Exmouth Art Group

Join one of our favourite local artists as he takes us on a voyage of discovery...

Recent Paintings and Assemblages by Ray Balkwill

The Exe Estuary is a place that Ray has a deep and personal connection with and for more than three decades it has provided a visual stimulus for his art in a variety of media. To prevent work from becoming repetitive Ray is continually exploring new ways of looking at a familiar subject. Perhaps none more so than with his recent mixed media paintings and assemblages. This talk will not only investigate his working methods, but also look at other artists who have inspired him.

Open to all members.

Liese will introduce her approach to abstraction and how she uses it in her own art practice. Gathering source material and using it for a starting point for creating abstract sketches and using colour and composition.

This course is aimed at those wishing to explore a more abstract way of working and will draw on the images and memories that inspire you. Artist Liese Webley will guide you through a series of exercises designed to give you the confidence to develop your own abstract painting style.

· What do we understand when we hear the term ‘Abstraction’?

· Liese will introduce her approach to abstraction and how she uses it in her own art practice.

· We will take a Look at our gathered source material and use it as a starting point for creating abstract sketches, moving on to exercises that focus on different ways of looking at a subject/scene differently.

· We will also explore colour and composition

Aiming to produce a more finished painting bringing together elements learnt in the day.

Rod was born and raised in the West Midlands where he attended Wolverhampton Art College. He spent his working life teaching in Cheltenham and gained his Post-Graduate in Art from Birmingham. He has recently moved to Exeter where he continues passing on his knowledge and experience through workshops and tutorials in his studio. Rod’s painting is always evolving, not only in its subject matter but also through constant experimentation with media. He continues to work both on location where initial responses are recorded which later serve to feed larger and more considered studio work. At all times, he makes his work expressive both in interpretation of the subject, and in the application of whatever media or mixture of media that he uses.

Details on subject matter and materials list will follow shortly

Jenny and Geoff Pinn of Pinnacle Icing

I ( Jenny ) make Handmade Royal Iced Biscuits.

I will tell you how I came to be making Royal Iced Biscuits. We will talk about the business . Geoffs roles.  And show pictures of different aspects.   I will talk about preparations and  equipment etc. Teach you how to make a piping bag . Which you can all have a go at doing too. I will demonstrate Icing a biscuit ,showing working practices, tips, techniques etc. And answer any questions you may have.  We will bring some biscuits and icing so that a few members will be able to have a go at Icing and take home the biscuits they've iced. We will bring biscuits for you to see and to show different techniques used. You will have a chance to purchase some should you wish to.

"My work explores the people, places, landscapes and seascapes of the southwest of England, Europe and the East Coast of America. I often paint en plein air, on the beach or in the landscape, while undertaking more considered works in gouache, oil and larger acrylic paintings in my studio."

Phil Creek gained a BA Degree in Fine Art from Manchester University and a Post-graduate Degree in The History of Art from Birmingham University. He was Head of Creative Arts at Honiton Community College, Director of Course at The Beaford Art Centre, and County Art Adviser for Devon. He is now a full-time painter living in East Devon.

He has exhibited at The Mall Galleries, London, The Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery, Exeter and The Royal West of England Academy, Bristol. He is Chair, Trustee and Honorary Member of The South West Academy and President of Otter Vale Art Society.

Based in Newlyn, Cornwall, Vicki Norman received her BA in Fine Art in 2000 working initially as an illustrator and then a full time fine artist represented by established galleries around the UK. A naturally gifted teacher, Vicki began her classes in 2005, gaining her post graduate certificate specialising in post-16 education in 2009 she greatly values teaching as an integral part of her creative practice.

A lifelong student herself, she has studied with master painters and sculptors around the globe, all the time searching for traditional skills and methods which can be applied to paintings of a modern world.

Inspired by both contemporary and past masters, Vicki’s paintings employ an historical skill set with a fresh, personal approach.

“My fondness for travelling and painting has naturally led me into the world of Plein Air painting. Working quickly on location to capture the essence of a time and place encourages a looser, more impressionist style of painting. This puts an emphasis on atmosphere rather than detail, and colour is the vehicle through which I seek to capture light.”

Her works have won awards in the Europe and the USA, she is a regular contributor to plein air events and competitions on both sides of the Atlantic. Vicki has exhibited with the Royal Institute of Oil Painters in London and been awarded a prize from the Oil Painters of America.

Her growing reputation as a master of colour has led naturally to a role as ambassador for Michael Harding Paints which allows Vicki indulge her love of colour and ‘nerd out’ about pigments, binders and all things technical with one of the world’s most respected Colourmen.

A popular tutor and demonstrator, Vicki is recognised for her clear communication and boundless enthusiasm.
She has won awards and recognition for both teaching and painting.

More details on subject and materials to follow

Helping to keep visual arts and artists in our communities

LFTA in brief:

LoveFromTheArtist (LFTA) is the invention of, and is managed by, social entrepreneurs Ian Lacey and Lynda Harvey. It is intended as a means to contribute to the visual arts in Britain and the UK through the development of a mini “economy” that allows artists to trade with the public and earn income to support their artistic works.

LFTA is based on fair trade, is non profit making, supports a wide range of artists and artistic styles and provides an open and fair opportunity for British artists, photographers and illustrators, for whom it is free to use.

LFTA focuses on helping small shops, often community organised ventures, to find and support artists in their local communities as well as allowing artists to sell work directly to the wider public through their pages on this website.

Ian Lacey and Lynda Harvey are both Fellows of The Royal Society of Arts (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce).

Supporting British arts and crafts

Enabling the business of being an artist

LFTA aims to help visual artists in practical ways by providing access to products and technologies that help them make a living. Indeed, several contributing artists on this programme have stated that LFTA is the key factor in their ability to operate and develop as artists, and to make a living from their work.

LFTA enables artists to create saleable products, greetings cards, art prints, calendars and gift wrap, at cost price, so that they can sell these things at retail price and earn the full margin for their effort.

Artists starting out on their commercial enterprise are helped enormously by the very low minimum quantities of product they can buy through their LFTA membership, which enables them, in turn, to develop new business without high risk or large investment.

Shops subscribing to LFTA also benefit from our low minimum quantities – as low as just ten cards of any mix of designs they desire. This helps everyone by opening the fantastic LFTA content to even the smallest shops to stock, and by allowing shops to ‘test the water’ with small amounts of work they might not otherwise have tried out on their customers.

LFTA is a community company, serving an invited community of artist contributors. It is not and does not offer a ‘printing service’ and its creative facilities are solely for the use of its members. LFTA is a programme you should consider if you are a visual artist, illustrator or photographer and you are serious about developing your commercial presence through print based products.

Welcome to Wild Thoughts, a stylish wedding and event florist based in the South West of England. We create romantic, elegant and wonky floral designs with a wild streak, bringing the beauty of nature inside in a natural and eco-conscious way. Providing wedding flowers in the Cotswold, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Dorset, Devon and beyond. Lottie will be demonstrating a couple of arrangements using garden flowers and talking about her sustainable floristry business.

Will Dyke - Profile

I studied illustration and printmaking at Harrow College, University of Westminster. After an early career in bookselling, I became a full time printmaker and tutor.

I specialise in woodcut prints; I create limited edition prints, and greetings cards. Much of my work is inspired by rural life and history. My background in illustration continues to guide my design method. I also teach regular print workshops, and give demo's and talks.

A Sussex based artist; regular tutor for the Weald & Downland Living Museum. I have taught for the National Trust, Pallant House Gallery, West Horsley Place, and for art groups and societies across the South.

Subject and materials will follow