Irecently spent an illuminating afternoon in London visiting two exhibitions of the work of Cedric Morris: ‘Beyond the Garden Wall’ at Philip Mould & Company and ‘Artist Plantsman’ at the Garden Museum (both until 22 July). I have long admired Morris’s large paintings of flowers and plants in print, and it was a joy to see them finally in real life. His love, interest and knowledge of plants and the countryside shone through the paintings, which really crackled with life. They reminded me of regular advice from LP tutors – paint what you love and it will show in your work. We notice paintings at times that may not be technically brilliant, but are brought up to exhibition level by an indefinable quality that can only stem from the painters’ authentic interest in the subject. Next time you can’t think of a subject to paint or you are bored with your usual style, try working on a subject about which you are genuinely passionate and that creates an interesting emotional response in you – and compare the results.
I hope this month’s tutorials and demonstrations inspire you to try new ideas, media and subjects. If you are nervous of stepping outside to paint, follow Rodney Kingston’s advice to find yourself painting in the great outdoors this summer or use his techniques to paint in a similar direct style in your own home. For those who want to learn how to adapt reference material rather than simply to copy from it, Stephen Coates’s demonstration shows how to transform a dull photograph into a vibrant sunset – with the added bonus of using just four popular colours.