An inspirational issue

Thank you for two very inspirational articles in your summer 2021 issue, both of which have encouraged me to dust off a couple of very long-standing potential masterpieces.

Firstly, Lydia Bauman's article 'Explore your mix of media' reminded me that I had tried to depict Zion National Park, Utah, using DIY materials. Having visited this amazing place I felt that mere paint would not be sufficient to depict its grandeur. I started by daubing Brummer Stopping Paste, a type of wood filler that is ochre in colour, over a canvas board to provide a base for a subsequent acrylic or oil rendition. It dried very quickly, but I was uncertain about how well it would remain adhered to the board. I decided to leave it in the hostile temperature environment of my garage for a little while (six years) to see how it fared. Lydia’s brilliant article prompted me to test it. Wonderful! Far more successful than the filling in the bathroom door that I bought the paste for in the first place.

Secondly, Mike Bernard's article 'Create a collage of coastal life' reminded me of a collage of Southwold that I had started, again a few years ago, prompted by his book (with Robin Capon) Collage, Colour and Texture in Painting. This collage had been stored in my wife’s art studio. I had been keen to incorporate some relevant text in this collage, so out came the picture of Southwold lighthouse – along with a miscellany of text scraps gleaned specifically for the purpose from that favourite resort. I shall paint on – with thanks to Lydia, Mike and The Artist! David Merrifield, by email