When looking for a subject while
painting en plein air, what catches my
eye is often the way the light falls onto
the elements of the landscape – as in
Morning Light Through the Trees,
Seville, pictured. But those moments
of perfect light often don’t last long
as the sun moves quickly.
My tip is to mark quickly where all
the shadows and highlights fall, and
stick to it – even though the patterns
of light and shade will inevitably move
during the session. This prevents you
from having many shadows at angles
that don’t match each other as they
were painted at different times. It will
enable you to achieve the composition
that originally caught your eye.
Valérie’s work features in Moments of
Light, a group exhibition which runs
4-6 October at Barton Farm, Bradford-
upon-Avon. http://www.valeriepirlot.comMASTER TIP SIR JAMES GUTHRIE
Painting techniques of
the world’s best artists
How you compose a simple fi gurative work can
have a huge bearing on how viewers interpret
it. In Sir James Guthrie’s To Pastures New, the
geese and girl may be meandering along, yet
by allowing them to fi ll the canvas, they subtly
echo a grand ancient Roman or Greek frieze.
This effect is enhanced by the relative size of
the fi gures and the low perspective on the
surrounding Lincolnshire fens. By doing all this,
The Glasgow Boys artist succeeds in elevating
a mundane subject to something monumental.
To Pastures New will be on display at
Aberdeen Art Gallery when it reopens
following a £30-million refurbishment on
2 November. http://www.aagm.co.ukSubmissions open on 1 October for the Royal Watercolour Society’s Contemporary Watercolour
Competition 2020. Enter for the chance to feature in the March exhibition at London’s Bankside Gallery
http://www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk/competition • Submission details will also be live by1 October forthe Ashurst Emerging Artist Prize 2020. Enter this law fi rm-sponsored competition for a chance to win cash
prizes and feature in the autumn show http://www.artprize.co.uk • The Candid Arts Trust is seeking work for City
Life, a new exhibition of art inspired by life in the city. Apply before 3pm on
4 October. http://www.candidarts.comDATES FOR THE DIARY
ABERDEEN ART GALLERY & MUSEUMS/ISTOCK