Bromley Art Society Bringing Artists Together since 1947

How long have you been painting?
I have drawn and painted for as long as I can remember. As a child I loved ‘colouring in’ with my treasured box of Lakeland Derwent pencils and Reeves Students’ paintbox.
Who or what was your main inspiration to paint?
I had an excellent art teacher in secondary school. She introduced us to all of the media, opaque and transparent, pen and wash, landscape (in nearby Crystal Palace Park) and then on to life drawing at Bromley Art School which, at that time, was at the corner of Widmore Road and Tweedy Road. The same teacher was great on the history of art and on art appreciation and her lessons were supplemented with visits to the Royal Academy, National Gallery and the Tate.
Which medium do you prefer?
I did a lot of crafts when my children were young but then I went to watercolour classes in Kemsing which started me off painting again. More recently I’ve enjoyed pastels and now acrylics, having been to a few short courses. I like the opaque quality of acrylic and feel more relaxed being able to cover mistakes or changes of heart.
What inspires you to start a picture?
Either sentiment for a scene or a place that I know very well and which means a lot to me, or because I fall in love with the atmosphere of a place and for which a photograph is not enough. An example of the latter is the Callanish stones in the Outer Hebrides with the magical shapes and atmosphere. Examples of the former are Whitley Bay island lighthouse for its holiday memories and Cambridge because I learnt to love it whilst living there for several years.
What advice would you give to a new painter?
As well as membership of the B.A.S, I would suggest a class for mixed media painting and, ideally, another for life drawing. Then I would suggest he or she attend as many galleries and exhibitions as possible in order to get a wide overview of styles of picture-making.
Which galleries?
Well, I love the Mall Gallery. Its series of exhibitions is many and varied. It is small and friendly with low or no admission prices. During the next few weeks one can see exhibitions by The Wapping Group, The Pastel Society, the Royal Institution for Painters in Watercolour and the Royal Society of Portrait Painters.
At the national exhibitions in London we have recently been treated to Rodin, Velas- quez, Holbein and Hockney and will soon be able to see Hogarth (Tate Britain) and Canaletto (Dulwich) and many others.
What does B.A.S. membership mean to you?
I particularly enjoy the variety of subjects that are covered in the lectures and demonstrations. I attend whenever I can, whatever the topic, and am frequently entertained and informed about new aspects of the wider art subjects. In addition, I find members are very nice and friendly and enjoy the social side of the meetings. I do not really want to exhibit to sell at the BAS shows as, if I paint a picture that is worth framing, then I generally want to keep it.