THE  ABERDYFI ARTIST

Dear Member,

What a beautiful month we have just had. It has become customary to start these newsletters with comments on the weather so it makes a very pleasant change not to be marvelling at the amount of rain which has fallen. Having said that, precipitation is just starting as I write, but it looks as though it is just going to be a short blip. I hope so as I am going up to the Lakes for the weekend. I have been “oop t’north”, as we used to say where I came from, several times this year. The Yorkshire Dales have changed a lot since my youth and most villages there seem to have an art gallery nowadays. In between walking over mountains, battling with midges whilst trying to cook outside my tent in the evening, and enjoying the company of old friends, I have always tried to look around these galleries. They mostly exhibit just the work of the owner, and he or she is obviously painting to sell. Nothing wrong with that, but it does tend to produce what I call formula paintings. The views are different, but little else. I wonder what the artists do for fun? Only every now and then do you come across a sparkling piece of work which conveys a sense of enjoyment in its creation and lifts the spirits.

Spirits were lifted, though when we had an interesting afternoon at the end of July with the Cambrian Art Group and the brother of one of their members who happens to be Michael Chaplin of Watercolour Challenge fame. He is a delightful man, going to great pains to greet everyone individually, and seeming to remember most of our names! He gave a fascinating insight into the workings of a tv production team and the making of a programme. It is hard to believe that a team of about 30 is required to make each programme ( I compared this mentally with the two who came to film at our house a couple of years ago for S4C ) but each member seems to have his or her particular little skill and place in the progression of things. When I look in future at the credits following a programme, at all those gaffers and grips, I will know that they are apparently needed, but still boggle at what they can all be doing all day. It apparently often takes eight to ten hours to shoot one programme, part of the problem being continuity, the need to ensure, say, that if a shot is re-taken for some reason, the details are exactly the same. This has a wearing effect on the poor old competitors which does not show in the end result. They may have to put on the same wash several times, or do the same thing from different angles. At the end of the day, the editor must be the real star, making sense of all the different pieces of film and producing a meaningful programme. Mike then went on to talk about matters of interest to all artists, how drawing is of vital importance, how a sketchbook is an invaluable aid for reference, how to use positive and negative lines and shapes, and how tones change depending on their adjacent colours. He demonstrated all these from his own work, of which he had brought a generous amount. It is difficult to convey the enthusiasm and sincerity which he transmitted to his audience. It was such that I came away almost inspired to start painting again, and that takes some doing! If you ever get chance to go to one of his courses or hear him, I thoroughly recommend it. Have any of our members got relatives famous in the field of art?

We also had a trip out with the Cambrian Art Group early in October, by coach to the Lowry Gallery in Manchester. My day was memorable for the quality of the sunset as we came home! I was sadly disappointed with the gallery. They seemed to have dredged Lowry’s estate for all sorts of old drawings and sketches, but had a relatively small selection of his paintings. These seemed to be on loan from city council collections and were not entirely representative. For me, there is a limit to the number of ‘matchstick men’ you can enjoy in a day and it would have been interesting to see more of the other sides to his work. There were brief, fascinating glimpses of these in his figure sketches, an impressionist landscape from 1909, a fine early self-portrait, and an amazing portrait of a father and his two sons that will haunt me for the rest of my life. I don’t know much about Lowry, and it would have been enlightening if these aspects of his output had been given more attention. This vast gallery has room for several exhibitions at once, but three were in the process of being mounted and therefore not open to the public. I would have thought that it would be far more user-friendly to have changed one exhibition at a time so that there is always a variety for those who travel from afar. It will take something really good to get me there again. I came out appreciating just what we have locally in The Tabernacle. Across the road was a big shopping precinct. I have never been in one of these things before, having been brought up to believe in the old adage that a fool and his money are soon parted, and the experience merely confirmed this. Lots of shops selling things that no one could really want, and a fish and chip outlet making a mockery of the once good name of Harry Ramsden. On nights in my youth when I couldn’t get to sleep, instead of counting sheep, I counted fish and chip shops within walking distance. I think the total was 23, of which one was the original and excellent Harry Ramsden’s. After this interesting confirmation of a long held feeling that all was not well in the world we set off to look for the Imperial War Museum North which was said to stand nearby. It took some finding as there was not a sign leading to it. Even when we got to what looked as though it might be the site, we had to perambulate the boundary of this concrete and stainless steel citadel for some time, rather like Crusaders at the walls of Jerusalem, searching  for a breach in the seemingly impregnable defences. It finally appeared as a small, unannounced entrance. I remember that during the war, all signs were taken down to make things difficult for any unwanted visitors from Europe. I assumed that the secrecy surrounding the museum was designed to re-create that part of the wartime experience! Inside, all was gloom and noise in a labyrinth of passages occasionally opening into cavernous spaces. I suppose it gave a feeling of what it was like under siege in Britain in the early 40s, but this huge space seemed totally underused. What exhibits there were bore little or no descriptive information, and small display cases gave merely  fleeting glimpses of the vast array of material which must be available to the museum. In The Times last week there was an apposite quotation by Professor Simon Scharma on the modern soundbite approach to teaching A-level history –“I would rather history was abolished at school altogether than go on like this. It’s a farce.”  But then came that sunset, and all was well in my world again. I am not an urban man by nature and the occasional confirmation of this does no great harm when it is undertaken in pleasant company and requires no personal effort of organisation. My thanks go to The Cambrian Art Group for these two totally different experiences.

As usual, I have digressed from Society affairs, so back to them. First of all, the  ANNUAL EXHIBITION and a note from our Chairman –

As Chairman, and therefore speaking on behalf of the Society, I wish to thank all those who helped to make our 2002 Exhibition the success it undoubtedly was. Perhaps the best yet. The number of exhibits was the most we’ve ever displayed, they covered a greater range of style and material and their presentation was first class. This was reflected in the many favourable comments entered in our visitors’ book, and the fact that more paintings were sold than ever before. Although not up to the figures of our time in the Church Hall, it was encouraging to have a comfortable increase in the number of visitors over last year. No doubt due to better publicity and the public becoming more aware of our new venue. It is obviously impossible to thank everyone individually, but I feel that some people warrant being “mentioned in dis-patches”, so special thanks to –

Jean and Bev Barratt for so much spade work and being mainly responsible for painting the flats,

John Hoyle for collating all the entry forms and producing the catalogue and all the labels,

Kay Morris who, despite her problems, stuck all the labels onto the plaques,

Doreen Greenaway for again undertaking the task of ensuring a complete stewarding roster (Keith’s phone bill must have hit the roof – or should that be the other way round?!),

Vic Gowers for producing the very striking posters,

Peter Bartholomew far making a new “sandwich board” to entice more people to come in,

Joan Newman for the flowers, and

Joan Harbottle for the constant supply of the wherewithall to make tea and coffee.

But this does not detract from the sincerity of the thanks due to all those who helped to assemble the exhibition, acted as stewards, helped to clear up afterwards and, of course, to all those exhibitors who made it all worth while.

A great show – can the next one be even better?!                              Jack Harbottle

Further exhibition statistics –

recorded number of visitors - 1605

collection for blind - £275.15

number of exhibitors - 45

pictures sold  - 81.

Thanks are also due to Tom James and Graham Vaggers for helping to paint the screens.

After looking at the poor evening visitor figures the Committee are going to propose to the AGM that we abolish evening opening and change the daily opening hours from 11am to 6pm to 10am to 6pm. This will mean that stewarding shifts will be for four hours instead of three and a half.

It was fully appreciated that the large paintings entered by some members were not displayed to their full advantage on the stage. We apologise for this but there was no other way of dealing with them at the time. We hope that next year we will be able to hang such pictures on the side walls of the Neuadd.

Neuadd Dyfi has been booked for the 2003 Exhibition which will run from Monday 28^th July to Sunday 10^th August.

NEWS OF MEMBERS.

JOHN FAGE 1921-2002.  Member from 1991 – 2002. It is sad to have to report the death of John on 6^th August 2002 following a long illness and I am sure I speak for all members in extending our deepest sympathy to Jean on her sad loss. John was a historian and expert on the history of Africa. He first knew the continent as a pilot of flying boats during the war. He subsequently was Ghana’s first professor of History, then held posts at universities in London and finally Birmingham where he finished his career as Vice-Principal. His memoirs were published earlier this year.

KAY MORRIS. Kay is back at home in Aberdyfi, recovering from successful surgery and I am sure she will welcome visits from old friends. We hope to see her at painting days again soon.

GLYN DAVIES. We hear that Glyn is making slow progress towards a full recovery and send best wishes to him and his family.

JACK MARCHANT. Jack is back at home following a spell in Bronglais, making a grand recovery, and is as wonderfully cheerful as ever.

The onset of autumn has at least three cheerful aspects for members. The winter programme of painting days, the annual crossword, and the buffet supper.

The WINTER PROGRAMME was posted to members in September. If anyone has lost it or thinks they did not receive one, please let me know. One amendment has had to be made to it, Wendy Murphy is unable to come on Tuesday 15^th October, so this will revert to an untutored day, and she will come instead on Tuesday 5^th November.

We tried to contact all likely attendees well before the date.

The ANNUAL CROSSWORD is attached. Only one this year, a mixture of cryptic and straight forward clues. I compiled it a week or two ago and had a look at it again today. I think the clues are all there and solvable with a bit of thought. Please have a go. The prizewinning name will be drawn at the buffet supper. Entries to me by Tuesday 19^th November  (mistake in the closing date on the crossword itself, I regret to say).

The BUFFET SUPPER has this year moved from a Saturday to a Wednesday evening. This is because the Yacht Club is now open to their members on Saturdays and we thought it would be better if we kept our event exclusive. A form is attached, you will see it is on Wednesday 20^th November at 7.30pm. I do hope as many members as possible will attend to make this now popular annual event a continued success. Don’t forget to send the form back to Peter Coldham by Friday 15^th November.

A final note – it is good to see that our International Traveller member is back home in Wales for the winter! She knows who she is!

I look forward to seeing you all at the Buffet Supper.

Best wishes,

Bev Barratt               

Gellygen Fach,

Pantperthog,

Machynlleth,

SY20 9AY.

12 October 2002

Last modified: 09/29/05