WelcomeWelcome to the Fairford Art Society (FAS)
We are a group of enthusiastic leisure painters who meet every month to share ideas, techniques and motivation. The society has been active now for over 35 years, so has many years of experience behind it. Besides our monthly meetings we have social occasions and annual exhibitions. Where do we meet? The Fairford Community Centre, High Street, Fairford, Gloucestershire. Membership The society has a membership of about 40 living in Fairford and the surrounding area. New members are always welcome. |
News2018-2019 seasonExhibition at St. Mary's Church FairfordWe are pleased to be exhibiting this year in St. Mary's Church Fairford.
The exhibition opens on June 5th and is open daily from 10 - 5 until Saturday June 8th when it closes at 4.00 
Please look at Exhibitions page for up to date information on the correct procedure for preparing pictures for the exhibition
SeascapesOn April 4th Warwickshire based artist Judith Yates gave a demonstration of her dynamic way of working to create seascapes.
She explained how she works in layers gradually building up the image with acrylic colours
She often uses a palette knife to create texture and flicks and sprays paint, often turning the canvas to control the spread of the paint and suggest the life of the wave.
Judith enjoying a short break during the workshop she gave on April 13th
The black and white of it.The March meeting took the form of a working evening with our Chairman, Sallie Seymour. Sallie set up a large still life group which members used to create images using just black and white working on either a light or dark ground. The object of the evening being an exercise in the judging of tonal values. Sallie explained that too often artists were so concerned with colour that concern for light and dark, for changes in the tone of a colour were sometimes neglected. The time spent on thinking about basic skills was enjoyed by all and Sallie was very pleased with the results.
Flowers in February Using acrylic inks Alison Vickery demonstrated her methods and gave lots of advice on ways of developing imagery of flowers. She talked about her career and showed some of her own work and beautiful sketchbooks as well as the potential of having work commercially printed for greeting cards and wrapping papers. During the tea break she allowed members to try out her materials, an afternoon enjoyed by all.
Taking an idea for a walkIn January Liz Harding talked to members about the way she likes to work. Taking the Oxpens, Fairford as a subject she showed members a series of pieces of work she had made on the same subject describing how she will make lots of drawings and then make work to thoroughly explore the subject, some will be successful, others not. She likes to get all she can from a topic before moving on.
Railway Inn, FairfordOver twenty members enjoyed a Christmas lunch in December
Mono-typesA working session with Brian Britton, on November 1st, proved to be a creative and enjoyable session allowing members to explore the possibilities of one off printing using the mono-type technique.
    Watercolour landscapesOn October 4th Catherine Beale gave a most interesting demonstration about the use of watercolour. She described watercolour as a very mobile medium, exciting in the way the colours worked together and in many ways more important thasn the subject matte of the picture. She works on waterclour art board and makes picture 'about' rather than 'of landscape
Catherine will be giving a workshop later in the month
The new season began with a demonstration of working with figures by Pamela Stone
July A.G.M
There was a good attendance at this years AGM. The chairman spoke of a very rewarding year with an increased membership now standing at 44 members.. She thanked her hard working and enthusiastic committee.
The new addition to the programme of open air painting sessions had proved very successful despite some indifferent weather. The moving of winter meetings to the afternoon proved to be a good idea and will continue this year in November, January and February. She expressed her thanks to treasurer Ros Flatman and to Sue O'Connell for planning the programme and to Angie Vaughan for the exhibition organisation. The treasurers report showed the society to be in a good financial condition. Thanks were due to Sallie Seymour for the income from the monthly raffle and from the painting sessions. Thanks to Wendy Robinson and Sue O'Connell for organising sales at the doctors surgery. A donation from the society to Farmors school allowed them to purchase an A3 lightbox. The exhibition secretary reported that the exhibition had received over 300 visitors over the two days. She congratulated the members saying they had much to be proud of. The reports were followed by the election of the committee. There being no further business the meeting was closed to be followed by refreshments. Myths and ImaginationIn June members enjoyed a talk and demonstration by artist Maureen Wilsker who paints on cloth and plaques and objects made of wood. The audience were delighted by the work she brought to show the breadth of her imaginative thinking
Summer exhibitionFarmors School Fairford showed some of their art work.
The Art Society has made a donation to the school's art department to allow them to purchase a light box for the students use
A general view of the exhibition at the Community Centre
SUMMER EXHIBITION THIS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
June 2nd and 3rd Pastels in MayGraham Cox gave an interesting demonstration on the use of pastels on May 3rd enjoyed by a large audience.
Members please check exhibition rules on Exhibitions page.
Exhibition poster for June exhibition, details of summer painting venues on events page
April meetingSadly the March meeting had to be cancelled because of snow. Luckily our speaker Jackie Garner was able to come to the April meeting instead.
So, instead of a working evening of life drawing Jackie spoke about the use of acrylics. Rather than paint a picture Jackie showed members a range of ideas about the process of using acrylic colours. Her aim was to encourage experimentation and"playing" with materials in order to extend and enliven ways of painting. She encouraged the keeping of a sketchbook of experiments with written notes about the results and their possible use. She suggested the use of a variety of mark making instruments and showed some different types of acrylic colours including inks and markers.
Hopefully no more snow and next months meeting on May 3rd, a demonstration of working with pastels by Graham Cox, will go ahead as planned
New Year for the society
February 1st saw the first meeting of the new year, an afternoon session, from now on meetings will be in the evening. A well attended working session exploring the use of oil pastels was led by Wendy and Liz.
The committee met on 30th January to plan for the year. Exhibitions were discussed and members are encouraged to suggest suitable venues as well as help by disseminating publicity material. Fairford Festival, 2nd-3rd June is definite and Bibury Festival in August was also discussed. More details later. |
President
Wendy Robinson CommitteeChairperson
Sallie Seymour 01367 850385 Members Secretary
John Hewett Treasurer
John Hewett 01285 239403 johnchewett@hotmail.co.uk Exhibition Secretary
Angie Vaughan 
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