When I started teaching I changed the way I worked to prevent ‘cloning’ by my students. I teach subject matter every day. But the technique which I have developed means the shapes and the paintings are my own.
How do you feel about the South African art world at the moment? Exciting, interesting, and certainly not boring. Not everything appeals to me of course but South African art and South African artists are definitely coming to the fore. We see the impact that South African art is making by the prices it achieves overseas, such as Bonhams Auction House in London.
This magazine speaks mainly to part time artists who want to improve their work. What advice would you give them? The four d’s: desire, dedication, determination and discipline. And damned hard work! Most important is drawing. Any painting is good if the drawing is good. You can learn drawing, it’s doesn’t have to be a gift And of course you’re learning all the time with art. Personally I love to have other people’s art around me.
Marion’s painting, “Mother and Child Reunion” demonstrating her unique style and use of watercolour Marion is an Associate of the Watercolour Society of South Africa, and a Fellow of the South African Society of Artists. She was awarded a medal of appreciation by the South African National Association of Visual Arts in 2010 for promoting art nationally and locally. 8
The artistic journey “Releasing your artistic self gives rise to a life of pleasure and struggle – as you use art to create your own reality. Painters are philosophers, psychologists, mathematicians, chemists, scientists and poets.”
Gavin Collins opened our annual Merit and Little Gems exhibition in the Circle Centre on December 12th 2013. In his excellent opening speech he said that in general artists have a bad reputation and are seen as people who paint for fun. It is not taken as a serious occupation. He cited the example of applying to the bank for a loan and when hearing that he is an artist, they don’t look too favourably upon him. He asked if a vet who loves animals would be accused of operating on your pet just for fun, or is the dentist having fun filling your teeth? It is therefore an uphill battle for artists to be taken seriously. He now prefers to refer to himself as a painter rather than an artist. He has vowed to not let any picture leave his studio in 2014 unless it is better than his last piece of work. Maybe we should all try to follow suit. “To me painting is more important than art. None of us know what art is. It is an abstraction. It is not concrete. It is a discourse. In other words, it has to do with verbal construction. You never can prove it. Everybody has a different idea about it, even though there can be a confluence or consensus.” Wayne Thiebaud
See some of Gavin’s work here
Visit his gallery on facebook
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Learning points “Painting is very easy when you don’t know how, but very difficult when you do.” Edgar Degas Styles of artwork Realist
the representation of objects, actions, social conditions, unembellished and as they actually are
Figurative
artwork clearly derived from real object sources – not necessarily of figures or animals
Impressionist
characterized mainly by short brush strokes of bright colour in immediate juxtaposition to represent the effect of light on objects
Classical
from ancient Greece, Italian Renaissance painting and sculpture – a renewal of classical forms, motifs and subjects
Decorative
traditionally a term for the design and manufacture of functional items such as ceramics, glassware, textiles, wallpaper and carvings
Naïve
often characterized by a childlike simplicity in it subject matter and technique with usually no respect for the basic rules of perspective
Whimsical
fanciful, playful and odd – usually in an endearing way
Expressionist
is the tendency of the artist to distort reality for emotional or spiritual effect
Graphic
is typically 2 dimensional and includes calligraphy, photography, drawing, painting, printmaking, lithography, silk-screen printing. It also consists of drawn plans and layouts for interior and architectural designs
Abstract
art that uses visual language of form, colour and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references of the world – fauvism and cubism
Maybe we need to consider which style our work falls into?
“Invest in yourself. Quality material, and lots of it, can make the difference in expanding your creativity. People are often too timid with expensive inks and papers. A plentiful supply of materials frees you for successful experimentation.” Maxine Mansfield
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Activity: Loosening up exercises I’m sure we’ve all heard of “self-fulfilling prophecy” – whereby the way in which you act encourages you to feel and be that way. So if you wish to show that you are a confident painter, you need to act as if you are really confident. If you want a less labored look to your work, act as if you are painting en plein air and have to work quickly before the light or movement changes. Ways you can loosen up:
1. Grab a large brush and stop fiddling with a small one 2. Give yourself a time limit - I recently started to make 30 minute sketches – drawing and painting of my entire subject in A4 size and I found that it helped me a lot. It helps to eliminate all the tiny fiddly detail we get caught up with and makes us concentrate on the main shapes, colours, values and focus in our work. 3. Have all your materials ready and set a timer to one minute. Scrutinise your photo or object for the minute and then move it away and do not look at it again until you have finished the painting 4. Give yourself a ten minute timescale to complete a small (15 x 20cm) painting. Have 3 or 4 large brushes ready so that you don’t need to worry about washing them too much (particularly for acrylic and oil paint). Use thick paint in luscious ways and simplify your subject to basics but see it within its background. If these seems too daunting, try a monochromatic painting first and then move to colour 5. Complete a landscape picture in either 37 minutes or 37 strokes of the brush
Be strict with yourself and stop when your time is up. It is better to be 15 – 20% underpainted than 1% over-painted. Remember paintings are to be seen and not of what is actually seen. Let us know how you got on with any of these exercises and whether they helped you!
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Out and about review Anita Glenister sent us this account of her trip to Barrydale My daughter, Beatrice, and I went to Barrydale over the December 16th holiday weekend. Volunteers work with the youth of Smitsville (township) to create a pageant/ parade each year. A local story is chosen as a theme and over a two week period the youth work on preparing for the pageant with a focus on using recycled materials to create puppets and props. Net vir Pret of Barrydale, Magpie and Handspring Trust are among the sponsors/show producers. Mentors train group leaders to make props and puppets who then work with the youth in construction, choreography, dance under the guidance of an ethnic director. This year was the first time they had lights and instruments to form a band. After only 2 months of musical tuition they could perform. Their theme for this year was based on the mythical mermaid of the Karoo. The event took place on Sunday December 15th in the evening – a fitting link to the burial of Madiba. There was time for concern when the heavens opened just as the parade was about
to start from the township school sports ground. All the electrical equipment and puppets had to be hastily covered. Then a rainbow appeared and two parade groups were organized to go separate ways and meet again at the school. We followed the one procession where a life size elephant puppet ambled along and it was such a happy carnival walk with perfect photographic lighting after the rain. Townsolk, Barrydale supporters and plenty of visitors crammed the viewing area. Handspring had supporters from England, Toronto, Johannesburg and Cape Town. This is the third year and each one has improved upon the last. I was so impressed with the final result of the production. These children had obviously shown commitment not only creating the puppets to put across a story using large numbers to sing and dance as well. I was uplifted by the grateful thanks of the youth leaders to their mentors at the after-party braai sponsored by Handspring Trust. They obviously gained so much and were appreciative. They were left with the hope that one day post school they would aim for tertiary education at UniWestCape – one of their professors was also involved.
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From our members Dividing your time Ann Selbach sent us the following article taken from Vol 9 issue 11 November 2013 Virtual Art “So how do you divide your time and study time? This is up to you. Personally I spend 90% of my time as study and 10% of my time as painting time. This is partly because of my own personal drive to become a better painter, but also, I suspect, because I’ve noticed that many of my “best” paintings were produced during the study time. It seems likely that you do your best work when the pressure is off, and you are more adventurous. When you do a little practice regularly, spread over a period of time, you retain it better than if you practice a lot, concentrated in a short period of time, and then do not practice again until the next burst of activity.”
Following on from that I came across an article recently in Artist Daily November 22nd 2013 about doing 5 minute drawings to both free you up and to help you plan a composition. This way you concentrate on gesture, focus on how to draw organic lines and really explore the composition or pose. This can help you to start thinking of the separate parts as a whole and can lead to interesting compositions. It is a good idea to start by drawing a rectangular box to work in. This makes one concentrate on where to put certain elements into a composition. Because these drawings are produced at speed you should not be concerned about what you produce, but they will help you to learn good drawing and composition habits such as working from large to small, adding depth by overlapping edges and using a broad range of values. Give it a try.
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Sumi-e and Chinese Painting Moira Hulley sent us an article explaining Sumi-e and Chinese painting as used in her recent works displayed at the Merit exhibition.
In my painting of a blue orchid on black paper I used the Sumi-e and Chinese painting technique. Using the principal of a loaded brush I started using pressure on the stems and leaves. The feel of force produced on the leaves is created from the movement of the tip of the brush and represents growth. The flowers were painted with blue watercolour and white poster paint. I paint with liquid paint mixed with poster paint – called gouash in the old days (not the same as the ready mixed gouache). Blue ink is popular in Japan. Chinese painters and calligraphers are very fond of brown ink. Although popular with modern learners liquid pigment particles are larger than those made with an ink stone. They are less reflective and appear truly black. Which some, such as myself, prefer. I also use Chinese white with watercolours.
For the painting of the pink peonies I soaked the brush in the chosen colour. Here I used pink and then outlined the petals in shades of white which gave the separation of the petals and created a three dimensional effect. Brushes are held upright for flowers and you alter the pressure with your wrist to change to three dimensional forms. To make your painting graceful – or even dancing – we use two or three different colours on one brush, unlike Western painting. Modern Sumi-e painters are often influenced by western work, as my work is, sharing a studio with my husband, premier watercolour artist Wallace Hulley. Painting and calligraphy brushes made in the Orient come in different shapes, lengths and types of hair e.g. goat, rabbit, sheep, horse etc. The brushes made of the softer hair are harder to handle. Stiffer brushes allow you to create shapes ranging all the way from a thin 14
line to a broad stroke. We were recommended to start our learning with a Chinese brush. My flower paintings are done mostly in the Chinese Chow Chian Chin etc. style which has freedom, simplicity and interesting composition. These flowers are sometimes overdone by too many blossoms. I am often watched by Wallace and he tells me “If you don’t know what to do with your brush, PUT IT DOWN. Invaluable advice to all types of painting.
Chinese painting is depicted in symbols and Japanese more influenced by subjective feeling. On the other hand artists are fee to employ and create something that becomes totally their own. All in all painting is therapeutic and joyful – to be spontaneous and give pleasure is delightful – so we keep doing it. (adapted from the original script by Moira)
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What’s on: your local gallery guide Imibala Fine Art Gallery 06 Feb – 01 March ‘People & Places’ in association with Everard Read, Cape Town Ricky Dyaloyi, Vusi Khumalo and Velaphi Mzimbz 16 Bright Street Somerset West / 021 852 2411 www.facebook.com/Imibalafineartgallery Johans Borman Fine Art - 08 Feb - 09 Feb 50th SAADA Antiques Fair: Exhibiting a selection of SA Masters and leading contemporary artists. 16 Kildare Road, Newlands, Cape Town /021 683 6863 www.johansborman.co.za UCT Irma Stern Museum - 11 Feb - 15 March Stanley Hermans: Recent work. Themes of transition, transformation and restructuring are the outcome of attempts at self-expression that might lead to results of conviction, originality and purpose. Cecil Road, Rosebank, Cape Town / 021 685 5686 www.irmastern.co.za/exhibitions.htm
Rose Korber Art ROSE KORBER'S SUMMER SHOW: Until 15 March A comprehensive annual overview of the current state of contemporary South African art paintings, original prints, photograph and Shangaan beadwork. 48 Sedgemoor Road, Camps Bay / 27 (0)21 4389152 www.rosekorberart.com Salon 91 - Until 22 Feb Away - A Solo Exhibition of Recent Works by Sarah Pratt 91 Kloof Street , Gardens, Cape Town/ +27 21 424 6930 www.salon91.co.za Stephan Welz & Co. Cape Town - 19 - 23 February 2014 Decorative & Fine Art Auction Viewing 25 February 2014 - Decorative & Fine Art Auction www.stephanwelzandco.co.za
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