ISoA exhibition: Leisure painting at its best
‘In Celebration of Leisure Painting’ is the title of the current exhibition of paintings on show in a gallery at Insight School of Art on Lancaster Road, New Barnet. The exhibition highlights the fantastic work students have been producing throughout the year. Ninety four adults and children submitted work to show, covering the subject areas of still life, places, people and abstraction. The exhibition has been hung in a salon style up to the ceiling, making the gallery a remarkable feast for the eyes.
Paul Regan, Director of the school, said that he ‘wanted to have an exhibition that highlighted the great work being produced by people who choose to paint as a pastime. Leisure painters know the value of being creative and how their lives are enriched by it’.
Students attend art classes at Insight School of Art for a wide range of reasons, whether it is to learn something new, build a portfolio for university, to relax, have a hobby or meet friends. Many adults have come to painting after successful careers and many young students move on to top art schools to study for a degree. Paul expressed that ‘One thing in common with all our students, is that everyone comes here because they love being creative and making art’.
With so many wonderful artworks on display, selecting winners was a very difficult challenge however, a selection of works in various categories were awarded ‘Best in Show’, with further works highlighted as ‘Highly Commended’.
Steven Trogal, winner of the Still Life prize said that attending an art class is ‘an opportunity to relax from the pressures of the day, let my mind wander and develop a new skill. Insight School of Art is an oasis of calm and fun’. He also explained how he felt when hearing that he had won the prize, ‘I felt ecstatic, excited and very surprised, especially when I look around at all the wonderful work produced by the other students’.
Jon Woolley, winner of the landscape prize said he was ‘chuffed to bits’ at being awarded the prize. He said that he attends classes at Insight School of Art because ‘it’s great to be part of an artistic community within my own community’ and ‘to improve techniques and keep learning new painting methods’.
Congratulations to all the following prize winners and highly commended artists:
Landscape prize: Jon Wooley ‘Woodland Study’
Highly commended: Gay Munday, Andrea Gaunt, Bronwen Shinn and Jill Bridges
Still life prize: Steven Trogal ‘Apple and Honey’
Highly commended: Sylvia Calvert and Rosemay Tighe
Figure prize: Carole Curtis ‘Summer Memories’
Highly commended: Mala Shah, Ruth Freeman and Jan Popper
Abstraction prize: Jana Malina ‘Italian Sunset’
Highly commended: Ruth Bruckner
6-9yrs: Emilia Soto Williams ‘Two horses’ and Jasmine Regan ‘Orange’
10-13yrs: Roberta Carsley ‘Bird’
Highly commended: Jamal Mahmoud
14-18yrs: Nancy O’Connor ‘Underpass in Oxford’
Highly commended: Ella Carsley
The exhibition runs until November 29th. We hope you will be able to spend some time in the gallery looking at all the work. The school is open during term time to members at the following times:
10-9.30 Monday – Thursday
10-5.30 Friday
10-5.30 Saturday
Non members should email Charlotte at office@insight-art.co.uk to arrange a time to visit.
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