Tag: water colour

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The Iceni Botanical Artists (IBA) Fullers Mill Garden Exhibition is now up and running – Bury Guildhall, Bury St Edmunds

Another wonderful report from Doreen Taylor, IBA Member (and see Exhibition itinerary and a few photographs below:)

Preview of Iceni Botanical Artists Annual Exhibition at The Guildhall Bury St Edmunds “Fullers Mill Garden – A Jewel in the Forest”

After more than two years of dedicated and fascinating study, Iceni Botanical Artists were proud to present a very special exhibition—a celebration of all the beauty and calm of Fullers Mill Garden.

Three years ago Iceni were invited by Fullers Mill to record the flora and fauna of Bernard Tickner’s beautiful garden and we have been working on this unique project ever since. Twenty five artists, each with their own individual style, were given complete freedom to choose whichever plants they would like to paint from a list compiled by Fullers Mill.

Just like the garden itself the completed collection of artworks is a kaleidoscope of colourful plants and wildlife which have come together in one delightful and satisfying exhibition. In addition, most of these paintings have been made into a very beautiful and well designed book, with an interesting text written by Rod Leeds, a great friend of Bernard Tickner and his garden and additional script by Tina Bone (editor).

Our President, Isobel Bartholomew, opened the exhibition, explaining how the whole project came into being and invited Rod Leeds to present the first of three awards.

First, our prestigious Val Hesmondhalgh Trophy (a beautiful glass vase) for Botanical excellence was awarded to Isobel herself (and richly deserved) for her painting of the “Cardiocrinum giganteum var. yunnanense” (Giant Himalayan Lily). Rod commented that this life-size study in watercolour and graphite was a work of outstanding botanical accuracy showing every detail of the plant’s structure and life cycle.

Rod also mentioned the painting of Broussonetia papyrifera Laciniata (Paper Bark Mulberry), painted by Georgie Kuna saying that the overall composition was unusual and remarkable but also that Georgie’s depiction of this very complicated plant ran a very close second to Isobel’s work. He was most impressed with all the artwork in the exhibition and congratulated IBA artists on their wonderful achievement.

Then Isobel gave a very special award of a bouquet of flowers to our Chair, Tina Bone, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to Iceni Botanical Artists. This was not only for all her hard work since taking the helm but above all for her highly professional work as project manager of our study of Fullers Mill garden and the creation of our beautiful accompanying book.

The third award, ‘The People’s Choice’ is in the hands of our visitors who have the opportunity to vote for their favourite painting. It is always exciting to see who will win.

So our project is complete and we can all now enjoy welcoming visitors to the exhibition, hoping it gives them as much pleasure as it has given IBA artists to study and paint all these wonderful plants. And above all it may inspire everyone to visit Fullers Mill garden and make it their own very special place.

Doreen Taylor, Saturday 28th June 2025

Cardiocrinum yunnanense (Giant Himalayan Lily) by Isobel Bartholomew which won IBA’s Botanical Excellence Award – the Val Hesmondhalgh Vase (chosen by Rod Leeds).
Broussonetia papyrifera (Paperbark Mulberry) by Georgie Kuna – a very close runner-up to Isobel’s painting.
Tina Bone’s stand showing a few draft versions of IBA’s new book about Fullers Mill Garden, as well as one of her own River Friend Series of published books all about rivers: “Drying Up”, with 5 versions of text and various illustrations used in her book.
Jan enjoying a coffee after a hard day’s toil on the exhibition floor!
Francesca and Louis ready to “pour” for the visitors.
Rosemary and Alison at the helm – in charge of the money, book and catalogue sales.
“Rob’s Corner” dedicated to our dearly departed member, Rob Dyke, who passed away in March 2025 after having completed 20 artworks for the Fullers Mill Project. Rob’s family were in attendance and had very kindly given permission for his paintings to be on display and for sale at this exhibition.
There are over 500 cards on sale as well as just 25 limited edition copies of IBA 2026 calendar commemorating this exhibition and project.
The fabulous Banqueting Hall showing half the collection of artworks during a lull in visitors!
Just a few of the fabulous paintings on show in the Court Room, where during the exhibition, the one-day workshops and demonstrations will also be taking place beneath the “Judge’s” seat.
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St Mary’s Arts & Crafts Exhibition 2022, Comberton, Cambridge

Where: St Mary’s Church, Royston Lane, Comberton CB23 7ED

When: Friday 28th, Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th January 2022

Open: 10.00am to 4.00pm everyday

Just one of the many types of Arts and Crafts which can be seen at this beautiful Exhibition. Do come along.

Come along to the most beautiful, ambient atmosphere of St Mary’s Church, Comberton to view the Annual Arts and Crafts Exhibition (usually held end of November, but delayed to now). Original artworks are very modest prices and the diversity of subjects means there are paintings to suit everyone’s taste. It is a wonderful exhibition so do get along for tea, coffee and biscuits, and of course for a good browse! What about for the new year, owning a new, original painting to hang on your wall?

CHECKOUT ALL THE MANY LOVELY ARTWORKS AVAILABLE TO BUY BY BROWSING BELOW for details of all Artists’ work with their corresponding exhibition paintings, in no particular order. I profusely apologise to artists and viewers where the church windows have unavoidably reflected in some of the photographs. Prints, cards, jigsaw puzzles, knitted and sewn animals and dolls, and many other beautifully handcrafted items are also for sale (view some here below the Artist pictures)

Qurora Lombardo Design (Jewellery) www.aurorolombardo.com; info@aurorolombardo.com
Linda Wayman: 104 Pastel £35; 105 Eric Print £49
Angi Sibbons: 90 Goldfinches WC £40; 91 Landscape Collage £40; 92 Snowdrops WC £40; 93 Thornham WC £40.
Pat Muir: 106 St Mary’s Lighthouse WC £40; 107 Horse Guards Parade WC £45; 108 2 Ponies Pastel £35; 109 Corfe WC £45; 110 The Winner Pastel £50.
Rick Nelms: 116 Beautiful Biodiversity Print £100
Dorothy Jones: 50 Hoopoe WC £70; 51 Kingfisher Acrylic £75; 52 Let’s Tango WC £55; 53 Now What do I see? Coloured Pencil £50; 54 Sunny Days WC £50.
Peter Allerton: 1 The Old Tree Pen & Ink £55; 2 The Teasel Pen & Ink £55.
Tina Bone: 8 Autumn Leaves and Fungi WC £325; 9 Gingerly Crossing the River Nar £350; 10 I Bow to my Queen (Turtle Doves) £350; 11. The Jay’s Feather WC £350; The Might Reed with Fragility (Bearded Tits/Reedlings) WC £325.
Naina Babbar: 3 Care Free Pencil & Acrylic £160; 4 Hay Daisies Acrylic £60; 5 Moody Blues Pencil & Acrylic £220; 6 Ode to WG Acrylic £50; 7 Such a Daisy Day Pencil & Acrylic £350.
Jude Gardiner: 37 Babbling Brook Oil £200; 38 Magnificent Mt Cook Oil £85; 39 New Zealand Fiordlands Oil £125; 40 New Zealand Mountains and Lake Oil £25; 41 Pembrokeshire Coast Oil £250.
Val Watson: 99 Celtic Wisdom WC £45; 100 Field Mouse Nest WC & Collage £35; 101 Sanctuary on the Somerset Levels WC £40; 102 The Teacake, Shepreth WC & Collage £35; 103 Winter Walk WC £45.
Terry Elsey: 32 Chapelle St Valentin WC £70; 33 Coconuts WC £70; 34 Fisherman’s Cottage, Mullion Cove WC £70; 35 Lighthouse, Guadeloupe WC £70; 36 Tresco, Scilly Isles WC £70.
Paul McCarthy: 60 Approaching the Three Horseshoes WC £80; 61 At the Crossroads WC £80; 62 Kings in the Snow WC £80; 63 Summertime at Houghton Mill WC £80; 64 Winter at Madingley Hall WC £80.
Frances Stafford: 94 Clematis Mixed Media £25; 95 Forest Light Collage and WC £35; 96 Fruit on Mother’s Lace Pastel & Ink £35; 97 Fruit Platter—Cubism Style Pastel £30; Sunflowers Acrylic £20.
Suzanne Morris: 65 Be Someone’s Rainbow Ink £35; 66 Dr Suess’ Garden Ink £55; 67 Ethereal Balance Gouache & Pastel £30; 68 Grace Ink £60; 69 Perseverance Ink £60.
Rosalind Ridley: 85 Cow Parsley Pastel £120; 86 In the Conservatory WC £140; 87 Norwich Cathdral Charcole £90; 88 Rio do San Anzolo, Venice WC £90; 89 Two Hares WC £100.
Angela Donnelly: 27 Cherries Abound WC £40; 28 Forest Undergrowth Collage & WC £40; 29 Pass the Port WC £40; 30 Seascape WC £25; 31 The Owl WC £40.
Christine Nicholls: 73 Sitting Hare Mixed Media £65; 74 Still Life Flowers and Blue Bottle WC £75; 75 Still Life Flowers and Coffee Pot WC £75; 76 Wells-next-the-ssea WC £75; 77 Zebra and Foal WC £75.
Sue Painter: 78 C is for Clematis WC & ink £50; 79 Geranium WC & Ink £35; 80 Melting Gold and Silver Acrylic £35; 81 Raging Water Acrylic £40; 82 Seed Heads Acrylic £40.
Sharon Newton: 70 A Morning Walk Mixed Media £55; 71 Starting the Allotment Mixed Media £45; 72 The Atlantic Way Mixed Media £55.
Jan Hewins: 111 Cromer Beach Oil £60; 112 Cornish Bay WC £40; 113 Bodmin Ponies WC £50; 114 Cat WC £40; 115 Tin Bird Family WC £40.
Kathma Dawson: 23 Fields of Gold, Comberton Acrylic £60; 24 Hardwick Woods Acrylic £80; 25 Poppy Field, Barton Acrylic £60; 26 The Orchard, Grantchester Acrylic £80.
Clive Dawson: 18 Blossom Acrylic £95; 19 Butterfly and Verbena Acrylic £95; 20 Green Pepper Acrylic £95; 21 Red Pepper Acrylic £95; 22 The Bridge of Sighs Acrylic £150.
Janet Mancuso: 55 Autumn Mixed Media Collage £100; 56 Foglie Mixed Media Collage £100; 57 Golden Fire Encaustic £100; 58 Lily Buds WC £100; 59 Thoughts on Nature Encaustic £120.
Mel Collins: 13 Lode Mill, Anglesey Abbey WC £60; 14 Norfolk Tulip Fields WC £60; 15 Southwold from Walberswick Suffolk WC £60; 16 The Batik Market WC & Collage £120; 17 Yorkshire Stream WC £60.
Ros Gregg: 42 A Garden in Capri Acrylic £40; 43 A Walk in the Woods WC £60; 44 Crab Apple WC £65; 45 Echniacea WC £60; 46 Magnolia WC £70.
Tess Recordon: 83 Grantchester Meadows Print £375; 84 Kich Marse Print £100.
Richard Haynes: 47 A Bowl of Cherries Pastel £180; 48 Bridge of Sighs in the Morning Mist Pastel £200; 49 Tulips Pastel £200.
Ncbiyu Assefa (www.rootsontheweb.com) Christ’s story in paintings – NFS
(DETAIL) Ncbiyu Assefa (www.rootsontheweb.com) Christ’s story in paintings – NFS
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Final Painting for 2021 – Picture Story

After an indifferent year for all of us, it seemed fitting for me to end the year with a final painting story. I hope you enjoy the picture film I have put together of a painting which was begun in 2007 and eventually completed 30 December 2021!

Artist Code 2102. Red Kite and Life in a Dead Tree!
SOLD 1104 Red Kites by Watts Wood

Picture Profile

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1604: Tea & Cake & off to a new home

This little painting, which received a Highly Commended award in the latest Patchings Festival (online) exhibition (The Artist, and Leisure Painter) has now gone to its new home. The buyers visited the studio and we had tea and cakes on the patio (all socially distanced of course!). A lovely farewell to a little water colour painting which, on and off, took four years to complete. PICTURE PROFILE

And a little blog of history about the painting.

Artist Code: 1604. Completed 9th March 2020. “Three New Blades” (Fieldfares and Redwing) SOLD April 2020 to private buyer. Water colour on Aquarelle Arches 100% hot pressed cotton rag. Unframed size 12″ x 9″.
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1514: Barn Owls Portrait—Tear it, Tidy it, or Tuck it away?

I have just left off painting because I was not happy with progress. I do hope I have not mucked it up (have not done that for a while). But after all the hard work and effort, it is so annoying when it starts to go wrong. My heart is on my sleeve, so I need a bit of time to reflect on the progress and whether I should tear it up or put it away for a few days and go back to it with a fresh eye. Not sure!

Tear up, Tidy up, or Tuck it away for another day?
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1514: Another old drawing gets some paint!

In 2015 I had the good fortune to visit a friend who had two licensed barn owls, which he keeps in a large aviary. He was very kind and let me sit in the aviary with the owls for a few hours so that I could study their movements, make sketches and take lots (600) photographs.

In May 2015 I attended an exhibition at Hinchingbrooke Country Park, under the umbrella of Creative Coverage (provide publicity for Artists and Crafts People), and one visitor to the exhibition on the day that I attended as Artist in Residence, commissioned me to (secretly) paint a barn owl for her husband’s birthday. After I had produced the preliminary sketch for approval (which she liked very much), she felt that her husband ought to see it. It wasn’t that he disliked the sketch, he decided that his dear wife should not pay that much for his present, so very reluctantly she decided not to go ahead with the commission.

As I had already done the preliminary drawing I carried on with it and produced a working pencil sketch on Aquarelle Arches 140lb water colour paper size 14″ x 20″. I was then fortunate enough to receive a run of commissions, so this painting was relegated to my “Paintings to Do” list, which permanently has about 25 picture ideas on it!

Yesterday (27th June 2020), after playing tennis, I was looking through some old stuff and found the sketch, so decided to paint it. Here are a couple of resource photographs I used for the composition, the original fine pencil sketch and a few painting-progress pictures from yesterday. I hope you enjoy them.