The latest news from the Sidmouth Society of Artists (SSA) is that in conjunction with the Exmouth Art Group (EAG) we were treated to an excellent Zoom demonstration by Catherine Beale, a well-known international watercolour artist.
Catherine began her artistic career in Singapore with oils in the 1990s where her first solo exhibition was hosted by the British High Commissioner’s residence. Her painting was influenced by the colours of South East Asia.
On her return to Bath in 2006 she was influenced by the misty countryside in the surrounding area and felt that this leant itself more to a watercolour medium and thus her career evolved. She wanted to convey the excitement of “fast and loose” watercolours.
She demonstrated for us her unique technique using a lovely wave painting inspired by a family trip to Lamorna, Cornwall. She appreciates the use of a camera to identify certain important points but then discards this and lets her imagination take over. Interestingly enough Catherine had no formal training and look where she is now. She has offered to give us a live workshop which I am sure will be very well attended.
An exciting piece of news is that congratulations should be offered to two of our members who entered the International Competition for the conservation society Explorers against Extinction. 1,000 international artists took part, and our very own Cherry Ferris is a finalist and Margot Cornish has been highly recommended. We are thrilled for them both so watch this space!
Throughout October, we are also participating in the “Inktober” Challenge created by Jake Parker back in 2009 as a way to improve inking skills and develop positive drawing habits. It has since grown into a worldwide endeavour with thousands of artists taking part each year. Each day the artist is asked to respond to a daily prompt and make a quick sketch for 10 minutes.
The SSA is returning to its live demonstrations at Kennaway House in October, respecting any Covid restrictions in place, with visitors most welcome.
Information about SSA and EAG is available on their websites.
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