‘17 @ Art Van Go’ is the next exhibition by the group of artists who studied on our Level 4 course last year. The exhibition, which includes many new pieces, is being held at Art Van Go in Knebworth from Saturday 10th March to Saturday 7th April. I hope you will put the dates in your diary and head over to see their work. Art Van Go also has an art shop and an excellent framers and is close to lovely Hertfordshire countryside walks and pubs!

Did you get to see the Leonardo exhibition? Were you smart enough to get your tickets well in advance or did you brave the elements and queue from the crack of dawn to get in? Now that the paintings are flying back to their various collections around the world, which blockbusters are you going to visit now?

You’re probably aware that David Hockney’s Yorkshire landscapes, painted in Oil, Watercolour and Ipad at the Royal Academy has already started and causing quite a debate. Most people who have seen the show find it inspiring, uplifting and a celebration but a few people are not so sure.

Much of the talk is now turning to the Lucian Freud Portraits exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery which starts on February 9th and then six days later the Picasso and Modern British Art at the Tate Britain. The Lucian Freud exhibition was discussed on the Culture Show last week which is available online for just one more day.

If you want to make sure you don’t miss out on the next National Gallery exhibition then you might like to book now for Turner Inspired: In the Light of Claude starting on March 14th.

This is a great time for art fairs too. With the London Art Fair and Watercolour Works on Paper now over we can still look forward to three more in the spring:

16th – 19th February: 20/21 International Art Fair
15th – 18th March: Affordable Art Fair
19th – 22nd April: The London Original Print Fair

If you would like a free pair of tickets to the International Art Fair you can print some off here or two tickets for the price of one for the Affordable Art Fair by clicking here and entering the code: loveart.

The Mall Galleries also have some exhibitions coming up worth a mention. On now is the Love Pastels 2012 exhibition of work by the Pastel Society until the 25th, followed by the Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibition from Wednesday 29th February to Saturday 10th March and the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours 200th Exhibition from Wednesday 14th to Sunday 25th March. Congratulations to Sixth Former and Insight School of Art class assistant Naomi Ellis who has had her work selected to hang in the Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibition.

The BBC programme Show Me the Monet will be back in April and this year they will holding their exhibition at the Mall Galleries too. Keep an eye out for the show as you might see some familiar Insight School of Art faces this year in front of the hanging committee!

A two day chalk pastel workshop: Tuesday 3rd and Wednesday 4th April (10-3)

Book now

Using the top 10 most expensive paintings ever sold as her starting point, Di Roberts will be investigating the brush marks used by famous artists from the past, and looking at ways that they can be represented in chalk pastel. The two day workshop will start with technical mark-making and colour mixing exercises and an artist copy, followed by producing chalk pastel paintings of a similar subject in the style of the artist they have studied.

People wishing to do just one of the workshop days should register their interest by email or by calling 020 8441 6153 and a place will be offered during March if available.

No previous experience is required and all materials are provided.

Di’s pastels classes are always fully booked so early enrolment is recommended.

All materials will be provided.

We are delighted to announce that we will be running another art class for children next term on Saturdays from 2 – 3.45pm. The class, for 11-13 year olds, will be led by artist Lara Sparey (Designer of the amazing new gate at East Barnet School) and will follow the same lesson plans as the other classes for this age group.

We’ll be contacting parents on our waiting lists in the next few weeks but anyone wishing to enrol now can do so via our website.

The deadline for current member’s Priority Enrolment is March 4th.

Enrolment for the summer term is now available to members wishing to re-enrol for their current class and new members for the following selected classes:

11-13yrs class at 2pm on Saturdays (New class)
Adults Acrylics in Barnet on Mondays at 1pm
Adults Absolute beginners watercolour in Barnet on Thursdays at 1.30pm (New class)
Adults Acrylics in St Albans on Fridays at 9.30am
Adults Watercolour in St Albans on Fridays at 12.30pm

If you are interested in any other class at Insight School of Art we strongly recommend that you get in touch to put your name down on our waiting list.

From Tuesday 5th March, current members wishing to change class and new members will be invited from our waiting lists to book for any spare places.

We are about to update the gallery of artwork by adults on our website. We would love to have a piece of work by every student who attended last term so please bring in a piece you have done at the school for photographing. Paintings will be photographed on Tuesday 24th January so please leave your work with your teacher before this date. Work will be ready for collection the following week.

The criteria for artwork being included are:

1. You must have attended classes in the upper studio in Barnet last term.
2. Please avoid submitting a painting where others in your class have worked from the same photograph.
3. Your name must be on the back of your work.

If your artwork was photographed at the end of last term you don’t need to bring it in again. Karen Walter’s has photographed artwork by her students in St Albans and Di Roberts has photographed some artwork by her students.

If you don’t attend classes at Insight School of Art, please have a look at the gallery in February to see what students have been painting.

2011 at Insight School of Art has probably been the most exciting year yet, and with more courses, workshops and exhibitions lined up for next year, 2012 looks like it could be even better. 2011 will be remembered as the year when we opened the new studio downstairs for Level 4 and started our programme of exhibitions in the new gallery space. For the past ten years, Insight School of Art has been providing educational leisure painting classes to adults and children in Barnet and St Albans, but now with the addition of schemes to support practicing artists (Level 4 and MaSS), the school now caters for everyone who loves painting and learning; from 6 year olds to students in their mid eighties, and from people who have never painted before to people who are regularly exhibiting and selling their work. Every member of Insight School of Art is a part of our very special artist’s community.

To all our students, thank you for believing in us and for being so committed to the art education we provide, and we promise we will continue to give our all to ensure that you can enjoy the school for years to come.

All 12 staff at Insight School of Art (as seen at the Christmas party!) would like to wish every one of you, students past, present and future, a very Merry Christmas and an inspiring and creative New Year.

Pastels expert Di Roberts has planned a very interesting workshop for Friday 20th January (10am – 3pm) where she will be teaching chalk pastel techniques for representing moving water.

One of the pastel paintings Di will be using as a starting point will be Tumbling Rush by Joey Frisillo, which she came across online, showing a very clever effect of translucency and depth in the water (a bit Renoir?).

Di’s workshops always start with some technical experimentation to create the required effects, before moving on to produce a finished artwork to take home. No previous experience is required and all materials are provided.

Di’s pastels classes are always fully booked so early enrolment is recommended.

If you saw the first series of BBC2′s Show me the Monet and thought that you’d like to put yourself up before the panel of experts then now you have a chance. Fill in the online forms and cross your fingers. Good luck!

We’re really looking forward to welcoming artist Michael Kirkbride NEAC to join staff at Insight School of Art next term. Michael will be at the School on Thursdays helping to mentor some of our MaSS artists as well as helping to teach on the Introduction to Oils class. Michael’s many years of painting and teaching experience will be a big asset to the school.

Michael is currently putting the finishing touches to an exhibition of his work in our gallery which will be open in the New Year. It looks incredible. This exhibition will be the third first class exhibition in our new gallery and it’s proving to be an excellent space to show and view work.

Michael’s is a member of the New English Art Club and has had work selected at the Royal Academy Summer Show on three occasions. His paintings are the result of a thorough development of sketchbook ideas which he turns into immaculately arranged compositions combining unusually dressed people with intriguing interior spaces (like Ikea and cafe’s in Hackney). Understanding Michael’s ideas and process enlightens his work, so we’ve booked him to give a tour and talk about his work in the gallery on Friday 20th January. Tickets are available on our website.

There are also three places left for Michael’s Introduction to Egg Tempera practical workshop on February 16th.