Web Site Absence from 28th April to 8th May

Our site has been offline due to an update  e hosting implemented on their systems. This caused some data corruption within our website database rendering it unusable. The fault has now been identified and fixed.

The Society is very grateful for the professional assistance of Mr. Ben Russell of  the ” intelligent IT” company  in checking the website database and communicating with e hosting on our behalf.

http://www.i-itsolutions.com/

Newport Art Gallery’s Temporary Exhibitions – Threatened closure 2013

If you would like to support Newport Art Gallery in its fight to save the Temporary Exhibition please see the online petition at the end of the letter.

Subject:

Save Newport Art gallery’s Temporary Exhibitions Programme from
Closing

From: Adam Newport [mailto:savenewportartgallery1@yahoo.co.uk]
Sent: 09 February 2013 16:07

“Dear Friends and Colleagues

As a result of the savage central Government cuts to local authority grants
Newport City Council are about to completely scrap the temporary exhibitions
programme at Newport Museum and Art Gallery. A campaign was started last
week to reverse this proposal.

If you think, like we do, that this is bad for Newport and the arts in Wales
then please sign the online campaign petition below to persuade the council
to change its policy. We already have over 1,000 supporters with momemtum
gathering every day. The petition page also provides more detailed
information about the proposed budget cut and lists the councillors and
officials you can contact about this.

We have had support from many people, including the Newport-born Hollwood
actor Michael Sheen, who has said:

“I am hugely disturbed to hear of the plans to close Newport Art Gallery’s
Temporary Exhibition Programme. Not only because of what that would mean to
the numerous homegrown artists who would lose precious, and in many cases
the first significant exposure for their work, as well as the thousands of
visiting people to the area who would lose the opportunity to discover and
enjoy this valuable Programme, but also because of what it suggests about
the future plans for funding of the Art Gallery and the entire Museum
itself. I am especially disturbed by the lack of information and openness to
the public about why these cuts are happening and that we the public have no
opportunity to be a part of this discussion or have any influence on the
decisions that are being taken by those who purport to be representing our
interests. The importance of culture and the relationship between the Arts
and the health of our society is all too often alarmingly misunderstood and
at worst completely ignored. This is perilously dangerous for not only
artists at work today, both established and emerging, but also for a new
generation of young people growing up starved of the inspiration and vision
that exposure to art can bring. How can we create a better, more
compassionate, more just tomorrow, if we are robbed of the vision for such
things that art engenders, today?”

Please can you send this information on to as many of your contacts as
possible if you think it’s worth sharing (apologies for cross posting, if
you’ve already responded to the petition, or have been sent this info
recently).

Many thanks,

Friends of Newport Art Gallery Temporary Exhibition Programme”

online petition
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/newport-city-council-save-newport-art-
gallery-s-temporary-exhibitions-programme

Painting in Tuscany – May to September 2013

Painting in a warm climate

:” I am writing to you as the programme Secretary of the Highcliffe
Art Fellowship.   We have a residential Art Centre in a lively medieval
hilltop village in Tuscany close to San Gimignano and Siena.  We have large
spacious artists’ studios and are surrounded by picturesque countryside.  I
was wondering if your society might be interested in sending a group perhaps
with one of your members who is able to offer some tuition during the stay.
Alternatively your members might enjoy untutored time to get on with their
painting in a convivial house party atmosphere surrounded by beautiful
Tuscan scenery.  Groups usually come for 1 – 2 week periods between May and
the end of September.  We have accommodation for up to 15 people and can
provide delicious Italian meals etc. There are bars and markets etc in the
village.

The benefit of coming as a group from a society is that friendships already
exist and can be enjoyed to the full in a house party type setting while
enjoying an shared activity.  If you think that such an excursion would
appeal to your members please do get in touch with me.  More information
about our Centre is available on our web site.  http://www.verrocchio.co.uk.

All best regards,

Hannah Toomer
Verrocchio Art Centre, Tuscany Italy
01173304973″

New computer links for the SWAS – November 2012

SWAS is now accessable worldwide.

Why not join the growing numbers of people and groups following the Society outside the South Wales area?

Add your photographs and Art Work Images as well as communicate with  numerous other people.

“Facebook and Twitter – South Wales Art Society

1)      Facebook

 

Facebook Users

Our page can be found by searching for South Wales Art Society in your search box.

If you are not a Facebook user, but have internet access, our page can be found on the following link: -http://www.facebook.com/swartsociety

We encourage you to tick ‘Like’ at the top of our page. By doing so, will enable you to keep updated with the page entries.

2)      Twitter

 

 

Our Twitter page can be found by searching for art_wales.

If you are not registered with Twitter,  it can be viewed on: -

https://twitter.com/art_wales

All are welcome to write on these pages & enter photos of art work to share.

NB This is only possible if you have a Facebook and / or Twitter account.

To join Facebook, go to http://www.facebook.com and follow the instructions on the screen.

To join Twitter, go to https://twitter.com   ”

Pam Gilbert

 

Information about  Twitter

Information about    Facebook

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Pam Gilbert for setting up the links and explaining  how to get started “tweeting”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beulah Painting Group Christmas Closure Dates.

Beulah Workshops will be closed for the festive season on the following dates

5th, 19th, 26th Dec.

and

2nd of Jan 2013. 

There will only be 1 proposed meeting  in December 2012

on the 12th
 

Velindre Donation and New Raffle Secretary.

Chris Phelps is able to report some very good news regarding funds collected from the Velindre Exhibition and raffle secretary.

“I shall be taking £215 to the  charity at Velindre, that is for 43 paintings hung, which I think is a good result and I thank every one for their contributibution”   – Chris Phelps

  Please could  anyone who changes a painting  notify Chris on 20620501.- Thank you.

 

” We now have a person to take over the raffle, her name is June Jensen,.  I know from her previous experience that she will do it well.” - Chris Phelps

I’m sure Jan Robinson would want me to repeat her and the societies thanks for the length of time Chris has organised the raffle, sorting out prizes and tickets every week with extra raffles on special occassions.

We wish June well with her new responsibilities regarding the raffle.

Graham Hadlow Watercolour Calendar 2013 to download.

Graham has kindly sent the SWAS membership a calendar for 2013 on 6 pages containing 6 of his attractive watercolour paintings.

Just “Copy and Paste” to your own computer.

 

 

 

The Big Draw – 6th October 2012

” The  SWAS has been invited to be part of the  BIG DRAW  which commences :-

*  6th October,   opening at 10:30 am.

All members are invited to  use any media (except oils) in working on part of a large panel; subject is  “Autumn”. ”

Many Thanks – Jan Robinson

Trevor Waugh Portrait Demonstration – 04th September 2012

                                        Raffle tickets will be priced at £1 each.

 

VIVE LA FRANCE! SWAS Visit to Paris, May 2011 – Review by Jan Robinson

Above: Au bord de la Seine

We enjoyed a sunny and brief crossing to Calais. Got very lost arriving in Paris, but on seeing the Arc de Triumph and Eiffel Tower we grabbed cameras and clicked away forgetting the hours wasted while lost.  On arriving at the Ibis Hotel we broke into spontaneous applause, after seeing most of the wonderful streets and sights of Paris several times over! Saturday and on our way to the Musée d’Orsay we found ourselves once more ‘lost in France’; we laughed at our position and awed at the wonderful sights passing our windows, many the same sights!  A taxi brought us back to earth with a bump!  During the 90mins of insurance form filling between the drivers, many left to make their own way to the d’Orsay, Notre Dame Cathedral and/or the Louvre.  Others less able waited for our coach to find the wonderful Eiffel Tower – it stood magnificently against a bright blue sky and the Seine shimmered in the late morning sun.  No time for painting, we had chosen to take the river bus to the d’Orsay, passing the Louvre and Notre Dame under some of the oldest and most elaborate bridges we’d ever seen. All together again at the end of the day, we chatted enthusiastically about the collections of paintings, antiques and sculptures we’d seen.  Queues at every museum, toilet block, café, and boat bus! After leaving the Eiffel Tower for the day, we saw it again and again; no one bothered now with their cameras, and we were once again ‘lost in France’!  As a mode of transport the Metro began to sound very appealing. Deliberately returning to the Eiffel Tower for the late night light-show was worth every second.  On Sunday morning after a typically French and filling breakfast, we headed for the Palace of Versailles. Saw the Arc De Triumph and ‘our’ Eiffel Tower several times more en route!  For some, their bellies rocked with laughter and for others, things weren’t looking up in the ‘coach drivers’ department – unsurprisingly.  At Versailles we found more queues, for tickets, toilets and coffee.  For those who had not been to Versailles it was a sight ‘out of this world’ and ‘awe-inspiring’.  The gardens, canals, fountains and Marie Antoinette’s Petit Trianon all demanded the artists’ and photographers’ attention. We took an evening trip to Montmartre and Sacre Coeur; it took over an hour to get there, seeing Ibis Hotel and Eiffel Tower several times more and the return took only 10 mins, we’d been lost again! With very little time to spare in between eating and drinking, we could only imagine how the bright red, orange and gold sunset would have looked shining on the Sacre Coeur.  During late drinks in the Ibis lobby we ‘laughed tears’ looking back at how often we’d see the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triumph and our hotel on any one route!  We wondered how we would ever get out of Paris for the return trip and decided to ask any members looking for us if we don’t return, to look under the Eiffel Tower!

   (Yes, we did get lost leaving Paris, but what a wonderfully inspiring and fun trip! Thanks to Tony Batey for organising it.)

Above: In the gardens at Versailles

Above: On the river bus

Above: Out for dinner in St Germain-des-Pres