at work
From the Mission Hall Gallery, Caithness, Scotland.
"The Mission Hall Gallery will host June Bartlett as artist on residence to commence their 2018 summer season. June will have an individual exhibition (20 + paintings) and be available to meet clients during the two weeks she is here. She will also paint and people will be able to watch her if they so wish. During this time June will also facilitate two workshops."
I'm always honoured, excited……and terrified when I receive a portrait commission! Painting someone's portrait is very challenging – you hope to please the sitter, their family, friends and, most of all, yourself. I aim to get something more than just a physical likeness – something of their character, the 'essence' of them, if you like. As it's not always possible for the sitter to actually 'sit' for me I often have to work exclusively from photographs. If possible I try to take some images of the subject myself or, as is more often the case, I use a mix of both – from photographs and from life. It's quite usual for most people to get very nervous and anxious about having their portrait done! I tell them – it's worse for me!
Painting portraits can also be fun – with lots of humour and laughter!! I've met some fabulous people through it.
Landscape painting is quite different. If possible I try to do a small sketch ‘on site’ – in the open air – which in itself can be quite challenging. Rapidly changing light, being eaten by midges, (Scottish Highlands), chased by a swarm of bees, (Somerset), drawing paper chewed by goats, Oman), but it’s the BEST way to aspire to some ‘being there’ feeling to the finished painting and is well worth the physical efforts needed sometimes to get to THAT particular spot! These ‘sketches’ are often done in oils but can also be watercolour or acrylic – or simple pen or pencil. June Bartlett
Workshops
1993 13th.-20th. Feb. Dubai Art Society. June gave instruction and demonstration in pencil drawing and pen & ink followed by a day's instruction in pastel portraiture and landscape painting in oils.
1993 22nd.-23rd. Feb. W.I.A.D., Abu Dhabi. June took two days intense workshop - instruction and demonstration in pencil drawing and landscape painting in oils.
2011 – Feb. / Mar. At The Majlis Gallery, Dubai. June gave a workshop over several days – instruction on drawing and painting the head and figure in Oils.Giving lessons to children in a local primary school, London
2012 – Jan. / Feb. At The Majlis Gallery, Dubai. June gave intense instruction in a workshop – painting portraits in Oils and painting landscapes with Pastels. A extra class was organised for Abu Dhabi – portrait drawing in Charcoal and Pencil.
2013 - Sept. At Kenmont Primary School. Kensal Green, London. June gave a two day workshop in Pastel Painting.