THIS ISSUE PAGES

1 2 3 - 5 6 7

OTHER ISSUES

PAT + ART = PARTY

BUNNY, PAT AND MARY hard at work at the June 2005 workshop

with Bob Champion in the foreground Photo: Editor

Photo© Totton Art Society

Here's how it happened! Bunny and I went out for an innocent afternoon walk in Summer 2003 and saw that it was TAS Summer Exhibition time again, so we went in. Whilst I viewed and admired Bunny, as usual, got into conversation with the sitters-in - ladies of course - Claire and Sheila. We spent a very pleasant hour with them and came away with lots of information and an invitation to the next demonstration evening - John Shotter doing "waves".

Now I had decided, when I retired, that I would not join any organisation or club - I'd done that for years - no more clocks, time-keeping- commitment. However, we had such a good time on our first visit to TAS that we decided to join - we couldn't resist it! And so we went to our first work evening - I was terrified of painting in front of people but had to give it a go. In the Palm Room people were chatting, painting, walking around - I was keeping very quiet (!!!), sitting there beside Bunny. I felt someone stop behind my chair - I turned and said: "Have you come to help us?" "Oh no! I'm just looking! That was my first meeting with Pat (Barham)and look at us now!!

Together Pat and I went to Anne, our esteemed chairperson, for classes in oil technique, starting in February 2004 and on our first day we were amazed and thrilled to produce a completed picture. I had said I would never paint in oils but after our class I was hooked.

Well, this is where Bunny entered the picture again - he insisted we turn the spare bedroom into a studio. Not only did we have to get rid of the furniture, but also I had to purge my clothes from the spare room wardrobe - I did succeed in squeezing some of them into Bunny's wardrobe! Anyway within days the room was empty. Between Friday and Saturday afternoon I turned it into a studio. Using my artistic talents I mixed three colours from half-empty tins of emulsion in the cupboard and painted the walls a lovely sage green. I nipped down to Holts Hardware and bought a decorator's paste table and "voila!" I had a studio, just like that!

As we were painting together at Anne's once a month I suggested to Pat that we do the same in my studio once a week - and so it began - quietly and studiously at first, but it soon developed! Bunny was our DJ and kept the music going downstairs whilst we painted. He also brought up tea and biscuits or cake mid-afternoon. Then I got a CD player and Pat brought down some of her CDs. We sang along as we painted and sometimes jiggled a bit too!

Of course one thing led to another and eventually we found things to celebrate, which required a glass of wine. In time we found more and more things to celebrate and now Thursdays are Pat-arty days.! Try it - try to get together with a friend - it does wonders for your art and it's great fun. You don't have to have a DJ and a Butler - you just need a friend!

MARY AUSTIN

[Who WAS persuaded to join the committee and become our Publicity Manager-Editor]

T.A.S. SUMMER EXHIBITION 2007
FRIDAY, 24TH AUGUST - SATURDAY, 1ST SEPTEMBER
10.00 a.m.-5 .00 p.m.

PALM ROOM, COMMUNITY CENTRE, TOTTON
PREVIEW EVENING: Thursday 23rd August 7.30 p.m. - 9.30 p.m.

2007 EXHIBITION SPONSOR
Templar Tyres (Wholesale) Ltd.

Templar Tyres is an independent company based
in Romsey providing a contract tyre-fitting service
to hire and leased fleet companies.

T.A.S. ONE DAY SALE 2007

SATURDAY 10TH NOVEMBER 2007
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. THREE SCORE CLUB, TOTTON