Oils Course

Another successful course for the Group began in February with room 6 full of easels, oils and eager students. Week one concentrated on getting us to get down to business, and the subject "skies" proved to be very interesting as this was probably the first time many of us have tried to work in oil. Not being fond of the smell of oils and the thinners, I decided to try water mixable oil paints and I have found they are a pleasure to use, and easily cleaned up after a session with no smell whatsoever. With the assistance of an of Old Master Jacob Van Ruysdael, who supplied the inspiration in the form of a view of Haarlem and Windmill at Wijk bij Duurstede, Mike showed the Group how to apply the paints including using hands and fingers to move the paints around the prepared board. He then sent everyone home with homework, reminding us of the drying times! Week two, everyone turned up with their attempts at the allotted task! For a first attempt there were some excellent paintings and everyone had at least two attempts at the subject with some of the more adventurous trying their new- found skill on their own version of a lively colourful sky. We also found out that when painting in oils other problems rear their heads! Beware of the sleeping dog when you step back to admire your latest masterpiece, as you are liable to trip over it! (The dog that is!) Beware of the non- painting other half when you forget to put a cover on the floor and get oil paint on the best carpet! We also had a fashion show of the latest style of painting smocks, a wise precaution, as the paint will ruin good clothing. This week we concentrated on techniques: Glazing, blending, scumbling, stippling, and scraping back, varnishing and impasto. The subject was taken from a couple of photo's Mike had taken of a Hampshire Mill and Millstream, lots of green at first glance but our task was: "An exercise in changing observed colours" so my guess green is the last colour he wants to see, or not a lot of it! Not forgetting our tutor Mike Dalton, because he brought along his version of our homework, a much larger version than ours of the view of Haarlem, showing us how it should be done by producing a bright and lively scene full of colour and movement. Week two appears at first glance not to be as easy as the first week's subject, but the challenge is good and it certainly makes you use your brain and observational skills. We hope to arrange an exhibition in the Community Centre at the end of the course for those of us who were unable to attend the course, but more of that later. Thanks Mike for a good course so far. Sandra