During conversations held at the April 2024 Midland Region meeting, an idea began to form that the members attending Midland Region meetings would welcome occasional art workshops as part and parcel of our ongoing programme of events.

The Midland Region has been blessed with welcoming quite a few new Friend members over the past couple of years or so and they in particular expressed interest for an opportunity to learn skills from the more experienced Guild members.

This chimed with our observations that at Regional meetings and sketching days, invariably not a meeting goes by without all of us picking up some hints or tips, whether it concern technique, equipment, or materials.

Accordingly, on the 10th August we held a dedicated meeting structured around the framework of a typical workshop with a morning in the classroom, followed by practical assignment and concluding with the ‘Creative Review’, or as we all fondly like to call it – ‘the Crit’.

Morning Session Overseen by Tony Nicholls and presented by David and Robert Calow, this initial session focused on the simple basics of approach, planning, observation and composition. David and Robert looked at shapes, tones, construction and accuracy…. with special interest being focused on perspective and ellipses. The session was based on pages from the Guild manual showing Frank Wootton’s visual demonstrations for his book “How to Draw ‘Planes”.

Afternoon Session This involved all artists sketching either the Centurian or Leopard Tanks within the Cold War Hangar. It was followed by a crit undertaken by David and Robert.

Our appreciation goes to Tony, David and Robert for planning and presenting the format for the workshop, and also Pete Maxwell and the RAF Museum for arranging and providing our classroom for the day (and our refreshments).

Following the success of the event, we plan, going forward to include regular opportunities in the Midland Region’s calendars for workshop days.

To this end our January 2025 social meeting and luncheon will feature a discussion led by Graham Cooke looking at, and explaining, the criteria the judging panel look for when appraising entries for our Annual Exhibitions.

All attending will be encouraged to bring along on the day one example of their sketch day work and one example of their finished studio work in order that constructive advice and guidance may be given.

Phil Hadley GAvA
Midland Region Organiser