Autumn for Artists. So now it’s getting colder but there are always lovely warmish days in between the cold ones, so I’m off out at every opportunity to capture those Autumn Colours! It’s time to seek out your thermal wear, ski clothing, on those chilly days when out painting. You will also need your cadmium orange and practice mixing cool greys and blues, to help show of the autumn colours, at their finest.
At this time I’m also choosing works for open entry competitions and exhibitions. Some local and others in London. You’d be surprised how many there are and how random the selection process seems to be. Each year many excellent artworks are rejected and some real ‘oddballs’ are accepted. So you will need to be thick skinned and an optimist. At the same time you may meet rejection, yes it happens. Remember the best artists in the past also had to submit their works for scrutiny, in the same way, and they often met with rejection.
Exhibitions are also popular at this time of year, so choosing the ‘strongest’ images and making framing choices is par for the course. The paintings which are not selected for exhibitions are then photographed and put into online shops and galleries, where they should reach a wider worldwide audience. I use Artfinder, and have about 360 paintings currently online.
When it gets too cold to sit outdoors for a couple of hours at a time, I and my friends find indoor locations to paint, such as cafes and pubs, who sometimes allow painting, or each others studios, where we can paint each other, or set up a still life or two. Still life painting offers all the challenges and benefits of ‘plein air’ painting, it makes you really look carefully at all the subtleties of light and shade. Colour choices, shapes, mixing and choosing appropriate tonal values are also vital to practice.
As we are getting close to Christmas, I thought I’d help highlight some local organisations who actively help artists and who also do great work in the local community, here in East Kent!
York Street Gallery, Ramsgate – It’s their 10th year of supporting local artists with exhibition opportunities, ably managed by Mike Samson. A fresh show each week in an award winning gallery!
King Street Studio and Gallery, Margate – offers exhibition space and first rate teaching, to raise funds which then goes to support people with special needs and the Ageless Thanet project. They also offer lovely teas and cakes in their own cafe.
Nice Things, Ramsgate – Is a beautiful shop in Harbour Street, full of interior and gift ideas and their own gallery space with regular fresh exhibitions.
Lovelys, Cliftonville – Is our local family owned Art Shop and Gallery with a long history and fine reputation for all art materials and quality exhibitions.
Turner Contemporary Margate – An international reputation, and a must visit for contemporary art enthusiasts.
If it is too cold to venture outside, then you might wish to take a look in my online gallery,
Till the next time, thank you for reading.