VAL Harris opened the meeting by thanking everyone who had contributed to our spring exhibition in the Kingfisher Centre.

It had been very well received with an enthusiastic input to the voting system by the public.

Val announced the winners in all categories and the trophies and other awards will be presented at our next meeting.

Our demonstrator, Christine Adams, was introduced to give her presentation on watercolour. Her stretched sheet of Bockinford paper was already fixed vertically on her easel and her flower arrangement subject in position.

As she wetted her paper, she explained that her work tended to be impressionistic and that she enjoyed exploiting the flow and, sometimes unpredictable, behaviour of watercolour.

Working from the centre of her painting outwards, she brushed in the main areas of colour in soft edged masses, controlling the flow of the paint by lifting out.

Stronger colours and shapes were skilfully applied with her single, large round brush at the critical stage of surface dampness. The paper dries out quite quickly so as the painting progressed it became necessary to re-wet the surface to avoid producing sharp edges at too early a stage.

With all the flowers painted in, Christine refined the painting by selectively sharpening edges, adjusting the colours and contrasts and completing the painting of the pot and background.

The finished picture, subtle and colourful, delighted her appreciative audience.

The next meeting will be at St. Luke’s Memorial Hall, Evesham Road, Headless Cross on Wednesday, July 2 at 7.30pm when Stan Kaminski R.B.S.A., A.F.C will demonstrate Landscape in Gouache.