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MEMBERS' NEWSLETTER - OCTOBER 1999 Thoughts of Chairman Bob
Please do not be alarmed by the whimsical headline. I do not for a moment think that these musings will ever be bound into a little red book or be used to start a cultural revolution. I believe that art should not be taken too seriously and neither should Chairmen. Perhaps I am still nervously trying to cover up the embarrassment of being appointed Chairman while absent from the Annual Meeting and also the fact that for the next month I will be swanning round the world unable to perform the Chairman's duties. I hope members will overlook these lapses because I am genuinely honoured to be appointed Chairman after fifteen years or so as an active member. I will do my best to develop the objectives of the Society during my period of office.
That said my first duty is to warmly thank the retiring Chairman, Jean Williams, for the work she has done on behalf of members during her two terms of office. She has worked tirelessly representing the interests of the Society throughout the period of refurbishment of the Assembly Rooms where we now conduct our activities. It is largely through her vision and commitment that 'The Studio' and its facilities for practical art activities was created. The Society can now confidently look forward to extending the range of activities which can be offered to members. When I was first elected to the Society's committee Jean was already there as Secretary and we seem to have been sitting round the same committee table almost continuously for so many years. Understandably she now feels the time has come to get out of the driving seat to pursue other interests and we wish her well. I know however that she is prepared to give further service to the Society if the need arises.
I am no less grateful to the other retiring members of the Committee, Alison Justice, Dorothy Berry and John Luntz. Alison resigned immediately after the Spring Exhibition because of pressure of work. I will always be thankful to Alison for one simple solution to the problem of coping with the early rush of impatient members on Handing-in Day. Sifting through the entry forms to check entries was always a nightmare until Alison provided ring binders which held the slips tidily in order. Why couldn't I have thought of that? Thank you Alison – you should not deprive the Society of such talent for too long. Dorothy's gentle nature never allowed her to get impatient or cross with the rest of us in Committee and she worked tirelessly on the important routine jobs like the mailings to members and the necessary daily duties at the opening and closing of the Society's exhibitions. I suspect we never knew half of what she really did, so thank you Dorothy for your quiet efficient service. My old chum John Luntz came to notice at one of our exhibitions some years ago because he must have been one of the first members to show work in acrylics. How sad it has been not to see his work for a year or two. I hope it will not be too long before he is granted a lucrative retirement package which will allow him to take up his brushes again. Thank you John for manfully coping with the duties of Secretary while working long hours.
The retirements this year have left the Committee in a weakened state. The most pressing need is for someone to take on the role of Exhibition Secretary. It is a job which requires some organising skills and a certain confidence to take initiatives to sort out difficulties when they arise. Other Committee Members are willing to give enthusiastic support but we urgently need someone willing to take overall responsibility. Successful exhibitions of work of high quality are important for the Society's standing and also because they are a major source of income. So please seriously consider if you can support me and serve the membership in the office of Exhibition Secretary.
Enjoyment of a long period of membership of the Society prompts me from time to time to reflect upon trends and changes. Over the years several elderly and very talented members have died. This year was a poignant one because when Kit Hall died we lost the last of the Society's founder members. He had a dignified presence which caught your attention. I suppose my fondest memory of him was at a Summer Exhibition which was opened by a local Headmaster. Our guest congratulated members on the quality of the paintings, then spoiled the compliment by saying that in his school Art was something which you did if you were not very bright. A somewhat tactless remark to make at a gathering of artists. Kit interrupted the speech and in his fine imposing voice said that in his school art was taken by everybody, it was treated as being equal in importance to every other subject. His forceful statement of this Ruskinian idea made me an instant admirer. I will miss him.
In my experience Workshops and Painting Days have always been a feature of the Society's life. There seems to be less support for them now than when I first joined. I can't explain why. Painting does tend to be a solitary and lonely activity and I feel that the purpose of Societies such as ours is to gather artists together to share and learn. The Programme does give members a chance to share their ideas; there is an evening devoted to Members' Presentations in February 2000 – do try to make a contribution.
Through the summer I ran some plein air workshops for a few friends who flatteringly felt that I would be able to help them. I tried to adopt the confident air of someone accomplished who knows what he is doing. Little did my friends suspect that as the weeks went by I became haunted by uncertainty and doubt. At any time I thought my friends might ask, "Do you know why we try to paint these appallingly difficult landscapes." I could not at that time have truthfully said, "No but I know a man who does." Now though I am enlightened.
David Woodford is a painter who since 1968 has been painting the landscapes of Snowdonia. I first saw one of his early exhibitions of plein air oil sketches about 25 years ago and became a fan. I was lucky enough to see his latest exhibition at Y Tabernacl, Machynlleth, just before it closed and was enthralled. He is a contemplative painter and I was struck by a sentence from his preface to the Exhibition Catalogue: "The landscape painter tries to shape a silent eternity from a moment of time turning fact into feeling." I wish I could have said that to my friends last summer; it has made me begin painting with renewed heart. I hope it will do the same for you.
Robert Kirk.. |