Mike Hamilton will present and discuss human and animal drawing, sketching and painting. He will reference and share his experience in using pencil, charcoal, watercolour, and oil paint as mediums. Each medium has its strengths and certain subjects are better handled using a particular medium. He will demonstrate how he approaches portraits, using a sequence of processes, moving from the initial gestural sketch to complete work.

Mike has been on an exploratory and developmental art journey for about 15 years. When he turned fifty, he considered learning to play the piano, or learning to draw. Making the call to tackle the art of making art, he entered a new world and has not turned away. A world of mark making, laying down tones and colours, and testing the boundaries of perception and observation. A stimulating world. A world into which escape is delightfully timeless.

Through this journey he has met, travelled, and done art with a few great artists. They did art tours together, conducted or participated in workshops, and met for paint-together sessions across South Africa. He has been assisted by many. Seeing the world anew, through an artist’s eyes, and relishing in the visual splendour of our remarkable world.

His bias has been toward portraiture. When drawing and painting human and animal forms he has enjoyed capturing the spirit of live forms and depicting their character.

He has explored architectural sketching and enjoyed the company of likeminded artists in the Urban Sketching community. He believes the ability to draw well is a wonderful foundation for artistic creativity. Drawing and painting from life, outdoors, is a dramatically different experience compared to doing so in a studio.

Please join us at the Paint and Palette Group at the Edenvale Community Centre (corner of Van Riebeeck Avenue and 2nd Street) at 13h30 for 14h00.