HALF YEARLY PRINT

And our first suprematism picture, and it was produced by none other than our art expert and former Art's Council rep, Gordon. Who has a well known reputation interpreting great artists. Who can remember "Loads of Monet"? "Give me The Monet", I'm Only Here For The Monet" and "Monet For Nothing"

Actually only the first one was produced. There was to be a whole panel, but sadly his muse (daughter). Went all Goth on him. Who can ever forget the harrowing and disturbing image of self harm and drug abuse of someone going on a downward spiral of despair and depression. Still looking on the bright side it did do well in club competitions, Every cloud etc.

This lead him to move away from art to pictures of birds on sticks and big pussy cats of which he has some limited success. 

To the picture itself it was obvious to those of us paying attention to Tony's talk, (yes there was some of us), what 42 was all about. 

The Yellow "S" is the yellow brick road that we travel on in life, to find the end of the rainbow. 42 is of course the meaning of life the two is twisted as life is always twisting and turning. This all, of course' leads us to the ultimate the Black Square, only in this case it is not entirely black, but has a grey stripe down the side showing that the meaning of life has not been completely discovered. The more observant would have noticed the there is a white semi circle, or is it a whole circle that has not been fully revealed? Well that's the meaning of life. More Monty Python than Goethe.

Just a few comments on Gordon's other prints, he still has not managed to capture a Dalmation Pelican with spots. I have also noticed that the birds that he photographs have been getting bigger the last couple of years. Is this because the eyes are going and they are easier to see or they are slower and easier to get sharp. Either way I think they are too big in the frame.

HALF YEARLY PRINT 2016

WINNING IMAGES

ADVANCED

1st Abandoned Boats

by Dave Wilcox

2nd In The Pink

by Dave Wilcox

3rd Buchaille Etive Mor

by Brian Clark

H.C. Old Pier Shoeburyness

by Brian Clark

H.C. Dalmation Pelican

by Gordon Bramham

INTERMEDIATE

1st Lillies

by Martyn Addison-Smith

2nd Mixed Planting

by Len Adshead

3rd Hit For Four

by Martyn Addison-Smith

H.C. Make Him an Offer

by Pete Wills

H.C. Tower Bridge At Dusk

by Richard Hallam

PRELIMINARY

1st Old Man of Brick Lane

by Glen Crawford

2nd Follow The Sunflower Road

by Sharon Brown

3rd Bike Racer

by Glen Crawford

THEME IN A HAT

1st.Statues

by Martyn Addison-Smith

2nd Speed

by Stephen Deer

3rd Mushroom

by Dave Wilcox

H.C. A Picture Within A Picture

by Joe Travasso

H.C. Shadow

by Lin Wilcox

THEME IN A HAT

To say I was disappointed on Tuesday would be an understatement. Not because that at the break John Knight said that I should get at least a 14 for my interpretation of the theme, only to get 13.

It was more to do with my subject matter. "Raindrops" with our climate not normally a problem. But from the evening I drew it of the hat we have had the longest drought since 1976, so not wanting to cheat and get the hose pipe out I found some old thing I took ages ago.

There were other people in worse positions though Colin had Halloween he did ask if he could have his image judged after the 31st October. The person that I most felt sorry for was David Lund who drew Snow, we have not had any decent snow around here since 2013. So he had to drag out a picture from his Swiss holiday.

I did notice that there was not a Spiders theme, we had insects but they are not technically an Insect. Also no bird themes was this because we have one or two members that take o/k photos of birds or was it in deference to those people in the club that have a fear of birds and we do not want to distress them. I suggest that we roll this out to cover all club competitions. While we are at it we should ban all landscapes for those with agoraphobia. This will include landscapes with water to help those with aquaphobia, so no waterfalls or waterdrops. Their is also a fear of sport Athlemataphobia, sorry Annie.
That more or less leaves my type of photography, flower

, what do you mean you have a fear of flowers? get over yourself, they won't hurt you. Well o/k the sap of some will give you a nasty rash, and they can give you Hay Fever, we are only talking about a picture a picture can't hurt you anyway take some antihistamine.

My almost favourite picture of the evening was dog (that was a brave subject to include). it was a pity that we only had it's reflection which made it look like a Labrador, looking at the bit of paw that was in the picture it looked like it was a Dalmation, if only you showed us the whole of the dog it would have been my favourite.

Get A Hankie  

SUPREMATISM

I don't know why, but ever since last Tuesday I have been singing that famous Danny Kaye song the Emperor's New Clothes. I don't know if it was at all dodgy but when he mentioned Rodchenko I immediately thought of Rodders in Only Fools and Horses he won a painting competition, in  an episode the organisers of the competition thought he was only 14.

It was said on Tuesday that this type of art is like Marmite, you either like it or hate it, I like Marmite but I hate it in a sandwich with Strawberry Jam. 

I don't really know where I stand on this art form I was never any good at geometry at scholl so I guess this explains a lot. 

Gordon suggested that I just post a picture of a black square and leave it at that, however, not appearing to be a philistine, I thought about it a bit more and decided that when we are asked to look at someones photographs we expect to see something we recognise like a landscape or portrait etc. For this type of art we need to think outside the box, but we need to do this quickly before Tony takes a picture of the box, cuts it up in photoshop, shuffles it about and prints it so we no longer see it as a box, or anything else for that matter.

It is a pity that Tony was not at the Hindu Temple with us on Thursday there were plenty of geometric shapes especially in the restaurant. Thinking about the India connection and the Black Hole of Calcutta he could have come up with his own black square. I know we generally think of a hole as being round, but as Bernard Cribbins once sang "Your digging it round and it ought to be square" 

I'm off now to have a Marmite and cheese sandwich, that I do like

Art, Vandalism or Supermatism (without the white background)

How many black squares can you see? 

SHRI SWAMINARAYAN MANDIR

CLUB OUTING

I was so excited when Andy announced our latest outing, it was somewhere that I have wanted to visit for years. Yes, Neasden home town of Twiggy and Gerry Anderson. With three Temples of national importance in one area. As our chairman pointed out Wembley stadium is the temple to all English football fans. Then there are the twin temples to consumerism Ikea and Brent Cross Shopping Centre. The most important and the one we had come to see and photograph was the Hindu Temple. 

A pity that only four members turned up. I'm not sure what excuse our members have got, it was a working day. Perhaps others decided that travelling to the other side of the world was too much for one day, others will say that their passport had expired. Their Urdu was non existent or their Hindi was rusty. In fact it was only the other side of London, about an hour by car and the helpers in the Temple spoke better English than me and were very welcoming and helpful.

The other two were Andy Brett and David Lund, two Andys and two Daves. Brett, Lund, Laing and Wilcox, sounds like a dodgy firm of Solicitors. 

As there was no photography inside the temple Dave and myself took our pictures before meeting up with the other Dave and Andy and their respective wives. and going into the temple. We were asked to put our shoes on shelves in a cubby hole, we then went around admiring the carvings and the amazing interior before ascending up to were the Arti ceremony takes place. Asked to sit on the floor while the ceremony took place Andy managed to upset the Gods by pointing his feet at the statue of the Gods, trying to sit cross legged he began to wish that he had taken up the Yoga classes that his wife bought him for his birthday. 

After watching the ceremony which included the waving about of lighted candles, not sure about health & safety, perhaps  their was someone with a bucket around the corner out of sight. Still candles are lit every day in english churches without problem.

After a further look around the Temple we made our way to the exit, picking up our shoes on the way out. I'm not sure but I seem to remember our Chairman wearing a scruffy pair of black slip ons when we entered the building but he walked out wearing a new pair of trainers.

We made our way back to the car park myself, Andy & Dave decided to eat in the restaurant while Dave made for home preferring Lin's culinary delights.

After being seated we decided on the buffet but not before I managed to stop Dave from asking if he could have Beef & Ale pie.

After the meal I left the other Dave and Andy to take their pictures of the Temple. While I stocked up on supplies in the supermarket.  

 Where's that lot from Upminster Camera Club, they were supposed to be here taking my picture, now I have got to take a selfie