Impressions Newsletter

May 2010

Greetings,

Welcome to this May newsletter.  The year is flying past – I already have an appointment with one supplier to select items for Christmas stock this month!
I have to thank Larisse Hall for running two very successful workshops on behalf of Impressions over the last two months featuring the use of texture and mixed media. We have also enjoyed displaying a sampling of her work in our window throughout April.

 Now we are planning two more workshops –

 the first due to popular request will develop on the theme of the first two and is titled “Mixed Media Further Explored” to be held on  Sunday 16 May. Places are strictly limited to just 8 to enable a high level of individual attention. The fee is just $60.00. For details check out our website http://www.impressionsnelson.co.nz/impressions-art-workshops.htm 

Information about the next workshop on portraiture will be advertised on our website www.impressionsnelson, as soon as the details are finalised.

Winsor & Newton Pastels – Save 50% while stocks last.

 

Since we announced that this range has been discontinued, the pastels have been selling fast. So now, to clear out the remaining stock, all W&N pastels are reduced by 50%. We need the space now to introduce our new range of artist quality pastels to take their place.

May is Watercolour Month at Impressions.

Throughout the month a number of artists who paint in watercolour from Art Group Nelson, will be demonstrating their skills by painting in-store at different times throughout the month. (See the timetable below.) Plus, we are displaying works from several of these artists in the window. Throughout the days of the month when no-one is painting in-store, we will be playing watercolour teaching DVD’s which are available to be ordered. Feel free, if you have time to spare, to pop in, pull up a chair and watch a painting demonstration or DVD lesson.

Watercolour Painting In-store Schedule (This may change without notice).

The artists will arrive at 10am and paint for about 2 hours, or until they are ready to stop. You are invited to call in and watch them paint, and have a chat about Art Group Nelson, while you are here.

Monday 3 May - Val Dirou
Wednesday 5th - Val Daly
Thursday 6th -  Jill Brathwaite, Judy Campbell
Friday 7th -  Paddy Wilkins

Monday 10th – Eileen Kortooms
Tuesday 11th – Maureen Batt
Wednesday 12th – Tony Milner
Thursday 13th – Barrie Lane, Judy Campbell

Monday 17th – Betty Don
Tuesday 18th – Jenny Walker
Wednesday 19th – Gill Charlton
Friday 21st – Doug Price

Wednesday 26th – Tony Milner

Watercolour Painting Hint

Making Corrections

The following text is extracted from The Encyclopaedia of Watercolour Techniques by Hazel Harrison and is on sale for $52.15. The edition uses step-by-step photography demonstrations of more than 35 techniques for working in a wide range of water-based media. It explores traditional watercolour as well as more experimental methods and tricks of the trade.

“It is a common belief that watercolours cannot be corrected, but, in fact, there are several ways of making changes, correcting or modifying parts of a painting.
If it becomes clear early on that something is badly wrong, simply put the whole thing under cold running water and wipe away the offending colour, or, for a tiny area, use a wet brush.
It must be said, though, that some colours are more permanent than others – sap green for example, is hard to remove totally – and that some papers hold onto the pigment with grim determination. Arches is one of the latter, but other papers will wash clean very well.
As a painting nears completion, you may find that there are too many hard edges or not enough highlights. Edges can be softened by the water treatment described above, but here the best implement to use is a dampened cotton bud. Both these and sponges are near-essentials in watercolour painting, as they are ideal for lifting out areas of paint to create soft highlights.”

Impressions Art Club Members’ May Special

This month Impressions Art Club Members holding our discount card can save 15% on all artist grade Daler Rowney and Winsor & Newton watercolours in stock.

Products New Into Stock

• Chunky Charcoal – in black, sepia and sanguine. Great for loose, expressive drawings.
• Book Tape – In response to a number of requests over the last few weeks, I have added a book repair tape to our stock. This clear tape is used to repair book covers and spines.
• Zig Water brushes – While we have stocked Zig Water brushes for some time, now we are able to include an extra broad brush to the range.
•  Isabey Fitch Oil Brushes – a cheaper alternative to sable brushes, these long-handled brushes have a head of fitch hair which is a highly resilient natural filament. Our trials with this brush so far have shown that the short hair gives good control, and the brush head retains excellent shape when painting and feels perfectly balanced in the hand. In fact they are already proving so popular that I need to get new stocks in!

Exhibition

Would you like a beer with that art? 

From May 20 you have an excuse to pop out to the Upper Moutere's famous pub. The Mapua Art Group (MAG) is holding an exhibition at the Moutere Inn - New Zealand's oldest pub. They're famous for their selection of craft beer and local wines. The exhibition works cover a range of mediums and styles and you're invited to attend the opening 7pm Thursday May 20.
The exhibition runs until June 14 and all works are for sale.

New Horizons Paintings by Yemaya Spence will be exhibited from 3 to 28 May at Momentum Art Gallery, Equilibrium Chiropractic, 10 Church Street, Nelson.

2010 Art Awards

Planning for the Arts Council Nelson Impressions Art Awards 2010 are well underway, so expect entry forms to be out shortly. Keep an eye on our website for information and forms. There will be some changes to entry conditions so be sure to check them out.

In Closing...

This month we do not have a featured artist, due to no-one forwarding their information to me. If you would like to promote your art, whether-or-not it is for sale, in a free spot in one of our future newsletters, simply email two images in JPEG together with a brief resume which describes your background and practise as an artist.

We expect to be very busy in-store in the coming month with the painting demonstrations in-store and general day-to-day business. I hope you find time to call in and see what’s happening.

We look forward to helping you in the month ahead.

Best wishes

Glenys and the team.