This Month's Gazette
| Issue N7 | April 2025 |
| Issue N7 | 1st April 2025 |
The April still life challenge is here and we are so excited for this opportunity to draw and paint together the little objects in our lives. If you would like to take part, this chatty introductory post will help you prepare for it.
YouTube Pick&Mix
Make yourself a cup of tea, here are a few videos you could watch on this topic with lots of different theory and different ways of approaching still life. Click a few and enjoy deciding which way is best for you:
I Paint Three Peaches | Draw Mix Paint on YouTube
Make and Create your own still life | National Gallery on YouTube
How to Set Up a Still Life | Ian Roberts on YouTube
Still Life Painting Process (Setting Up, Techniques and Problem Solving) | Sandi Hester on YouTube
Oil Painting: Applying Colour Alla Prima | Sarah Sedwick on YouTube
Lemon with Blue and White (Oil Painting) | Cindy Procious on YouTube
Workshops and Courses
Lots of flower focused still life online workshops with various artists to choose from with STILL (acrylics, watercolours, pencils, charcoal, etc.), some of which are happening throughout April. Check the STILL website here. Ellie is kindly offering 25% off with code: SPRING25 (offer ends 2nd April 11.59pm)
Emily Powell’s lectures and online workshops include some still life focus.
Sandi Hester has a new course called The Abstracted Still Life which helps you paint in a playful and fun way.
Newlyn School of Art with Jon Doran - painting still life with oils, online course in 3 sessions
Banish Fear of Failure with Iona Sanders at St Ives School of Painting
Bonnard and The Electric Light with Alice Mumford at St Ives School of Painting
Introduction to Matisse - Pattern and Illusion with Alice Mumford at St Ives School of Painting
Books
When it comes to learning still life, there will be 100s if not 1000s books on still life theory so sometimes the best books are picked up in 2nd hand book shop. These 3 books are pretty old school, were bought for under £5 but are helpful in understanding the overarching ideas and concepts (which you can do whatever you want with after!). You may find similar books 2nd hand or perhaps at your local library.
If you’re struggling to get a still life gathered in your own home, you can also gather references from various sources. For example, all books related to gardens tend to have floral inspiration. Books like Marianne Slater’s book Cut Flower Growing are excellent for such references. These can especially be useful if you’re keen to draw summer blooms in early spring. This goes for magazines such as Country Living, which always has gorgeous tablescapes. And of course, it’s always great to read biographies on the masters who have been before us - we can learn so much from their lives, their dedication and choices. This can also be true for contemporary artists. Throughout the month of April, there will be an importunity to share, discover and enjoy such artists’ work on Instagram.
Poet’s Corner
I Watched a Blackbird
By Thomas Hardy
I watched a blackbird on a budding sycamore
One Easter Day, when sap was stirring twigs to the core;
I saw his tongue, and crocus-coloured bill
Parting and closing as he turned his trill;
Then he flew down, seized on a stem of hay,
And upped to where his building scheme was under way,
As if so sure a nest was never shaped on spray.
MONTHLY REPORT
Monday 17th March 7pm : Co-Drawing St Patrick’s with the wonderful Charlotte Hamilton. Together we drew a handful of images from beautiful Ireland. We started with a few faster paced warm ups, then several slow paced shots. Congrats to Stacie and Michelle for winning a bundle of treats!
Friday 7th March 7pm: Co-Journaling session - we all continued our journals.
CLUB DATES for APRIL
Monday 7th April 7pm BST - Kick Off Still Life Party (free, open to 50 participants): on Zoom. A relaxed and chatty session, everyone brings their own still life (on a desk/table or a photo reference) and we will do some basic trouble shooting, discuss the challenge. You can use this time to gather your materials and swatch etc. Click here for the link to sign up!!!
Tuesday 8th April 7pm BST - Life drawing session (paid) we will be looking at some masterpieces and creating some of our own artwork. Sign up in the club chat.
Friday 18th April 7pm BST - Helen’s Studio Video (paid) - London travel vlog (with a London sketchbook tour) and studio Still Life progress.
Friday 25th April 7pm BST - End of challenge co-journaling Party (paid) - This will be a chance to review and appreciate all your hard work and experimentations. Come prepared to share your work or use this time to reflect solo. I will share some of my top take-aways from the challenge and will journal these visually. Sign up in the club chat.
Club Exclusive Archives
If you missed them, paid members can view a few videos to catch up on this month…
Drawing Ireland on St Patrick’s (with guest Charlotte Hamilton)
My Bookbinding Process and a Plein Air Challenge Sketchbook Tour
Paris in Winter (with guest Samantha Dion Baker)
The Art of Noticing Co-Creating Replay (with guest Emma Carpendale)
Art Retreat Co-Drawing Replay (with guest Elisabeth De Coster and Karla Sotres)
Video: A Draw-along in Real Time (sketching through the Italian Art Retreat Replay)
Drawing Little Women (Winter) Replay (with guest Kayla Stark)
Winter Woodland Concertina Replay (with guest Mel Chadwick)
Visual Wanderings in Italy Replay (with guest Charlotte Hamilton)
From Haarlem to Doncaster Replay (with guest La Scarlatte)
Victorian Gardens Replay (with guest Mel Chadwick)
So many incredible resources, thank you Helen! May I also add, just for inspiration, the artist Sophie Treppendahl - love her work so much. Can’t wait for this month!
There’s a lovely still life exhibition on at https://scottish-gallery.co.uk/whats-on/still-life-the-beauty-of-the-ordinary/
wish I could get up there to see it.