Last October, Mike Funnell, an artist, tutor and valued member of the Tuesday Painters Club of Rye gave an inspirational lecture on the life and works of J.M.W. Turner.
As a sequel, in the early spring this year the club ran a competition inviting its members to ‘Paint Like Turner’. Mike kindly agreed to be the judge.
Twenty artists submitted 41 ‘Turners’ making it a daunting task for Mike to choose a winner. He had no clue as to who had painted what and no giveaway titles. All he got were numbered digital photos, all mixed up, with even the scale and medium unknown. Here’s what he had to say:
“Having studied the paintings (albeit digital images) many times now, I finally managed to select a winner out of the five I shortlist. All five had one or more characteristics we associate with the work of Turner: lovely, loose handling of the paint; strong architectural underdrawing; expressive and impressionistic brushwork; dramatic ‘vortex’ composition; and wonderful portrayal of light!
“My overall winner is chosen because it is quintessential Turner – a Venetian scene with a beautifully blended cocktail of sound, drawing of the Grand Canal and its iconic boats and buildings, organically fused with blushing, dripping paintwork, enveloped in a ‘celestial light’ of glazed colours! Although a very sketchy painting, it reminded me of some of Turner’s quick and sublime plein air watercolours and oils from his numerous tours to Venice.”
Mike considered all the runners-up are of equal merit, so all were awarded a joint second place.
Full results:
First:
ANDREW SEYMOUR’S version of Turner’s ‘Venice – Grand Canal with Santa- Maria Della Salute’, the WINNING ENTRY, was awarded the prize, a £20 gift voucher from ArtWrite in Rye.
Joint Second place awards:
JANET HAKEN’s Pett Level Beach on a Misty Morning. Acrylic – Turner would have used it had it been around in his day!
VALERIE OLSEN’s partial copy of Turner’s self-portrait. Watercolour
FELICITY PIKE’s Untitled watercolour of a sunset/sunrise over water.
MANDY SKINNER’s ‘New Romney Church’ in gouache on dark paper
Image Credits: Tuesday Painters Club .