KEIGHLEY Art Club welcomed two potential new members on the same evening that Saltaire artist David Starley returned to give another oil painting demonstration.

This year sees the commemoration of joining the canal at Shipley to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. This event inspired David to take photos of the canal in both strong daylight and at sunset.

He then applied artistic license in deciding what to produce in the first stage of our demonstration.

The beauty of oils is that despite having to rush owing to our time constraints, he could review and adjust any minor matters he spotted the next day.

This included possibly changing the colour of the canal or seepage outside lines. This is more difficult with other media which dry rapidly.

David first studied art at Sydney University, while working in a steel foundry, and followed this with a career in archaeology. His work is now based in oil painting.

David’s art was learned by attending courses, and he went to night school with our August demonstrator Bob Barker.

When he visited us, David started with a deep blank canvas placed on an easel. No drawing was made, and instead he checked his photographs and sketchbook regularly. He strongly believes in taking a sketchbook when he goes out.

Months of drying are involved for each picture, so he stores completed canvases.

David’s paintings of poppies are popular. He produces greeting cards, once issued a calendar with a cat on each month’s landscape, and recently his attention has turned to woods and trees.

One point David stressed by example was to stand back from his work several times during the painting process to check accuracy, perspective and vanishing point.

Pure black is not a colour David uses. Instead he mixes ultramarine blue, Paynes grey and other colours until a softer black is achieved. He then applies the paint with palette knives to the canvas service.

David paints the dominant colour first, unlike in watercolour creations were layers are added on to the base painting.

David can be contacted on davidstarley@yahoo.co.uk for appointments to see his studio or his diary events.

The time had arrived to consider changing a exhibition in the Picture House cinema’s coffee lounge. Those interested should take their work to the North Street cinema.

During May the art club will have two member sessions. Brian Moses will bring holiday snaps and Tony Pratt will provide treescapes.

Jo Grady, who is an artist new to us, will run a workshop on watercolour landscapes on May 18. Our annual general meeting is on May 25.

Vivienne O’Connell will bring sunset views for us to paint on June 15, and the well-known artist Jeremy Taylor returns after a four-year gap to create a seascape in oils on June 22.

Visitors and new members are welcome to our sessions at Keighley Healthy Living on Scott Street Living on Wednesdays from 6.45pm. A charge is made.

Potential demonstrators are needed in any medium, as we are preparing our programme for 2017. Call 01535 669914 for more information.