Welcome back to another exciting year of painting, learning, friendship and fun at our Art Society. I hope you had a restful break, and achieved some magnificent paintings as well.
I want to take some time here to restate the fact that this committee is your representative, and acts, through consensus, in the best interests of the Society as we see it. It is important that if you do not agree with things we decide that you let us know. Things won’t always suit each individual in the Society, but we do try to please, while keeping an eye on the overall balance for all members.
There has been some concern raised about elevating members by inviting them to be guest artists at exhibitions. Part of the reason for this is due to our joining in the larger events of the Fringe and SALA. Whilst we gain much publicity by doing this, we must submit names and images quite a long time before events to be included in the catalogues. Having been caught out by advertising artists and paintings which did not eventually end up in our exhibitions, we decided to get round this by inviting a member to be featured, thus ensuring the work advertised would be there. It has been decided that we shall no longer invite ‘guest artists’, but will have ‘featured members’ instead. And suggestions for who those members are are welcomed, bearing in mind that some members approached already have politely refused!
I have had the pleasure in the last week of spending some time with friends at Victor Harbor, and viewing the Rotary art show. The Society was well represented with entries and sales by the way. It was a particular treat this year to go on the ‘walk around’ with an artist guide. On Monday we had Lorraine Lewitzka, who challenged us to identify the dominating design elements in each painting she talked about. As well as the elements of line, tone, colour, texture and shape, she looked at the overriding principles of unity, dominance, movement and repetition. It was a most enjoyable and informative session.
On Wednesday Terry Lewitzka was our guide, and he continued the lesson by encouraging us all to become better art critics, by being aware, and making our own judgments with informed opinion. He Posed some questions. Is good art free expression? No. Does good art always come from a reputable painter? No. Is good art something that looks good on your wall… as decoration? No. Is good art something that really stands out in an exhibition? No. Does good art have feeling and expression in it? Yes. Does good art have fundamental principles of drawing, tonal value, colour, form and texture underlying it? Yes. He quoted Paul Fitzgerald – ‘Art is…a communication of feeling through some medium, executed with skill.’ And I thank Terry for lending me his notes. I will give you some more of his quotes in later newsletters.
I look forward to seeing your paintings on the walls and your smiling faces at the opening of the Fringe exhibition in February.
Happy painting
