Month: April 2020

SKY Arts Portrait Artist of the Week (PAOTW) Sun 26th April 2020

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Those members who joined in the live session broadcast last Sunday all enjoyed themselves and would highly recommend you join in for the next 3 Sundays. If you do, then send me (Tracy QP) your paintings by Tuesday evening and I will post them on the Wednesday. You can see paintings by other people on Facebook and Instagram with the hashtag #myPAOTW.

The sitter was dancer and choreographer Akram Khan, who sat so still that it looked like the screen had frozen. He did go out a couple of times to bounce on a trampoline in his garden with his son, which he said helped him stop fidgeting!

Winner of PAOTY 2020, Christabel Blackburn, painted from her home and the usual 3 judges joined in the broadcast too.

Here’s the screenshot of Akram that people could work from after the programme, and Christabel and her painting which she intends to complete.

Cynthia sketching along on Sunday and created a wonderful pastel portrait during the programme itself. Afterwards she painted another portrait in watercolours.


Rosie painted along and finished 20 minutes short of the 4 hours.

Steve painted standing at an easel, working from a screenshot of Akram at a different angle, which he preferred. He really enjoyed the experience and learnt a lot.

Tracy did 3 small sketches on the day (the first two awful, the third a little better), but ended up watching Christabel paint most of the time. Afterwards she used the screenshot to work on a portrait of Akram in brown coloured pencil, studying the tones and shadows on his face. His eyes were definitely the hardest part to get right.

Dot has drawn Akram from the screenshot that was taken of him during the live programme.. A really good likeness, well done.

Here’s more info about the programme.

6 days later all paintings by the general public submitted to Facebook and Instagram were judged and these were considered the top three…

Dot’s and Tracy’s ‘Isolation’ paintings

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Here are pictures painted in isolation, about isolation.

Dot’s is particularly poignant, with the different generations having to keep their distance at the moment, but hopeful of a reconciliation before too long.

Tracy’s watercolour is based upon a poem called ‘The Old Astronomer’, written by Sarah Williams in 1868. A long time ago but with words that have particular resonance now.

Painting Together

/ Susan / 5 Comments

As we were unable to meet for our usual monthly Saturday we invited members to work from home. It was encouraging to receive messages from members saying they had settled down to start painting at 10am, our normal starting time. Well done Tracy for spurring everyone on.

To take the time to set aside the day made it feel special, and under these unusual times it created a sense of coming together and hopefully lifted the spirits.

We have a few photos of members painting.

Here are the results our our Saturday workshop from home

Suzan’s acrylic on the theme of isolation
Ann B has used collage materials to create these ‘Faberge Eggs’
Jane’s Vincent Van Gogh inspired blossom oil painting was painted on a 7 x 5 inch block canvas
Ruth’s pastel and gouache painting of the Pear blossom in her garden
Susan’s mixed media study inspired by a walk last week on the Pilgrim’s Way. Materials used include watercolour, acrylic ink, granulation medium, coloured pencil and gouache. Painted on Saunders Waterford Rough 12 x 9
Susan’s watercolour painted from a photo torn from a magazine. Painted on Geoff Kersey’s High White Saunders Waterford Rough paper 12 x 9
Tracy has used the flowers from her neighbour to paint a card to say thank you for the flowers!
Peter’s two acrylic paintings of dogs
Christine’s watercolour Easter painting and acrylic woodpecker
This is Cynthia’s watercolour painting of her Calla Lilies which are just starting to flower in her garden.
These are Denise’s two silk paintings
Juliet has painted these tulips from her garden
Ron  took a photo from his garden of some pink tulips he has growing and started sketching them. He is using watercolour pencils on acrylic paper 190g. As you can see from the photo, the sketching part is done. Now to add water to draw out the colours more…..to be continued…
Steve used a photo he took last year of the cockerel that wanders around the tea room at Owletts in Cobham. It’s acrylic on hardboard

Steve’s blossom painting

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Steve and his wife have been walking as their daily exercise and he took a photo of tree blossom as they walked along Rochester Road, near Chalk.

The painting is in watercolour with white acrylic on the blossom to lift and highlight the flowers on the paper. It took 4 sessions to paint and he nearly gave up. It’s good that you didn’t give up, Steve, as the painting is excellent!

You have captured a moment in time with the blossom swaying in the breeze, giving off a gentle scent. It is very like Vincent van Gogh’s blossom paintings as you have given the blossom life and texture.