In May we moved onto Chrysanthemums and used some blue gold fleck paper that I brought back from China. We tried outline style—with colour before outline and colour after outline—and free brush—using colour brush strokes only. The coloured paper was fun to work with.

Marion

In April, the Sunday group tackled bamboo on dragon cloud paper. Following the Chinese tradition of painting bamboo in ink and vermillion ink, we used various varieties of ink and vermilion paint mixed with a little light ink (because no vermillion ink was available!).

We also looked at applying washes to dragon cloud paper. The one here was a dry wash, i.e. the paper wasn’t sprayed first, with paint applied from the front. It achieved a very pleasing even result which is enhanced by the texture of the paper.

Bamboo

Paper surface

‘Painting the Modern Garden Monet to Matisse’, Royal Academy Exhibition began and ended with Monet’s Waterlilies and encompassed an inspirational collection of art from all over the world.
We chose waterlilies as the subject to explore how Chinese art can reflect some of the techniques used by the impressionists and in doing so found we were able to paint in a more free style, these are some of the results:

Lotus by Jean Griffith

Read the latest news in our Spring update:

· Welcoming Spring painting Plum blossom

· Join us for an afternoon of fun and painting, the first Sunday of the month

· Brushes – choosing which one to use

Find out more about the many exhibitions to visit and books to read

Sign up to become a member and start receiving your quarterly newsletter by email. Review past editions.

To contribute ideas and articles to forthcoming newsletters, please contact Marion Dearlove

Welcome to the Year of the Monkey, read the latest news update:

· Intelligent, witty and strong willed, were you born in the Year of the Monkey

· Join us for an afternoon of fun and painting, the first Sunday of the month

· Find out how to compose a landscape painting

Find out more about the many exhibitions to visit and books to read

Sign up to become a member and start receiving your quarterly newsletter by email. Review past editions.

To contribute ideas and articles to forthcoming newsletters, please contact Marion Dearlove

Read the latest news in our Autumn update:

· A tribute to our friend and fellow artist Norma Kennedy

· Order your painting materials direct from China

· Last chance to book your place on painting landscape, a workshop with Jane Evans

· How to paint Chinese Landscapes

Find out more about exhibitions to visit and books to read

Sign up to become a member and start receiving your quarterly newsletter by email. Review past editions.

To contribute ideas and articles to forthcoming newsletters, please contact Marion Dearlove

Last season Jane held a very successful class on painting spring flowers.

The way she used colours and paint effects were very interesting and demonstrated  another way of looking at how Chinese Brush Painting can be handled. The members who attended the workshop all enjoyed the different ways of looking at the subject and went away with yet another perspective on flower painting – Thank You Jane

Jean Gray

Two monumental works on display in the Chinese Gallery at the British Museum from 13 November 2015 until the end of the year

The British Museum is the latest gallery to recognise the historical and artistic importance of Qu Lei Lei’s contribution to the art world and have now added two marjor paintings to their permanent collection

Qu Lei Lei, internationally renound artist and Chairman of the UK Chinese Brush Painting Society

Find out more about Qu Lei Lei and his amazing journey at www.quleilei.net

(website by Margaret Wall)