The Pure Watercolour Society Exhibition

I visited my sister in Witney, Oxfordshire recently and took the opportunity to combine it  with a trip to the watercolour exhibition in the nearby small, delightful, Cotswold village of Windrush. This took place under the name of  the "The Pure Watercolour Society", something of a misnomer really as you can't actually join.  Well-known watercolour artists are invited to exhibit at this exhibition by James Fletcher -Watsons daughter, who continues to live in the Fletcher family home, which incorporates a small gallery. I'm not sure how frequently it is held but has been a regular event for some years. Paintings  and prints by James Fletcher-Watson were included, and there were books, cards and various other things for sale. The exhibition was staged between the 16th and 24th (today) of `November.

Jake Winkle

Nineteen artists took part including such notables as David Curtis, Trevor Chamberlain and Robert Wade. The latter, as far as I'm aware the only non British artist. Robert Wade, the doyen of Australian watercolourists,  had taken part in previous exhibitions. Three ladies, Judi Whitton, Josephine Neil and Vanessa Whimney were part of the nineteen. I counted approximately 60 paintings on the walls. On the day we attended there were quite a few visitors as one might expect.

Day and residential courses are held at the gallery and details are above and below.

This is the 2020 schedule.

Overall a very interesting and high class exhibition from a selection of top, primarily British, watercolour artists.

My Latest Paintings

Here are the most recent.

Amerindian Warrior 16" x 12"

On the top is the first version and bottom the 'modified' one.  I did more work on the eyes, the features, especially with regard to colour. I added Translucent Brown from Schmincke (PBr41) to get nearer to the actual face colour of the so-called 'red man'. I have been criticised in the past about my skin colours and while I accept this I don't want to get over-realistic - others can do this a lot better than me, Stan Miller for example and Harley Brown, although Brown's fabulous work is in pastel. I'd rather be 'unfinished' than otherwise. Charles Reids Indians are just great but emulating him is so difficult  and is it wise to do so in a copyist manner?

Musk-ox approx. 14 x 12"

I have now diverged slightly from my late mentor Charles Reid. He very much worked on the 'first try for a finish' principle. As a lesser mortal I've found I need to look at the painting several days afterwards and when I do can  discern that it may need some additional work, taking care not to overwork as I prefer paintings that are 'unfinished". In the one above I've done nothing so far but the blue looks not quite right so may try to soften this.  I know many like paintings' that are super-realistic and every inch of the paper covered with paint. That  isn't me so I'll continue to plough my lonely path. Just joking folks I know my limitations but I enjoy it so what!

Latest Paintings

Here are my latest efforts. Drawings done at home and painted at the latest AVA Thursday session. In general I'm reasonably happy with them - not 100% naturally! I keep trying.

"Two Brothers" 16" x 12"

"A Fine Fellow" 16" x 12"

"Nuts" - Unfinished 16" x 12"

'Black Redstart' 16" x 12"

Not sure about this one tempted to bin it.




Modified Version

Watercolour Painting 60

Here are the latest batch of paintings. They include some where I haven't found the artists names. . If there are mistakes corrections welcomed. A mix of old and newer (or less-known) artists and a wide range of subjects. Hope you like them

Ching Che Lin

Edward Seago - a British Great

Artist ??? (Chien Chung Wei?)

Charles Reid - Greatly Missed

Bev Jozwiak - is this watercolour , acrylics or mixed media. Never sure with Bev

Catherine Rey

John Singer-Sarjeant

Steve Griggs

Tim Wilmott- Never met him (yet) an artist local to me

Artist???

Gerard Hendriks - Particularly like the rich colours here/



Karen Knutson



Bhira Painting -Great



Another from Gerard

Stan MIller. This is on Yupo paper loved by some, loathed by others although increasingly popular for the effects that can be created

Z L Feng - Beautiful blending of colours



Sherry Schmidt



Chien Chung Wei



Ian Ramsey




David Taylor - Top Australian

Viktora Prischedko - Workshops at East Devon Arts in Sidmouth together with husband Slawa



Guilio Boscaing





Lucy Newton

This Weeks Paintings

Here are my latest efforts. A couple of others have been scrapped.

Asian Peasant Farmer 16" x 12"

"What are you looking at? 16" x 12"

"Sports: 16 x 12"

I've actually scrapped this already and it's in the recycle bin. I tear them up! I like the colours but not much else.

Trying the new Van Gogh range.

I've finally got around to trying the new Van Gogh watercolours. In general I'm quite impressed considering how cheap these paints are. I tried the original 40 colour set some years ago and found them perfectly adequate.

Wild Dog Sketch

The colours are in descending order : Permanent Lemon Yellow,  Azomethine Green (PY129 usually called Green-Gold), Rose, Carmine, Quinacridone Rose, Ultramarine Deep, Pyrrol Orange, Quinacridone Purple Blue, Quinacridone Purple Red, Yellow Ochre, Light Oxide Red, Hookers Green, Sap Green, Dusk Pink, Dusk Green, Gold. 

A few observations and bear in mind this is only my preliminary view. The Lemon Yellow seemed on the weak side as is the Gold. Possibly the Ultramarine is a little weak leading to more pigment being used, so with only a 10ml tube this might be exhausted very quickly. I liked the Pyrrol Orange, both the 'Dusk' colours, Lt Oxide Red, the two greens, the reds, most of them if fact. I think I need to buy a few more colours.Sticking to single pigment paints we have  the choice of Transparent Yellow Medium (PY128), Indian Yellow (PY83), Permanent Blue-Violet (PV23), Prussian Blue (PB27), Phthalo Blue (PB15), RawSienna (PY42), Burnt Sienna (PR101 and Burnt Umber (PBr7). Four or five of these to fill the holes in the original batch I purchased of this brand. If you want  Cerulean and/or Cobalt Blue then you have to go to makes that offer the correct pigments not a 'hue' version combining Ultramarine or Phthalo Blue with white. My suggestion is Lukas, Sennelier or even Jacksons own brand (UK artists). In America there are several excellent housebrands with Cheap Joes particularly favoured.

If price is an issue these paints are an excellent choice for the hobby painter and the once a week artist. Don't be seduced into paying a fortune for the leading artists quality paints, indeed some are now calling theirs 'professional quality' with 'artists quality' a lower level! Yes if price is no object but some artists of my acquaintance aren't in this category.

St Petersburg White Knights Watercolours

White Knights, manufactured at St Petersburg in  Russia,  are an inexpensive range of watercolours popular with many artists, especially those on a budget or amateurs who paint occasionally. A professional artist, whose studio by the River Avon I painted at some years ago, there was no tuition as such, majored on acrylics but used the original White Knights when  sometimes painting in watercolour. At that time the range was 40 colours only available in full pans. The number available has gradually increased and 10ml tubes have since been introduced with 77 colours now available.

When Handprint reviewed this range in 2003 they were pretty much damned with many fugitive pigments and other criticisms. His final damning comment was "Overall  ........these paints do not compare even to the best "student quality paints". That was 13 years ago however and things change. I might add you can't take much notice what the suppliers say as all along these paints have been promoted as "Artist Quality". At the time of Handprints review - who didn't take prisoners - there were  55 colours  available in full pans only. This is a Russian company though and with typical Russian practice they don't give  much away.  Have they reformulated the range and are the additives now different ? Gum arabic is mentioned. Was this in the original paints?

A more recent analysis has been made by the Australian artist Jane Blundell www.janeblundellart.blogspot.com. Jane has done a huge amount of work looking at most makes of watercolours and her views  are undoubtedly well worth reading. Her verdict is that " These are very reasonably priced watercolours that perform well". This from September 2016. I've had some small contact with her. A charming lady. The main downside which Jane highlighted is that several fugitive pigments still remain PV1, PV3, PR2, PR4, PO13, PG8 and a few others. The suspect colours are Golden, Venetian (Hue) , Scarlet, Claret, Violet - Rose, Violet, Russian Green. This is a pity as they have - according to the information - introduced many good pigments in the more recent colours so you have to be selective and I suggest somewhat wary. Jane Blundell gives pigment details of all the range on her review of them. If you are interested her blog is a good place to start.  As far as pigments are concerned just "google" the "The :Pigment Database". Prior to this I couldn't find any pigment information on the new colours and have not yet received a reply from the UK distributor requesting they supply me with full pigment details. I have to say since Handprint went into cold storage I see signs of manufacturers backsliding, either not giving pigment details at all or incorrect ones, having changed the formulations but not the tube information.  We had the recent example of Winsor & Newton refusing to say what the pigments were in the new "Cadmium Free" range. How widespread is this becoming? Finally I checked Jacksons prices and they are currently either £3.10p or £4.10p as there are two series. 

Latest Paintings

These are two painted in the last week. I'm reasonably happy with both, particularly the Cody one which is my second attempt at him but using a different reference photo.

Navaho Chief  "Kia - e - te - nita" 1908 16" x 12"

:

"Buffalo Bill" Cody Famous frontier scout and Showman. 16" x 12"

Latest Portrait Paintings and Autumn subject

These are my latest attempts at portraits. Three Indians and one famous figure from the same mid- to late 1800s era. All 16" x 12"

A Lakota Sioux Chief circa 1870s

A Pawnee Warrior circa 1870s

" Buffalo Bill" Cody

Famous Frontiersman and Wild West showman.

"Fun" - Member of Geronimo and Naiches band, the last hostile Apaches to surrender in 1886, officially bringing 200 years of strife with the Apaches to an end.  Almost an end to the strife with all the Indian tribes. The Apaches were the last holdouts.There were still small scale incidents for many years but nothing of any size.

Autumn Berries - 16" x 12"

Autumn Leaves 16" x 12"

The above two paintings were done at my most recent AVA session last week. The leaves were painted from a number I collected where I live. There are a lot of trees.