Impressions Newsletter

October

  

 

 Welcome to our October newsletter. 

The Regional Art Awards and shop renovations have fully preoccupied us over the last month. We’re pleased to declare the Art Awards to have been very successful and that the shop renovations are nearing completion. There will be some more fine-tuning to occur in the months ahead, but you will see a dramatic change in the framing reception when you next call in to the shop.

 

Regional Art Awards

 

Art Awards 2007

The 2007 Regional Art Awards proved to be very successful. With the addition of the photographic section sponsored by The Dark Room, entries rose from 147 in 2006 to 253 this year. We were delighted with the excellent turn out of artists to the opening and presentation of awards. The standard of works and the variety of themes and media were wonderful. We were also very pleased that the organisers, Arts Council Nelson managed to achieve our objective of being inclusive i.e. to incorporate works from as many artists as possible. The Refinery Art Space proved to be an ideal venue and many attendees at the opening night commented to me as such. Although, if the Awards continue to grow as we hope they will, a still bigger venue may be necessary.

 

 Our hearty congratulations to all the section winners and merit award recipients.

 

The prizewinners are: -

·        Supreme Award: Lane Collins “Yep!” (photograph)

·        Runner-Up: Lisa White “About Face 1” (painting)

·        Open Contemporary Section Winner: Zoe Leetch, “Water Worn” (Mixed media); Merit Award: Rosemary Horn “Feral Stichery (mixed media); Merit Award: Florien Costash (painting)

·        Landscape/Seascape Section Winner: Lisa Chandler, “Tranquil Tarn” (painting); Merit Award: Hennie Pemberton, “Afternoon Light” (painting); Merit Award: Betty Salter, “Fields of Sunshine” (painting).

·        Figurative/Still-Life Section: Winner: Lisa White, “About Face 1” (painting); Merit Award: Anne Bannock, “Ngatimoti Dreaming (painting); Merit Award: Tony Allain, “Beach Family”, (pastel).

·        Photography Section:

1.      Gold Award: Lane Collins, “Yep!”

2.      Silver Award: Lane Collins, “Prayer Flags on the Road to Lamayuru”

3.      Bronze Award: Sarah Holman, “Abel Tasman Memorial”.

 

The photography judges also acknowledged the following highly commended entries:

1.      Elizabeth Narbey, “The Hub of the Matter”

2.      Marion van Dijk, “Shadow Mania”

3.      Lane Collins, “Blue Waters Motel”.

 

Our thanks also go to the judging panels. I’m very glad that I was not involved as there were so many high quality works vying for recognition.

 

People’s Choice

This section has been decided by votes cast by exhibition visitors. This year this section carried three prizes. Special mention must be made of the fact that Jane Nicol won both the first and third places! Our special congratulations go to Jane for taking out two awards in this section.

First Place: Jane Nicol: “Chaucer Reclining”, Painting

Second Place: Pamela Banks “The Red Dinghy”, Painting

Third Place: Jane Nicol, “Living in Chickin Likin Land”, Painting.

 

We will have the pleasure of presenting these awards in-store on Wednesday 3rd October at 2 pm.

 

Finally our sincere appreciation goes to Lloyd Harwood and his team at Arts Council Nelson. Their organization of this event involves much planning, meetings with sponsors, seeking out of appropriate exhibition space, designing and printing all the entry forms, certificates, vouchers and invitations, communicating with the local media, receiving and sorting all the works along with handling the 1001 queries that always come along with such an event. All this and doing the actual hanging of the works – with so many pictures involved this is quite a huge undertaking. Phew! I feel quite tired just listing out some of the tasks required.  I received lots of compliments about how well the works had been hung – and while I’m happy to accept compliments, all the kudos has to go to Lloyd and his team, which included a number of volunteers.

 

A final note – the winning entries of all the sections will be displayed in our windows until 13th October.

 

Talks and Demonstrations

I am busy at present giving talks and demonstrations to community groups. Last month I talked to a Ladies group at the Masonic Lodge, Nelson about using picture framing to preserve and display precious artwork and collectibles. This month I will be visiting the Nelson Women’s Institute and Art Group Nelson to demonstrate painting mediums. Catherine will be assisting with the product demonstrations.

 

Picture Framing for Christmas

 

No, it’s not too soon to start planning for Christmas. If you have a summer exhibition planned, photos ready to send to relatives and friends for Christmas, or if you simply have resolved to get something framed and onto your wall by Christmas – I recommend that you get your artwork into us soon for framing. With our expanded workshop we will be more efficient than was possible in the past, but be aware that when couriers and suppliers get put under the pressure of the pre-Christmas rush, consignments of goods can be delayed. Why put yourself under undue stress? Come in and take advantage of our new framing reception area, to place your orders. (If you don’t have anything to frame, come on in anyway and see what’s new at Impressions! We’d love to see you.)

 

Hint

The Do’s and Don’t of Varnishing

 

Do: Use a wide, soft-hair brush appropriate to the size of the project to be varnished.

Do: Dip the bristles only half way up their length in the varnish.

Do: Apply a thin coat of varnish using a slightly overlapping pattern that covers the -entire artwork.

Do: Brush a second coat in the opposite direction.

Do: Apply at least two coats of varnish.

Do: Allow enough time for each coat of varnish to dry before re-coating.

Do: Wait until it is dry to recoat if you have missed an area.

Do: Wear a mask is applying varnish with a spray.

Do: Stir any matt or satin varnishes very well before using to distribute the matting agents.

 Do Not: Soak the brush in the varnish.Do Not: Force dry varnishDo Not: Rework areas you might miss as the brush could pick up partially dried varnish and leave marks and little particles of dry varnish.Do Not: Apply multiple layers of matt varnish if you want to achieve a thick layer of Matt varnish, as this will cause clouding. Instead, apply multiple layers of gloss varnish and finish with 1-2 layers of matt varnish instead.

Do Not: Shake varnish, or bubbles will form.

 

New Products

Colourfix Pastels/My Pictures AS Art Spectrum has introduced new colours to their Colourfix Range of Pastel Primers and Papers. The four new colours are Australian Grey, Natural (clear), Raw Sienna and Olive Green. Colourfix paper was developed with the pastel artist in mind. The toothy finish will hold multiple layers of pastel without the use of fixative, allowing the vibrant colour of pastel to be preserved. The lightfast ground is also excellent for a wide range of media including acrylic, oil, charcoal, inks, gouache, etc. Along with theses products, a range of Plein Air Painting Boards have been introduced. The painting boards are 12” x 16” (=30 x 40 cm) image area and provide a rigid, lightfast, acid free substrate suitable for oils, acrylics, soft pastels, oil pastels, inks, watercolours, gouache, pencils and charcoal.  

Colourfix Primer Pots 

Art Spectrum has also introduced a range of ‘Tints of White’ extra-soft pastels. These colours are not duplicated in our other ranges of pastels, so make a welcome addition. The pastels are of unsurpassed softness, which combined with the gentlest possible tints, allow highlighting, as it has never been possible before. We have them on sale in the individual colours, or you can order in 6packs, as sets of Warm tints or Cool tints.

 

Exhibitions

Regional Art Awards – Winners works on display in Impressions window until 13th October.

“Sap: seen vitality” – Sarah Holman & “A Month in May” – Stella Chrysostomou at Gallery 203 from 8th – 26th October. Opening hours 11am to 3 pm Monday to Friday.

 

This brings me to the close of another newsletter. Do call in if you are passing to say hello, check out our Specials stand and see the improvements we have made in-store. Let us know what you think as we are always seeking to improve the service and facilities that we offer our clientele.

 

Have a great October.

 

Glenys and the team