Our latest spotlight focuses on Paul Fullstone.  Paul is a very active member of the society (our current secretary) and also runs workshops.  Our thanks to Paul for allowing us this brief insight to his art.

WHICH PAINTERS DO YOU ADMIRE?
Modem day painters it would be three specific artists who I have painted with over the years. Firstly Ian King, Ian has a great ability to plan pictures which is a huge help when confronted with landscapes, where to start and finish is half the battle. Secondly Hazel Soan she is such a nice person and her enthusiasm for watercolour is so infectious. She has the ability to make everyday scenes special by her vibrant use of colour and tone. Finally John Tookey, John has a very loose style and his paintings always look so spontaneous which they are.
Other painters more of the past would be the Norwich School, people like John Crome, John Sell Cotman, John Thirtle, and Robert Ladbrooke, and then the work of Edward Wesson, Hilder and Seago. If I were on Desert Island Discs and was only allowed one painters work on the island it would have to be a local artist Henry Stannard 1844-1920 who lived in Flitwick. I have a great passion for Victorian watercolours and his work I admire greatly
I only wish I could afford to have a few of his pictures hanging in my lounge but he has become very collectable over the past few years and you would probably have to part with between £8000 and £10000 to have one on the wall.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF WATERCOLOUR PAINTING IS ?
Tone without doubt, you can have the most beautiful landscape scene with delicious colours but if tonal contrast is not there the painting will be flat and uninteresting
 

DO YOU HAVE A TOP TIP FOR ANYONE JUST STARTING OUT IN WATERCOLOUR
Be patient don’t expect too much too soon, like most things worth doing it takes time. Keep things simple at first so you have more successes than failures and practice practice practice

Previous Spotlights:

Ron Ramgopal

WHAT TYPE OF SUBJECTS INTEREST YOU?
I am mainly a landscape or townscape person, I am a great believer in painting what inspires you, and I love walking so painting the English Landscape seemed a logical extension
 

HOW DID YOU LEARN THE BASICS?
A mixture of books and various weekend courses, but mainly self taught and by looking at other artists work!