Chertsey Artists

It”s the start of spring when we start to feel more active at this time of year, planning activities we feel like doing in the warmer months ahead.

If you halted your creativity over the colder winter months then get back into your club Chertsey Artists, either in Chertsey High Street or in Staines. Start your creative juices flowing by getting inspired. Have you visited the premises recently?

Come and see the excellent exhibition right now at the gallery, hosted by Sharon Withers, and showcasing a range of our artists as well as others. And have you painted or drawn recently? Or do you need a kick start back into being creative? Why not visit one of our sessions either in Staines or Chertsey. From drawing or painting to printing and enamelling. Don”t delay. Enquire today!

It is with great sadness that we lost our treasured Chairman, member and friend at the start of autumn. David was in at the beginning of the New Chertsey Art Club in Guildford Street, and eventually took over the Chairmanship of Chertsey Artists Limited. He worked tirelessly to ensure that the premises ran smoothly, liaising with the Trustees and inspiring the committee. He was very supportive and encouraging of the club members” work, and when we had the themed exhibitions he always managed to produce something original and amusing to fit the theme. June Pugh has written the following about his life outside Chertsey Artists: “David was my friend. Our first meeting was at Send Prison, 22 years ago.

He was a visitor to the Education Department and interested in the work we were doing in Art, in prison education. He continued to visit occasionally and sometimes to take a class for us if the appointed teacher was on holiday. He was on a degree course at Farnham and was considering the possibility of teaching; I encouraged him because I believed he would make an excellent teacher. I was proved correct in that belief; he became a member of the teaching staff at Send Prison gaining the affection of his students and colleagues and the respect of all the staff in the prison. Away from the prison, I have seen him with groups of children and with groups of adults, he was able to engage with all of them and infect them with his own interest and enthusiasm. He had a great interest in and love of people, I never knew anyone with so many close friends. When I was working for my diploma, he was a sympathetic and encouraging mentor, commenting on my work and pushing my thinking. He was inspired and inspirational. “David had a wide range of interests – sports: football and golf particularly; Theatre – one niece is an actor; Film and, of course, Art. He loved all art, from pre-historic cave art to the most recent art shown at the ‘trendy’ galleries; sculpture; ceramics; printmaking; modelling and crafts. He was an enthusiast, open to considering new ideas and concepts taking an academic and practical interest in everything he saw. “David’s own work is well known to us: his superb draughtsmanship; his large and passionate crowd scene paintings and his quiet, contemplative café conversation pieces which demonstrate how well he knew his subjects. “He was my friend and I miss him.”

The next session of Thursday morning portrait drawing starts on 6th September at 10.30am at Windsor Street with Barrie who is booked forthree weeks. We hope you will

be able to come along and enjoy drawing some excellent models and some good company.

Held by the inspiring artist Caroline Bays in Sunbury, this ten week Oil Painting course pushes your creative skills and guarantees fun! A variety of subject matter will be covered including painting on location by the River Thames at Lower Sunbury. It is designed to suit individual interests and abilities with advice on materials and techniques. Location: The Craft Room, Riverside Arts Centre, 59 Thames St, Sunbury on Thames TW16 5QF. Start Dates: Monday 16th April ’12 until 2nd July’12. (Half-term 4th June ’12 & 7th May Day Bank Holiday) Times: Monday morning 10am – 12.30pm / Monday afternoon 1.30 – 4pm Fee: 150 pounds. For more information or to book a place please phone: 01932 561231 Mobile: 07814 285789 Or email: carolinebays@googlemail.com (Please send a cheque 2 weeks before start of class to The Cottage, 8e Windsor St, Chertsey KT16 8AS.) Please bring your own oil painting materials & easel. (I will supply an environmentally friendly oil painting medium & brush cleaner for your use.) Tea & coffee provided.

See you there!

All-day printing sessions start again this April.

Contact Miranda Weber on 01932 705287 w.weber@btinternet.com

Recently the Committee carried out a survey to better understand what its members want out of the society. Here are the results. It”s lengthy but there are some good graphs inside to help understand what your fellow artists want! Click here to see the survey results…