The Past 1950 - 2000
When the New Forest Art Society reached its 25th year in 1989, it was decided to try to mark this special occasion. The secretary at the time, Helen Rudge, began diving into the archives. We owe her the credit for producing a history of the society
In 1950, or thereabouts, Mr Mahn, a local amateur artist died, leaving his studio and attached living quarters to his housekeeper, Miss Bartlett. She said to her doctor, also an amateur artist, "I do miss the smell of oil paints. Please come and paint here". The doctor, Dr Danby, invited his friends and regular painting sessions started. When the number of painters reached ten, a tutor, Mr Leon Talbot, was provided under the W.E.A. scheme and regular instruction started using professional models. The first exhibition was held at the Stag Hotel, Lyndhurst.
In the early 1960s, Cecil Landale, who bought Scott's sweet shop opposite the Crown Hotel, started to supply artists' materials in the corner of his shop. In 1964 he organized a group of his clients into a committee and the New Forest Art Society was born. Regular meetings were started and notice of these was sent to 'The Artist'. Fees were five shillings to join and 15 shillings for yearly membership. At each meeting members paid one shilling each to defray the cost of hiring the room. Committee meetings were held in a room belonging to a local solicitor.
Lyndhurst Community Centre opened in 1963 and it was decided to use the hall for the 1965 exhibition. This was to last a week. In this exhibition the society was fortunate to have some of Augustus Johns' paintings, which were hung on a screen as a memorial to the artist, who had recently died. Sven Berlin and David Cobb were guest artists at subsequent exhibitions. The annual exhibition has been held in the summer every year since then. The hanging fee in 1965 was 2s 6d and the profit was £9 14s 6d. The most expensive painting was 15 guineas.
Monthly meetings began with discussions on the use of various media, quizzes, slide shows of different artists' work, critique of members' work, talks and demonstrations by people who were willing to take the fees the society could afford. When the Society celebrated it's 25th Anniversary, we were very fortunate to have the late Sir Hugh Casson as our guest artist.
In 1989 we were delighted to elect the eminent Fred Sinkinson as President of the NFAS. We enjoyed his support and leadership until his death in 2009. A tribute can be found at the end of this page, and his biography is available on the following link:
http://fredsinkinson.org.uk/2.html
Donations
To celebrate the millennium, the Society donated two members' works, a painting and a sculpture, to the Fenwick Hospital in the hope that our work will give pleasure to patients and visitors for many years to come. Lyndhurst's former cottage hospital was officially reopened in June 2003 by Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, Mary Fagan, following an extensive refurbishment. The painting by Ken Youens and the sculpture of a mother and child by the late Diana Witney were officially received.
At our AGM in February 2003 the Society agreed to donate £300 to the charity World Share, specifically to support the art department of a new Christian school at Siyabuswa in rural South Africa. The school opened in January 2003 with 120 seven year olds, of whom 25% are orphans. The Treasurer, Francis Regan, visited the school in July 2003, at his own expense and reported back to members. Profits from teas and coffees at monthly meetings have been donated to the art department.
The Website
The original website www.nfasoc.co.uk was started in 2003. This new web started was started April 2015 It operates as a notice board for news and information about art events. There is a gallery of paintings which changes regularly and a diary of events.
When the New Forest Art Society reached its 25th year in 1989, it was decided to try to mark this special occasion. The secretary at the time, Helen Rudge, began diving into the archives. We owe her the credit for producing a history of the society
In 1950, or thereabouts, Mr Mahn, a local amateur artist died, leaving his studio and attached living quarters to his housekeeper, Miss Bartlett. She said to her doctor, also an amateur artist, "I do miss the smell of oil paints. Please come and paint here". The doctor, Dr Danby, invited his friends and regular painting sessions started. When the number of painters reached ten, a tutor, Mr Leon Talbot, was provided under the W.E.A. scheme and regular instruction started using professional models. The first exhibition was held at the Stag Hotel, Lyndhurst.
In the early 1960s, Cecil Landale, who bought Scott's sweet shop opposite the Crown Hotel, started to supply artists' materials in the corner of his shop. In 1964 he organized a group of his clients into a committee and the New Forest Art Society was born. Regular meetings were started and notice of these was sent to 'The Artist'. Fees were five shillings to join and 15 shillings for yearly membership. At each meeting members paid one shilling each to defray the cost of hiring the room. Committee meetings were held in a room belonging to a local solicitor.
Lyndhurst Community Centre opened in 1963 and it was decided to use the hall for the 1965 exhibition. This was to last a week. In this exhibition the society was fortunate to have some of Augustus Johns' paintings, which were hung on a screen as a memorial to the artist, who had recently died. Sven Berlin and David Cobb were guest artists at subsequent exhibitions. The annual exhibition has been held in the summer every year since then. The hanging fee in 1965 was 2s 6d and the profit was £9 14s 6d. The most expensive painting was 15 guineas.
Monthly meetings began with discussions on the use of various media, quizzes, slide shows of different artists' work, critique of members' work, talks and demonstrations by people who were willing to take the fees the society could afford. When the Society celebrated it's 25th Anniversary, we were very fortunate to have the late Sir Hugh Casson as our guest artist.
In 1989 we were delighted to elect the eminent Fred Sinkinson as President of the NFAS. We enjoyed his support and leadership until his death in 2009. A tribute can be found at the end of this page, and his biography is available on the following link:
http://fredsinkinson.org.uk/2.html
Donations
To celebrate the millennium, the Society donated two members' works, a painting and a sculpture, to the Fenwick Hospital in the hope that our work will give pleasure to patients and visitors for many years to come. Lyndhurst's former cottage hospital was officially reopened in June 2003 by Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, Mary Fagan, following an extensive refurbishment. The painting by Ken Youens and the sculpture of a mother and child by the late Diana Witney were officially received.
At our AGM in February 2003 the Society agreed to donate £300 to the charity World Share, specifically to support the art department of a new Christian school at Siyabuswa in rural South Africa. The school opened in January 2003 with 120 seven year olds, of whom 25% are orphans. The Treasurer, Francis Regan, visited the school in July 2003, at his own expense and reported back to members. Profits from teas and coffees at monthly meetings have been donated to the art department.
The Website
The original website www.nfasoc.co.uk was started in 2003. This new web started was started April 2015 It operates as a notice board for news and information about art events. There is a gallery of paintings which changes regularly and a diary of events.
2000 to present day
Our Society continues to thrive. During October 2013, in addition to our annual exhibition, the Society held a display of paintings at the prime exhibition venue of Sir Harold Hillier Garden Centre in Romsey. We have linked up with other art clubs and societies for organised trips to major art exhibitions and events, and also involved local school children within our exhibitions plus taken part in Christmas events at the local church. We continue to this day to participate within the community.
2014 marked the Society's 50th year. The Golden Anniversary was marked with a well subscribed "Gold" theme at our annual exhibition, and the Society celebrated with a cheese and wine evening at the annual general meetings preceding and ending our special year.
2015 saw the introduction of a two day Autumn Art and Craft Sale, where members man their own stalls to sell their varied art and craft works. In 2018 a second successful exhibition at Sir Harold Hillier Gardens was held and this will hopefully be repeated biannually (definitely being held in 2020).
135 members can join the society and over the last few years it has grown nearer to this upper limit. But new members are always welcome to join. There is also a young persons reduced membership fee. A varied programme of monthly meetings and workshops, trips to galleries both locally and further a field, and opportunities to paint together is offered. Our website and Facebook page have been developed and members receive a monthly newsletter. Raising the profile of the society in the local press and community magazines has been an important focus. The part the society plays in the local community has been recognised by the award of grant monie
The Society's committee is cognisant of the need to continually evolve and develop to meet members' needs. Year on year we look towards bringing changes, within the remit of our constitution, to enable the Society to flourish.
We look forward to the next 50 years....
(Updated Jan 2019)
Tribute
Fred Sinkinson 1922-2009 Teacher and Artist Fred Sinkinson was for many years President of the New Forest Art Society. This short note outlines his life and times, and tells something of his teaching methods and ideas. Timeline Fred was born in Yorkshire, and grew up in Dorset and Somerset. I believe he attended Rugby School. He studied art at the Taunton School of Art and later in Paris and at Bournemouth Teacher Training College. During the Second World War he was a Conscientious Objector and like many others was imprisoned. Fred volunteered for non-combatant service in bomb disposal and served out the war in that capacity. He subsequently taught for many years at La Sainte Union1 in Southampton where he became Head of the Art Faculty. He retired from there at the age of 65. Fred's later years were involved with 'The Centre Group' which he established at Lyndhurst Community Centre. This enabled him to pass on his skills mainly in painting and life-classes. The Centre Group has an annual exhibition at the Community Centre in which Fred always participated. He continued working with the Group until this last summer. He became President of the New Forest Art Society around 1989 and remained President until his death. Fred was a fine golfer and won trophies in his time, as well as coaching golf. He once said that he had considered taking up golf as a professional but art won out. Fred died on October 11th 2009 after a short illness. He is buried at St Eustace Parish Church, Ibberton (near Blandford Forum) where, 51 years earlier, he married his beloved wife Hazel. They had four children. Fred's work is to be found in many private collections locally. The Southampton City Art Gallery holds one work, recently acquired, a gift from his friend Peter Morice of “Downs by the Sea”, circa 1960, oil on hardboard, 564 x 814 mm. Fred as a Person He has been described as a man of the countryside - keen on understanding nature and how it worked - in particular the Dorset landscape. He also loved the Lake District and spent considerable time there painting. 'He was always keen to get under the skin of what we saw in front of us'. Fred was also described as a sceptical, questioning man. He had his own priorities. He once preferred to watch 'Monsieur Hulot's Holiday' (a mime film from the early 50s) to eating his Christmas dinner. He knew where to look for snakes, he cultivated mistletoe in the garden, and loved Pink Floyd. He raised (at one time or another) goats, pigs, chickens, and dogs. Fred's Teaching Methods and Ideas Fred told his students about when he was a conscientious objector and met one of the St Ives artists and he became quite involved with the St Ives scene and seeing the land- and sea-scape in quite an abstract way. He talked of seeing everything in an abstract way in fact but had to turn this off whilst driving for safety reasons. He remarked that he was eventually banned from household painting and varnishing jobs since he would enjoy the mark making too much and not make the desired even finish that was expected and leave areas of ground showing through.... All his students have said how individual his teaching was, giving them a feeling that they were the only student at times. He never directly criticised but tried to bring the student around to a different way of looking at things. 'Try this and try that' was the way one student described it. Fred's described his approach as follows: "let the paint do the work by moving it around until something happens that feels good". He therefore never aimed to achieve a pre-determined end result. He used to advise students to try cropping their paintings and if they found something exciting in there, it could be the basis for something new. Not everyone was comfortable with his emphasis on keeping to a theme rather than to the detail, and some only lasted a term or two, but he acquired a loyal group of students who tried to absorb his ideas. He once said that if he could have his students for two years, all day every day, he would make artists out of them. He famously went to Norway and came back and developed a series of pictures without the benefit of any photos (which he disliked as motifs for painting) or sketches. The pictures however gave a real feeling of recollection of the scenes he found there, perhaps following Wordworth's dictum, "the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity"? When he did draw, it was with an emphasis on tone rather than line. He did give, and later participated in, life drawing sessions, always keen to find the 'triangles' of the form Several students have remarked on his mid-class critiques, looking at the work in progress and often drawing from the masters – a great deal of art history was communicated that way. Says one student: 'during the tea break we would put all the drawings or paintings together and discuss them after the break on the theme that he was focussing on that day. This was an enormously helpful method of teaching which I've never come across since. We might focus on layers, or a limited palette or starting a painting using only blue'. This idea of a theme was typically followed for a term, and might be 'skies', or 'colour' for example and he often spoke of how the masters would have treated the motif. The particular theme of 'skies' was in fact followed by 'foregrounds', and the students struggled to make their foregrounds as loose and as free as their skies. 'That's a good start' was another of his dictums. He would never say 'that's finished', there was always something else to be discovered. Although once in a while he would say 'leave that alone', or simply 'just leave a mark there'. Many members of the New Forest Art Society will recall how he recently set the 'Fred Sinkinson Challenge' where members were asked to paint a work 'in the style of' a well-known masterpiece. Fred then delivered a fascinating critique taking as his basic theme what the master himself/herself would have thought. This led to many insights which we wouldn't have come to the traditional way, through the discussion of composition, colour, etc. One of his students has written: 'He was a great man and an artist and teacher. He passed so much on and will be sorely missed!'. A good epitaph which I think he would have liked.
Declan Good
Acknowledgements - Thanks to Fiona Long, Joanna Day, Bill Holt, Pat Swain, and Karel Gonlag for their contributions to the above, and to Simon Sinkinson for the photograph..
1 La Sainte Union College of Higher Education was a teacher training college owned and run by the La Sainte Union des Sacres Coeurs order of nuns. It collapsed in 1997 in controversial circumstances and became a campus of the University of Southampton, specialising in adult and continuing education programmes. The campus was sold off in 2006.
