`` It`s not just a brush, it`s an experience. A ritual. It`s life changing and

The Finest Quality Handmade Artists’ Brushes
‘‘It’s not just a brush,
it’s an experience.
A ritual.
It’s life changing
and it’s your life.’’
OUR monthly NEWSLETTER filled with INTERVIEWS & TIPS for your ENJOYMENT
www.rosemaryandco.com
Issue 6 May 2015
The RICHARD SCHMID Set
SET CONTAINS (ALL LONG HANDLES UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE):
Series 99. Pointed Pure Sable, Sizes: 0, 1, 3 (Standard Handle)
Series 77. Pure Sable Brights, Sizes: 6, 10, 14, 16
Series 279. Masters Choice Long Flats, Size: 8
Series 278. Masters Choice Long Filberts, Sizes: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10
Series 91. Pure Sable Filbert, Size: 6
Classic Short Flat, Size: 12
Series 274. Masters Choice Brights, Sizes: 4, 6
£183 / $227
ROSEMARY & CO
Full Set
Available Online at
www.richardschmid.com
+44 1535 632666
www.rosemaryandco.com
WE’RE full
SWING into
SPRING!
Firstly, you may have noticed we didn’t run an
April newsletter. This was due to the move of the
workshop and several overseas exhibitions.
My apologies for that, but I am sure you
understand the hours and hours spent on such
events.The past month or so has been filled
with adventures moving to a magnificent new
workshop…and a gruelling four hundred and
fifty boxes later. We are finally somewhat settled
now, and enjoying the sunshine and idyllic
countryside in Yorkshire. I drive past spring
lambs every morning on the way to work and
remember how lucky we are to work in this
beautiful place we call Yorkshire.
Thank you to all those who came on board this
month. It’s a pleasure to have Christiane as our
Master of the month, and her grandaughter Polly
Hobbs, a professional artist in her own right,
writing the Master from the Past for us.
Enjoy the daffodils and the nature waking up.
Go out and paint! Whether that be in your back
garden or further!
{CONTENTS}
04
LETTER of
the MONTH
05
FRIENDS of
the MONTH
06
MASTER of
the MONTH
08
BRUSH Reviews,
TIPS & ADVICE
10
GUEST of
the MONTH
12
TRAVELLING Light
for PLEIN AIR
13
ONES to WATCH
on SOCIAL Media
14
MASTER from
the PAST
15
STUDYING at
an ATELIER
Cover image courtesy of Christiane Kubrick.
www.christianekubrick.com
Rosemary & Co Artists Brushes,
PO BOX 372, Keighley,
West Yorkshire, England, BD20 6WZ.
Symi Jackson, Sales & Marketing Director
[email protected]
UK: 01535 632666
Int’l: +44 1535 632666
W: www.rosemaryandco.com
E: [email protected]
LETTER of the MONTH
We LOVE to HEAR from YOU
Dear Rosemary & Co,
I love getting the newsletter! I have an idea for you perhaps…
I have a beautiful large pottery piece filled with my new Rosemary
Brushes - the used ones are at my workstation.
These new brushes are for me, however, they also have another
purpose. I give your brushes as presents to artists I meet - I gave
one to Max Ginsburg this summer. They are presents to reasonably
successful painters, as well as, new artists who want, and can’t afford
good brushes. Some people have a gift collection of pens and small
leather goods, I have brushes, and they find their way from art
instructors, to professional artists, to people who are just delighted
with a brush as a present! I think the world of you!
Love, Kathleen Ericson
Michigan, USA
Thank you for getting in touch Kathleen,
your £20 gift voucher is in the post.
If you would like to be picked out of the hat for next
months gift voucher, please send us your letters.
04
Rosemary & Co
{FRIENDS of the MONTH}
We TALK to NITRAM CHARCOAL
A
fter Rosemary met Jerzy
Niedojadlo in Frankfurt,
Germany at the beginning of
this year, we knew that Nitram Fine
Art Charcoal would fit perfectly as our
friends of the month.
After enrolling in the Academy of Art
in Toronto, Canada, Jerzy progressed
through various Bargue studies and was
eventually faced with his first charcoal
cast drawing. At this point he asked his
instructor which charcoal would be the
best? He responded “Nitram was the best
that there was”. So, Jerzy went to the local
art store – but no Nitram was to be found.
He searched online – again no Nitram. It
would appear that the best charcoal was
virtually unavailable. Even worse, that it
was no longer even being produced!
Jerzy then decided to go directly to the
source and wrote to Mr. Nitram himself.
Initially he received no response, but
played the part of the proverbial squeaky
wheel and persisted. Several emails later
he finally received a response. This was
the start of what would become a lengthy
and increasingly friendly correspondence
between himself and Daniel (Mr. Nitram).
As it turned out, Daniel simply decided to
pursue other interests and was no longer
interested in continuing the Nitram
business. It was to be the end of the line
for this excellent product and he was very
sad to hear of it.
It was at this point that Jerzy’s
entrepreneurial spirit kicked in and he
decided that he would be interested in
taking on the business and preserving the
tradition of Nitram Fine Art Charcoal for
himself and other artists. Eventually, Jerzy
went to France and purchased the process,
the equipment and the trademark.
Since then, Jerzy has spent long periods
of time with Daniel and has been
producing Nitram charcoal the way it
has always been made. And the rest, as
they say, is history. Or at least history in
the making…
You can visit Nitram’s website at:
www.nitramcharcoal.com
Rosemary & Co
05
{MASTER of the MONTH}
INTERVIEW CHRISTIANE KUBRICK
Christiane Kubrick was born in Germany in 1932, into a
theatrical family. She initially trained as a dancer and actress,
but always had ambitions to be a painter.
H
er career in
performing led her
to be cast in the film
“Paths of Glory” where she
met her future husband,
Stanley Kubrick.
Before moving to England in
the late sixties, the Kubrick
family spent time in America,
and Christiane embarked on
her new career as a painter,
studying art in California
and New York.
International success followed
with exhibitions in New York,
Rome and London, and later
in her career, when Christiane
and her family finally settled
in Hertfordshire, the joy of
bringing art to people was
opened up to her when she
exhibited at “Art in Action”
at Waterperry, Oxfordshire. It
was here that Christiane met
Rosemary, many years ago.
06
Rosemary & Co
T
he spirit of artists
working and
demonstrating their
techniques, and interacting
with people and sharing their
art without barriers appealed
to Christiane and she was soon
taking part in “Open Studios”
where visitors were able to see her
at work in her own environment.
A natural progression from
“Open Studios” was for
Christiane to utilise the beautiful
grounds of the Childwickbury
estate, where she moved to with
Stanley in 1978, creating her
own arts fair. In the summer of
2003 the first “Childwickbury
Arts Fair” was held, and was an
instant success.
The fair has grown steadily
over the years, and represents
everything that is important to
Christiane about art, music
and the act of involving people in
the creative process. The success of
the summer event has led to the
Childwickbury Christmas market.
Christiane’s ‘‘go to’’ brushes are:
Anything made by Rosemary
with long handles! Particularly
the Golden Synthetic range & the
Red Sable as a special brush.
Please visit Christiane’s website at:
www.christianekubrick.com
Rosemary & Co
07
{LOOKING to BRANCH out?}
The ROTARY Tree BRUSH
This is a brush with unique
properties which can be used as
a tool for painting winter and
summer trees.
T
he concept is that the bristles are
equal length and constructed
into a circular form, so that the
paint pigment can be used as a drybrush
technique, or used with fairly wet
pigment washes to paint summer trees.
Using each technique, the brush is
rotated, to release the pigment onto
the paper.
08
Rosemary & Co
For many of us achieving special effects,
i.e. foliage on trees can prove difficult.
Here is an example of how easy it is
when using the correct brush with just
a little practice. The hollow centre and
unusual design makes trees ‘appear’
before your eyes.
Visit rosemaryandco.com and search
for “Rotary Tree Brush’’.
{The BRUSH with a MAGIC tip}
The ROGER JONES Brush
T
his beautiful size 12 Kolinsky Sable brush with
a ‘magic tip’ was designed by Roger, and is
used for all his watercolours.
The extra tip allows exact detail, whilst the typical belly of
Kolinsky Sable hair enables fluid carrying capacity like no
other. The watercolours shown here are painted exclusively
with this brush. Roger comments, ‘‘the crucial extra tip
enables all this and more’’.
Roger’s Brush Set (above) consisting of the Size 12SP,
Size 8 & 4 Pure Kolinsky Sable Set RJB = £76 / $94
Please visit rosemaryandco.com for more details.
Brush Designed by Roger
Jones, who can be found at:
www.roger-jones.co.uk
Rosemary & Co
09
{GUEST of the MONTH}
SLOW and LOOSE
By Jenny Oldknow
Jenny Oldknow spent most of her formative years in a small
Lincolnshire village on the backs of various ponies, roaming the
countryside and seeking out the local wildlife... and drawing it.
Y
ou have probably heard the
phrase ‘fast and loose’ when
painting in watercolour.
However, painting ‘slow’ suits me far
better, and also helps those new to
watercolour get to grips with what is
often regarded as a difficult medium.
Looseness to me is far more about the
artists’ mental approach to painting, than
actual specific techniques. It requires a
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Rosemary & Co
delicate approach to brushwork, using the
tip of the brush most of the time.
Rosemary’s new Series 8 range of Kolinsky
Sables have extra long tips, which helps
me keep control, yet with the unique
water-carrying capacity of sable, in order
to make expressive marks.
‘‘Looseness to me is far more about the
artists’ mental approach to painting...’’
“I have loved the countryside all my life, and drawing and painting it remains
my passion. My studio is surrounded by stunning Derbyshire countryside,
which continually provides a great source of inspiration for my work.’’
I
have adapted the traditional
wet-in-wet technique by applying
colour to dry paper, then applying
water directly to the wet paint,
softening off some of the edges, then
adding further pigment to the wet
areas created. This gives far more
control of where the paint goes, yet
still giving a beautiful soft, wet effect,
retaining the vibrant transparency
of the medium.
When people watch me paint, they are
usually surprised at how slowly I work.
Every mark and splatter has to add
something to the painting, not detract
or overwork it.
‘‘Art doesn’t always have to be about the
prettiest, most visually appealing subjects.’’
See more of Jenny’s work at:
www.jennyoldknow.com
Rosemary & Co
11
{Travelling light for PLEIN AIR}
The ART of COMPLETING on LOCATION
By Roy Connelly
‘‘For some, Plein Air
painting is an end
in itself. For others,
it is a way to gather
information for
painting in the
studio.’’
See more of Roy’s work at:
www.royconnelly.com
12
Rosemary & Co
V
irtually everything I paint is completed on
location. I feel there is a tremendous energy
to be found standing amongst the raw
elements of a painting, and that energy can be
lost when painting from a photo in the studio.
There are many elements working against you en plein
air and there are many variables involved - changing
light, people coming and going, changing tides etc. You
also have to contend with the weather and onlookers
wanting to chat. Therefore, I think it’s important to
have as many things in your favour as possible. I like
to travel light and, over the years, have refined my kit,
seeking out the best possible tools and materials for
the job. I don’t use a huge range of colours, and always
lay out my palette in the same order, so I instinctively
know where to find the right colour. One thing that has
remained constant for many years has been my brushes
– handmade in Yorkshire by Rosemary and Co.
{ARTISTS around the WORLD}
ONES to WATCH on SOCIAL MEDIA
FELICIA FORTE
F
elicia currently teaches
at Sadie Valeri Atelier,
and has taught at various
institutions including
The San Jose Museum of
Art and The Walt Disney
Family Museum.
Felicia Forte
VINCENT XEUS
DAVE MOORE
D
ave Moore is
influenced by many
great artists, which is
probably why his artworks
are so varied, however his
strongest influences are the
French Impressionists.
B
orn in China in 1981,
Xeus’ works beam
with life; daring drips and
impasto strokes. Known
for his evocative, poignant
and chiaroscuro laden
compositions.
@DaveMooreArt
xeusverum
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Rosemary & Co
13
{MASTER from the PAST}
ARTHUR MELVILLE
By Polly Hobbs
A
rthur Melville
(1855–1904)
was a landscape
and figure painter, in
oils and watercolour.
Melville’s extensive travels
in Europe and the Middle
East inspired his vibrant
paintings in oil and
watercolour.
added more directed
brushstrokes as the paper
dried, helping to define
forms and figures to
produce his desired effect.
He was one of the most
innovative and radical
Scottish artists of his
generation, and one
of the finest British
watercolour painters
of the 19th century,
specialising in weton-wet paintings with
brilliant melting colour.
He developed a new
watercolour method
saturating the paper with
Chinese white paint, and
used sponges to create
a velvet-like texture.
He then re-wetted the
surface, and dropped in
pure browns, reds and
blues to build the shapes,
painting with diffuse
blobs of colour. Once the
values and basic forms
were blocked out in this
way, Melville gradually
‘‘He was one of the
most innovative and
radical Scottish artists
of his generation...’’
Melville, born in Angus,
studied painting in
Edinburgh, before
moving to Paris in 1878.
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Rosemary & Co
His fascination with
effects of brilliant light
and his boldly dramatic
compositions had a
revolutionary impact on
watercolour as an art form.
Images courtesy of:
www.nationalgalleries.org
STUDYING at an ATELIER
By Mark Popple
Although I am originally from the UK, I am currently a student at an atelier in
NYC. After years of working on large abstracts, and then on fast Plein Air works, I
decided I would go back to basics, and really learn how to draw and create form.
The course study is demanding, humbling and very rewarding. It is hard to draw
and paint form in a convincing manner. It is humbling when you see just how good
people can get. This applies not just to the tutors, who are the best and who give
unstintingly; but also to my fellow students. After two years of drawing and painting
from plaster casts, we get to paint from the model in year three. The rewards speak
for themselves when you see the leaps and bounds that your work takes; and the
energy that is bouncing around the studio in the study of Art.
Anybody who has the chance to attend an atelier should grab the opportunity with
both hands. Just one thing ... make sure you have good brushes! ...”
Rosemary & Co
15
See WHY the WORLDS
LEADING ARTISTS
USE our BRUSHES
Proud to support our Plein Air Artists
+44 1535 632666 [email protected] www.rosemaryandco.com