Lights, paintbrushes……action!
Early morning in the Dairy yesterday was all quiet following Justin van den Berg’s visit to set up the day before. As pale sunlight filtered in, Justin’s teacup painting, propped for inspiration, was set to delightful effect, and a quick glance to the right through open doors yielded a riotous view of pink blossom, roses and peony poppies in the Borders.
Thanks to our table moving efforts the day before, I was able to spend my early morning gathering a plethora of foliage and seed heads….
and digging a veritable cornucopia of vegetables for our students to paint later in the day.
By the end of the morning’s first exercise, under the guidance of Justin’s fine tutelage, everyone had produced a rather fine ‘pear’, before moving onto the task of painting one of my much loved small Victorian clay pots, which always make a rather charming still life of their own….
Then, after a long table lunch in the loggia (pea & lovage soup; roast beetroot with broad beans, thyme, prosciutto & chèvre, rustic bread & sorrel pistou) everyone settled in for the afternoon to paint an assemblage of their own choosing. What delight, to see a group of women utterly absorbed, excitedly discovering a new level of proficiency under Justin’s watchful eye, helpful prompts and gentle guidance, accompanied by the clink of brushes in water jars…
I know a couple of participants uploaded their day’s work on Instagram, but I always feel uncomfortable displaying students’ work here! There were delightful results though all ’round and everyone was in a highly excitable state at the final summing up (as they ended the day with a taste of cumquat or Seville orange ice cream); agreeing the day had been instructive, informative and inspiring. I send a big thank you to Justin for so generously and encouragingly sharing his insights, vision and passion.
If you’d like to see more of Justin’s work, he has an exhibition & fund-raiser this coming Saturday 17 October, to be opened by Dame Marie Bashir AC CVO from 3pm – 6pm (opening address at 3.30 sharp), at 7 Brown Street Newtown. And once he calms down from this enormous week of activity, I intend finding a date in his diary for a repeat workshop at Glenmore in 2016!