PICTURE OF THE MONTH

August 2022
by Jenny Atkins

This month I have had the pleasure to choose 'The Wave' by Jenny Atkins. I enjoyed seeing all four of her works in the online Gallery, but went for this one. I love the simplicity of the composition and this is strengthened by the simplicity of the palette Jenny has used. It has a strong sense of encompassing the sky and sea in one rolling movement. To me it expresses a sense of awe for our world and a sense of story in the landscape; a happening; a moment; something extraordinary.

Chosen from our online Gallery by Sadie Brockbank

July 2022
by Sadie Brockbank

My choice for this month is Life Ark by Sadie Brockbank.

I love the way the shapes featured in this work relate to each other. The plants and animals seem to be caring and supporting each other and the ark supports and protects all of them. An ark has never been needed more than it is now to care for our fellow creatures and I think the shapes and colours which Sadie has used convey this idea with simplicity and brilliance.

Chosen from our online Gallery by Anthony Wilder

June 2022
by Anthony Wilder

I was drawn to this painting because it so effectively evokes the Liverpool skyline – a fascinating city and one where my daughter lives, so it has a special connection. So often, montages of places can be a bit disjointed but Anthony has pulled together recognisable elements (the Liver Building and the gateway into The Albert Dock) into a very satisfying composition. The two pillars of the gateway are like a portal into the painting and your eye is led up to the Liver Bird silhouetted against the moon. The repeated images of the moon and vertical bands hold everything together. The use of watercolour and a blue-dominated palette is so effective for creating the feeling of a place remembered, perhaps a long time ago.

Chosen from our online Gallery by Paul Whitehouse

May 2022
by Paul Whitehouse

I have been intrigued by Paul's urban landscapes, and this one is no exception. Wonderfully executed in a limited palette, conveying a bright sunny day. What is happening here my mind asks, has there been a mishap which caused the abandoned scooter. More likely there has been a distraction of something more exciting, perhaps an ice cream!

More than just a painting, this is an ever changing story which engages the viewer imagination.

Chosen from our online Gallery by Clare Buchta

April 2022
by Clare Buchta

I have always loved Clare's work, and this one is no exception. It has such an ethereal quality to it and the depth of perception that she has captured in the water is simply mesmerising – I could get lost in it.

Chosen from our online Gallery by Nikki Carr

March 2022
by Nikki Carr

So difficult to choose a picture but after much umming and ahing I've decided on Nikki Carr's Dandelions.

I love a bunch of dandelions at any stage and the seeding heads are particularly beautiful. Then there is the great execution of the glass jug, something which seems a hopeless task to me so well done by Nikki!

Chosen from our online Gallery by Lou Jessop

February 2022
by Lou Jessop

From the very first time I saw Lou Jessop's needle work on the Caversham Art Trail, I have been drawn and intrigued. Her characters and creatures conjure up mythical scenes and emotions. This piece 'Tyger, Tyger', with its bright woollen fabric colours and ornate stitch work, appears playful, but possibly underlies a darker more dangerous theme.

An amazing talent that draws you in for a closer inspection.

Chosen from our online Gallery by Andrew Field

January 2022
by Andrew Field

Andrew's works are always very striking. I love the way he combines and reorganises the details of carvings from local historic buildings. This particular painting is like a precariously balanced structure which defies gravity but invites us in closer to see what is going on.  

His work is incredibly detailed and extremely skilful, and I am full of admiration for his work.

Chosen from our online Gallery by Janina Maher

December 2021
by Janina Maher

Watercolour washes and pen are perfect for townscapes. Janina Maher's work in this medium displays a particularly cheerful blend of architectural accuracy and charm and I especially liked this seasonal composition.

For me, it captures the stillness of a Winter morning, waking up to find a cloth of snow has been quietly laid over the landscape.

Thanks to the artist.

Chosen from our online Gallery by William Redman

November 2021
by William Redman

The picture I have chosen is a tiny oil painting by William Redman (only 9cm square) but it packs a big visual punch.

It is clearly rooted in a real landscape – the title is 'Britwell Span' - but the artist has produced a bold abstracted composition with intersecting blocks of yellows and greens separated by a pale pink curve and an unusually deep ultramarine blue sky. The warm pale pink path leads us from the foreground to an orange sun (or maybe the moon?) in the top left corner set in a deep blue band. Several near-horizontal strips coming in from left and right, and echoes of the blue sky in the foreground, hold everything together in a very satisfying composition. The thick impasto paint has been applied with confidence, and the treatment of the paint adds to the impact of this small but engaging picture.

Chosen from our online Gallery by Paul Whitehouse

October 2021
by Paul Whitehouse

Anyone who knows me and my work will understand why I've chosen this painting by Paul Whitehouse.

Called Watching, Waiting as well as it being a style of painting I like, the image allows the viewer to imagine their own story. Plus I love all things trains. Although a sunny day the two contrasting figures are in deep darkness. I think the posture of platform attendant is brilliant, he feels at home and relaxed, quietly alert, ready for the next rush of activity. All in a day's work. The seated figure, small wheelycase to hand, tense and uncomfortable as he waits for his train (arriving soon?), staring at his phone (another fascination).

Painted in 2019 before these strange times we have experienced, it could also very much be the view of the deserted platforms anyone who has still needed to commute will have seen. I think I can even make out a face mask.

Chosen from our online Gallery by Martina Hildebrandt

September 2021
by Mohan Banerji

As a lover of remote places and mountain walking and having spent much of lockdown working on a series of paintings based on my walking experiences, this picture really struck a chord.

I liked Mohan's use of bright colour, the deep blue of the water, the contrasting surrounding rocks, the sweep of the landscape up to the summit.

Just makes me look forward to my next trip to the mountains.

Chosen from our online Gallery by Philip Alexander