3rd July 2015, OTTER VALE ART SOCIETY ENTHRALLED BY CAROL HILL

 

At its meeting on Friday 3rd July, OVAS was once again entranced by Carol Hill who demonstrated her very impressive skill as a watercolour artist. Carol last visited our society in November 2012 and was back by popular demand.

 

Carol has been painting since the 1960’s.   She was tutored in art at the Hong Kong University and started painting in oils, then gradually making the switch to watercolours. She is now a member of The Society of Women Artists , The Society of Floral Painters and The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. Her subjects are mainly landscape, still-life and portraiture as well as seascapes.  In May 2009 at the Society of Women Artists Exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London she was awarded the "HRH Princess Michael of Kent Watercolour Award for the most outstanding watercolour in the Society's Annual Exhibition". In 2011 she exhibited at the Royal Watercolour Exhibition at the Bankside Gallery in London and is currently the president of the Matlock Artists Society.

 

Carol, who lives near Matlock in Derbyshire chose as her subject for the demonstration “Cromford Mill”; a scene close to the first water powered cotton spinning mill developed by Richard Arkwright in 1771.  Emotion plays a large part in her work and she carefully chooses colours for her pallet to convey the essence of the subject matter, in this case a subtle blend of just six or seven different colours.  She started with a pencil sketch, then allowed half mixed colours to blend after they have been applied to the paper.  Therefore good quality paper is a must.  Members of the society and the guests on the night were entranced as Carol deftly brought the scene to life before their eyes.

 

At the conclusion of the evening the Neil Marshall, spoke for everyone there when he described it as a magnificent display of artistry and how fortunate our society was to have witnessed it. Many members were looking forward to her workshop the next day.