Leisure Painter - UK (2019 - Summer)

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AND QUESTIONS WITH OTHER READERS

Letters

10 SUMMER 2019 http://www.painters-online.co.uk

Creative space

I am one of the one million people in the

UK who has the neurological movement

disorder, essential tremor, which affects me

when I perform everyday tasks. I had all

but given up painting, as my shaking hands

stopped me from producing the kind of

work I visualised, until I joined a series of

local workshops and met a couple of

wonderful art teachers.

Half way through the first workshop, I

was falling behind badly and close to tears

with frustration and anxiety, which, of

course, made the tremors worse. I simply

couldn’t hold the brush steady enough to

paint what everyone else was doing easily

• lovely, long, straight reeds. After a few
  deep breaths, I decided it didn’t matter
  how it turned out. I finished the painting,
  which didn’t look like anyone else’s, but
  I decided it was good enough.
  I fell behind again during the second
  workshop and was helped by the assistant.
  Between us we worked out a way for me
  to paint that week’s subject – dragonflies.
  I can’t explain the sense of achievement
  I had when I finished the work. The
  assistant came to my rescue the following
  week and, after working out a series of
  very unorthodox methods, I now have
  a technique for painting trees!
  All this has rebuilt my confidence in
  painting and created a wonderful space
  where I just become lost in my creativity.
  The tremors change from day to day, but
  I have an arsenal of techniques to try
  when I want to pick up a paintbrush. I now
  go to the workshops with the thought that
  it’s going to be three hours of bliss and
  who cares how the painting turns out
  in the end!
  Jackie Farrell

To find out more about essential tremor,

please visit http://www.tremor.org.uk

Community spirit

I thoroughly enjoyed the July edition of

Leisure Painter, packed with interesting

and useful articles and tips – as always!

I particularly enjoyed reading David

Bellamy’s techniques with watercolour. He

offered totally inspirational ideas and what

superb work he has produced. I can’t wait

to give a few of these a go.

The editor’s comments on the

importance of painting competitions for

amateur painters were also spot-on. I

especially enjoy the annual TALP Open

Competition because, first, it’s affordable

to enter and there is no limit to the

number of entries. Secondly, the prizes

are fabulous and we all have an equal

chance of winning one of many awards

on offer. It’s also important for me to have

a goal to aim for, and this competition

gives me that goal. Finally, there is the

prestige that comes with being associated

with a painting competition organised by

The Artists’ Publishing Company.

I am always encouraging fellow

members of PaintersOnline to ‘give it a

go’, and many of them did enter this year’s

Open for the first time. Plodding tirelessly

away in your studio can seem pointless at

times, although I know it isn’t. That’s why

the PaintersOnline gallery and forum are

such an important aspect of my daily

painting ritual. The help that’s available,

both technical and as encouragement,

makes it well worthwhile.

Alan Bickley

Sketching for pleasure

I read with interest Karen Jacklin’s

experience of sketching in Zermatt (LP,

July). It reminded me of a holiday in

France 25 years or more ago, when I was

learning to ski. Unfortunately, that sport

was not for me and I felt rather humbled

and certainly inadequate. Having returned

my ski equipment, I entered a local store

and in school-girl French purchased a

pencil, a child’s drawing book, a strip

of five paints, a brush and rubber and,

while my friends skied, I went out each

day to sketch.

The sketching helped mend my

broken ego and reawakened my interest

in painting, and I went on several more

ski trips just to paint. I recall one day

in the snowy mountains when my brush

seemed to be picking up the paper as I

painted. I then discovered there was ice

on the brush! Coming back down in the

gondolas with wet sketches among the

skiers and their skis was always quite

an experience.

I have since taken lessons in pastel,

charcoal and acrylics, converted a

bedroom into my studio and joined

various art clubs. Now I’m glad I didn’t

like skiing.

Diana Gross

Inspiration

I enjoyed Karen Jacklin’s letter last

month, as I can testify how rewarding it

is to keep sketchbooks. For the past six

years, whenever we go away, I take with

me pencils, three waterproof pens in

sepia, grey and black, a small paintbox

and a watercolour sketchbook with

which I keep a daily record in pen and

wash. Looking back over entries and

recalling the different outings has given

me enormous pleasure. I have

sketchbooks featuring several trips from

both here in the UK and abroad.

Today I came across a diary kept by

our son for a school project when he

was four years old. He is now 42!

Looking at the drawings he made, even

at that young age, brought back events

that had been forgotten and many

happy memories of a sabbatical in Italy

all those years ago.

Go on! Keep a sketchbook and record

your own happy memories, too.

Alison Petley

Send your letters to

Leisure Painter, 63-65 High Street,

Tenterden, Kent TN30 6BD or email

[email protected]

All letters published this month win

a metal tin of 10 assorted metallic

colours of Neocolor I water-

resistant wax pastels (£19.99rrp),

courtesy of Jakar and Caran d’Ache

http://www.carandache.com

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