Show and Tell October 2026

Sandra Cowper

4 days ago

3 min read

We had a variety of paintings

and thought provoking but

common quandaries to

discuss at this month’s

meeting.

The session kicked off with

my painting called “My

Mother’s Rugs”. A piece

which began as a random

application of left over paint with scattered oil pastel marks added. Then whilst musing on it one day it unexpectedly filled my mind with memories of childhood

and watching my mother create her rugs with recycled wools from unravelled knitted

garments. The recollection of long past times was in the forefront of my mind rather

than decisions about composition, shapes or colour. Each time I added more paint the painting process occurred secondary to my daydreaming.

This led to us discussing whether we lead or let go and follow. Do we start out with an intention in mind or should we let the work just evolve and develop almost as a by product with the help of a little magic.

Next Jackie brought out four small pieces painted on board which were done some

time ago and in which half of each piece had been painted out. There was a lovely faded

botanical emblem on one half of each one and the question was should they stand as

they are and if not then where could they go next. Suggestions were offered such as very minimal collage, some delicate line drawing or adding a simple print or tracery on the botanical theme to connect the two halves of each piece. Alongside this however, when the paintings were repositioned in various configurations in relation to each other they began to work just as they were without any addition. So now Jackie has the choice of which options she chooses to follow.

David then presented us with two sunny landscapes of his view from home. The first was an initial A3 coloured sketch showing romantic stretches of fields and hedges stretching into the distance with some far buildings detailed in pen. The other was a larger version of the same view in a more painterly style. David is working towards developing more abstraction in his work and had concentrated more on shapes and colour in this second piece while still retaining the essential landscape elements. We were all of the opinion

that both the sketch and the resulting painting worked exceedingly well and showed

a definite progression towards his stated goal. Generally it was agreed he should do more of the same by expanding on selected sections of each resulting painting.

Finally Sumi showed us her intriguing process of what she termed as glueing and

sticking but it was so much more than that. Sumi’s love of her garden with it’s many

plants, wild life and peaceful spaces is a large part of who she is and this flows and

transmits so naturally into her work. Her gouache sketches and paintings of fruit, figs,

squash, lemons and asters become a perfect mirror of her love of nature.The sketches are worked at speed which gives them their spontaneity, then they are cut into sections of various sizes before being abstracted together in her concertina sketchbook. These

continuously joined pages create a chorus of harmonious images which unite her garden with her art. Sumi ended with some experiments of painting gouache on acetate which

created some interesting monoprints.

Vita Sackville West said “How often I regret that plants cannot talk” and with that

thought here ends this blog.