Painting Challenge - Canoe Slalom

Several people have reminded me that I haven't set a painting/drawing challenge for some time. Now that things have settled down after the exhibition I thought I'd share one of the photos I took in Italy last month. Email a digital image of your picture to laschallenge@yahoo.com

I've chosen this one as it is uncluttered by the trees and life-savers on both sides of the river and by the various wires and poles suspended above the river to form the gates for this international slalom competition held in Merano on 20-21 May. This is a fast flowing, icy cold alpine river and half the difficulty with painting this will be keeping the dynamism that shows even in this still photograph which I took from the the vantage point of a bridge near the finishing line.

If you really want to appreciate the movement of this river and the difficulties for canoeists then take a look at this video from the day we were there.

Summer Exhibition

A Walk in Frith Wood voted Best in Show

Our exhibition was well received by the public many of whom commented on the attractive way the pictures were displayed and the variety of styles. Many remarked on the wonderful and welcoming display of flowers as they reached the top of the stairs. Many thanks to Sue Embrey who provided the flowers from her garden.

With the exhibition extended for an extra three days we recorded a total of 540 visitors - 157 came on Community Day. Thank you to all the visitors who voted for the Best in Show. Not an easy choice with 71 paintings to consider. The winning painting was A Walk in Frith Wood, by Ian Fountaine. The runner up was Bergen

Winner and runner up

Alleys, by Colin Harries. I'm glad to say both paintings were among the ten that sold. A further three paintings from the print browsers also sold as did 144 cards.

Thank you to everyone who was involved in organising, hanging or stewarding and particular thanks to the seventeen artists who exhibited.

A number of members were not able to exhibit this time but we hope that most of them will be able to take part in the Christmas Exhibition - 20 to 25 November.

Pictures from the Summer Exhibition

Here are a few pictures from the exhibition. We have a good standard and wide variety of work well displayed in the Weavers Gallery. We shall now be open for an extra three days, finally closing at 4.30pm on Wednesday 14 June.