Artists & Illustrators – September 2019

THEMEANINGOFART

Congratulationsonproducingsuchaninterestingandinformative

magazine.Likemanypeoplewhofeelintimidatedthattheirwork

willnotcompare,I eventually“foundmyownvoice”bypaintingthings

thatI feltabout.

Yourideasandemotionswillgiveyouyourownstyle.Justpaintto

recordyourpets,garden,familymembersandsurroundingsthatmean

somethingtoyou.Overtimethesewillbecomea recordofyourlifeto

beenjoyedbythefamilyin thefuture.

Asyougetolderandlookback,youwillthink:didI reallypaintthat?

Theansweris:Yes,youdid.

JeanMarianneAndrews,Shrewley,Warwick

LETTER OF THE MONTH

JE SUIS DÉSOLÉ
I found the article about specialist
mediums [Essential Studio Craft,
Issue 406] extremely interesting
but the fi nal part about spirit
painting mediums made me pause.
Edgar Degas’ favourite method
of peinture à l’essence is cited and
the writer suggests that this
translates as “the essence of
paint”, which sounds romantic
but seems far too literal.
I suggest that in fact it would
translate as “petrol paint” (or a
similar volatile solvent), essence
being the French word for gasoline.
This makes sense from a technical
point of view and also more
signifi cantly would align it with the
similar peinture à l’huile.
Anyway keep up the good work.
I look forward to the monthly issues
of the magazine, which are always
stimulating and educational.
Pete MacKenzie, via email

Yes, Pete, we think you’re right.
We clearly just got caught up in
the romance of all that delightful
French painting!
A catalogue for The National
Gallery of Art, Washington’s Degas:
The Dancers exhibition [above
right] defi ned the artist’s peinture
à l’essence technique as “oil paint
from which the oil medium has
been blotted, diluted with a solvent
like turpentine”.
It of course follows that if
peinture à l’huile means "oil paint"

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or "painting withoil

peinture à l’essence

with solvents".

We like the ideao

oil paint somehowg

to the essenceofth

though, one of thos

quirks of translation

A ‘CUT ABOVE

I was interestedtor

Spicer’s article abou

School [Issue 407].

their method ofprin

I was at art schoolin

We looked atthei

overlaying transpare

now I shall alsolook

dynamics of theiri

After many years

I am still makinglin

recently one wasso

local church roof,wh

rethatching.

Lucy Williams,viae

BRASSED OFF

Thank you for the August edition

of Artists & Illustrators which is,

as usual, a very interesting read.

Your magazine makes me think

about my art, which I have been

practicing for more than 50 years

and still learning.

A landscape painting can have

many aspects to give it appeal: the

subject or view itself, the right focal

point, the colours and perspective.

It is also important to match the

frame and shape of the work itself.

The wrong frame can spoil a good

painting and conversely the right

shape can really enhance a picture.

On a recent visit to Cornwall

I saw an artist, whose work is

abstract, house his paintings in

ornate brass frames.

The overall effect was awful, and

readers may learn from this and

avoid falling into such a trap. Pitfalls

areeasytoavoid,justgivethe

paintingsomeforethoughtandcare.

DerekStark,viaemail

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Tried having a go at painting

this beautiful little tree frog by

the incredible talent that is

Anna Mason from the summer

edition of @AandImagazine.

It’s a bit rough around the

edges but I’m quite chuffed

with the little fellow

Tracey Odessa Kane

@TOdessaKane

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