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Inspiration from Artists Wk 108 Featuring Artists are Mike Bernard and Peter Kuhfeld .

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Paul (Dixie) Dean

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Welcome to this weeks thread the featuring artists this week  are : Mike Bernard and Peter Kuhfeld. Jenny will open with her introduction to Mike Bernard and on Wednesday I will introduce Peter Kuhfeld . I hope you enjoy the selected painting and look at more of both artists work on the internet.

Jenny Harris

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MIKE BERNARD was born in Dover, Kent, in 1957, and trained at the West Surrey College of Art and Design in Farnham, followed by post-graduate studies at the Royal Academy Schools.  He has exhibited widely in London and the provinces and moved to Devon in 2008 where he has been inspired by the amazing light. He enjoys experimenting with media and techniques, often using mixed media incorporating collage and acrylics, and likes the way textures, shapes and colours and ‘happy accidents’ steer the direction of his paintings.  His favourite subjects are harbour, market and street scenes both in Britain and abroad. His initial starting point is to collect on the spot sketches, and he is selective when describing detail, wanting to portray only the essence of the subject.  Back in the studio he starts his paintings (usually on paper, board or canvas) with layers of paper collage, newspaper, tissue, leaflets, magazines etc, gluing with acrylic medium.  He then applies acrylic ink in bold, random strokes which often produces textural ‘happy accidents’.  From there he tries to define the subject through various drawing techniques, to a finished stage where it retains a semi-abstract impressionistic feel.

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by Jenny Harris

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Paul (Dixie) Dean

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Thank you for the introduction to this excellent artist Jenny , I will look at his work more closely tomorrow. 

Denise Cat

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I love his work Jenny and I can definitely tell he has developed his unique style through vast experimental techniques, immediately upon looking at it. Of course, I know his academic studies would have been invaluable, he has run and evolved with the knowledge gained. Really beautiful examples and I shall take a closer look at his work. Very impressive.

Norrette Moore

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When I read mixed media and/or collage, I tend to switch off...what my gran used to call swip-sticking. ;-) But I find these very attractive, and certainly a recognisable style. Lovely colours, well harmonised.  I'd have one on my wall.

Jenny Harris

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Just bringing this back up again, got bumped off the top section rather quickly…..

Jenny Harris

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A few more…

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Carol Jones

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These are all pleasing to the eye, and hold their own drama. This method of producing art is something I'd like to try, but wouldn't know where to start.

Tessa Gwynne

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Like Norette, I am usually put off at the mention of collage, but having just looked through these again more carefully, I find that aspect not obvious and his work quite appealing. I especially like his use of a particular and restricted colour in some paintings, eg the red boats in number four above, and the blue in number six. I’ve chosen a few more that I like, and I love his subject matter in general; can’t beat a good harbour side! I realise I chose a few duplicates, so here are a couple more.

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by Tessa Gwynne

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Paul (Dixie) Dean

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That’s a really good selection Jenny and Tessa. Why is it that certain things make us think ooh not sure about this mixed media being one of them but when you see it done as well as this it certainly make you look at it differently. Like you Carol I wouldn’t know where to start or what to use . 

Tessa Gwynne

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I’m pretty sure he has had articles in The Artist which might explain more of his methods. Just looked and in fact it was in the summer 2021 issue, though he may have done more than one. 

Jenny Harris

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Tessa, there are a couple of articles by him on POL discussing how he approaches his work - go to Tips and Techniques/Mixed Media and search on his name.  The second one - ‘How to use collage, colour and texture in paintings’ - shows a step by step demo. of one of his paintings.

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