"The friendly Society"
Carol, best known for her atmospheric landscapes, is making a welcome return visit to the Society. She first developed her passion for painting in the Far East in the 1960's, studying oil painting for two years and Chinese painting for over a year. Carol paints in both oils and watercolour and is a qualified Adult Education Teacher, organising workshops and demonstrations throughout the country. She also runs workshops at her studio near Matlock.
A self taught artist from the Black Country, Brian is inspired by abstract elements within the subject and aims to capture the light and atmosphere of the subject, whether landscape, seascape or an interior. He exhibits throughout the UK and supplies his work to numerous commercial galleries. He has recently been listed in the Who's Who in Art. Some of Brian's Norfolk seascapes were spotted and purchased by ITV for Steven Fry's office walls in the series "Kingdom".
And now for something different! Geoff has been a professional artist, cartoonist and humorist for over 30 years and has worked for hundreds of well known companies producing paintings, celebrity portraits and illustrations and cartoons for greeting cards, advertising and packaging. He also painted several postage stamp collections including "Charles and Diana's Royal Wedding", "Lake Placid Winter Olympics" and Spain's "World Cup Football Series". Geoff has also published a series of comedy novels about madcap artist David Day.
Vic is a self taught Professional Wildlife and Pet Portrait Artist, specialising in Pastel on Velour but also working in pencil and acrylic. Having spent part of his childhood in Kenya, Vic has been drawing from a very early age. Vic is passionate about wildlife, wolves in particular, and has supported various wildlife conservation organisations by donating prints and running workshops. He constantly receives comments of how lifelike his work is and how they are often mistaken for photographs.
David started painting in 1982 as a hobby while he was working as an engineer. After being made redundant he applied for "The New Enterprise Allowance Scheme" which enabled him to turn his hobby into a profession. After some years selling at Craft Fairs and local exhibitions, David began teaching at night classes. His subjects vary, mainly landscapes, townscapes and many architectural subjects. He also enjoys nostalgic subjects such as steam trains. He enjoys working in Watercolour, Pencil and Pen and Wash.
David lives in Bedford where he spends his time teaching and painting the villages and countryside of the Ouse Valley. An experienced teacher in Watercolour painting and Drawing, he is especially aware of the needs of adult beginners or those returning to Art after many years. David has a Diploma in Botanical Illustration and works closely with the Eden Project. He is also one of the resident tutors for the "Saga and Spirit of Adventure Cruises". He is a registered Professional Artist of the SAA and also represents Derwent Pencils.
This is Eric's second visit to our society. A self taught artist from Bromsgrove, he originally worked as a Designer in the Automobile Industry. He has become well known for his sympathetic detailed portraits of animals and birds, spending time studying them in their natural habitat. Eric's commissions have been published in cards, fabrics, tiles and bone china. The mediums he uses are Pastels, Pencil, Acrylic, Gouche and Watercolour, building up from a base to a creation of stunning detail.
Mike is one of the very few artists who use just three colours in all of his paintings. This technique is shown in his colour mixing book which shows beginners and improvers how to mix 1000 colours from just 3. Mike was a member of the Society of Lithographic Artists, Designers and Engravers for over 40 years producing fine art prints for himself and other established artists. Mike will be bringing cards, frames, original paintings, prints and the Colour Mixing Book that are available to purchase.
Terry is a prolific and popular demonstrator who is known for his friendly and informative style showing how to paint "The Easy Way". With the success of his last book "Brush with Watercolour" he has now released his second book "Brush with Acrylics". With increased interest in acrylics, Terry's aim is to show how versatile and easy to use the medium is. With an uncomplicated approach he hopes he will encourage artists to try out his technique themselves.
Angus is a self taught artist who likes to work in most media. His style varies depending on the subject and he loves painting everything from landscapes to Traction Engines. A keen demonstrator for Art Societies he especially enjoys working in watercolour and so will show us his technique of working "Wet in Wet".
John is making a welcome return visit to the Society. Born in Nottingham in 1969, John is a professional water colour artist with no formal art training. Success came quickly for John - his work was likened to Edward Seago (1920 - 1974). He has exhibited at the Royal Watercolour Society and has also won first prize at Nottingham Society of Art 2006. John exhibits in a selection of galleries throughout the UK.
