This year, 2018, Hilary Turnbull, a long-term and respected member of BAS who is also an artist who is widely recognised beyond our ranks, was awarded the Joy Barnes Award for her painting. This is the most prestigious prize our society can give.  Continue reading Profile of Hilary Turnbull →

As one of our longest serving, well liked and much admired members, it was entirely fitting that in 2017 Swan was awarded the Joy Barnes Trophy Award for her painting of a coastal landscape.  This award, chosen by the committee, is for an outstanding work in our annual exhibition. Continue reading Swan Lennard-Payne. Profile for 2018 →

On visiting Sue in her home for this profile I was greeted enthusiastically by her dog and the first picture that caught my eye was her painting of that dog.  Pet portraits can often be disappointing but this one stands out as exceptional. It tells us so much not only about a much loved and loving pet, but also about Sue’s exceptional abilities as an artist. Continue reading Profile on Sue Hardy →

A visit to Tessa’s studio, with everything meticulously laid out and with its massive printing press in one corner makes one aware that here is a really serious artist.

Continue reading Tessa McIntyre A Profile →

We are very sorry to have to announce the sad news of the death of Katharine Skillen after a short illness. Continue reading Katharine Skillen →

Known to us all as Biddy, Brigid has been an enthusiastic and much admired member of BAS for many years having joined in 1979 when she and her husband John moved to their home in Charlton Musgrove where they have lived ever since.

Despite such domestic stability, Brigid is much travelled coming from an Anglo-Irish family with a father in the Army.  Childhood thus saw her in India and Pakistan as well as Germany, all places where her mother expected her to engage with the local languages.  She particularly took to German.  University meant Sociology at Trinity College Dublin with thoughts of working with post-war refugees, but marriage to John who was also in the Army meant a change of direction.  The usual Army life of different postings followed which included Germany, Australia, Pembrokeshire and Ireland and they have had three children, Mathilda, Charlotte and Patrick.  For leisure both Brigid and John have been very keen on sailing, particularly in the Baltic and the Atlantic coasts of Brittany, Spain and Ireland.

Always drawn to drawing and painting, time in London gave Brigid the opportunity to attend the Hampstead Art Centre and classes at St Martins.  Later she attended print making classes in Bath and painting with David Ferguson at the University of the West of England.  Initially working with Bronwen Bradshaw at the Dove Centre she developed a love of and skill in etching and has passed on her skills to several BAS members and to her daughters who are also practicing artists.

Brigid has had her work displayed at the Royal Academy, the New English Art Club, the Royal West of England Academy, the R.E. at the Bankside Gallery and of course in our annual exhibitions where she won the Joy Barnes Award in 2014.   She paints in water-colours and oils covering a range of subjects including landscapes, figure studies and portraits.

For twenty-five years Brigit organised and ran the life-drawing group which still meets in the Charlton Musgrove village hall.  While many members of this group belong to BAS, several do not.  Of life drawing Brigid told me that in her opinion, “The discipline of drawing the human body from life is central to my practice as an artist for nothing is more challenging than the human figure and face.  Sticking to doing this on a regular basis is I feel, the best way to maintain and improve drawing and painting skills and the motivation to go further with other media and subjects.”

John Baxter