Interested in art and crafts?

The first watercolour paintings date back possibly to 19000 BC (yes, three noughts there!) when cave painters of Lascaux in the Dorgdogne used remarkably good pigments to produce the first pictures on walls. Egyptian art from around 1350 BC demonstrated stunning draughtsmanship and colours. Around 800 AD, paintings were used by Celtic monks for educational purposes in the Book of Kells.

Fast forwarding to the early Renaissance, burgeoning interest in science and the natural world led, for example, to paintings of native people by John White. He was subsequently offered the governorship of Virginia, now Northern Carolina – an interesting career move for an artist...

The Grand Tours of the 17th and 18th centuries spawned a wealth of watercolour ‘snapshots’ of places visited by the wealthy youth of the day, who would hire painters to travel with them.

Curtis touched on the great masters, including Turner, Constable and Cotman. He explained that William Blake developed an inimitable style of painting with oil and watercolour, which sounded fascinating. He then ran through some of the 20th century artists who influenced him and showed us some of his own work.

Dubbed ‘the controversial watercolourist’ after an incident at a comedy club (we should ask him back again to hear that story!) Curtis certainly lives up to his self-description as ‘really quite a theatrical type’ and the evening was enjoyed by all.

Next month is our AGM, followed by a critique. I hope we have a good turnout. We need new Committee members, so if anyone would like to know more about getting involved, please contact me.

Spring Exhibition – a resounding success!

Attendance levels were higher than they have been for many years at our Spring Exhibition in April – with our extra work on good publicity, word clearly got round that it would have a very different look! Sales were around £3,500, over three times last year's, leading to a very healthy and much needed boost to the Society's funds. It was our most successful exhibition by any commercial criterion since at least 2003 (my records don’t go back further).

Financial considerations are, of course, not everything, but it was a success artistically and aesthetically too - many people commented on the very high standard of the work and how light, bright and professionally presented the exhibition was.

Many more visitors than in previous years made for a real 'buzz' with only the occasional lull to provide a respite for the stewards. With 15 new members exhibiting, the range of art and craft on offer was wide. The schools’ exhibits were striking and attracted a lot of interest; prizewinners were Nikki Howard from Rydens and Rosie Martyr from Hinchley Wood School.

Prizewinners among our members were Laura Bond, with Best in Show for ‘Taxi’ and Tiffany Budd for the best depiction of the changes in Oxshott Woods. Janet Abbott won the visitors’ vote by a very clear lead for ‘Winter, Stoke d’Abernon’. Local artist Ros Moysen very kindly gave us her time to judge the exhibition, for which we are most grateful.

Some visitors’ comments

•“Excellent, one of your best I have seen at Oxshott for some time”

•“Refreshingly different from past exhibitions”

•“Very beautiful and friendly”

•“Good to see more contemporary art on display”

•“Nice having artists at work”

I’d like to say a very big ‘thank you’ to all those members and friends – you know who you are, too numerous to mention here! – who rallied around to help the event go smoothly.

Do make a very early mental note to come along next year, and indeed to our exhibition at Denbies in November. I shall not be chairing the Society then as I will not be seeking re-election at our AGM in July, but I’m confident a new Chairman will be found to build on this year’s changes and achievements.

We’ll be welcoming Curtis Tappenden back in June. Curtis delivered a most entertaining demonstration on gel pens for us last year and his talk on watercolour is bound to be engaging, so do join us, Tuesday June 8th at 7.45!