JEREMY Taylor, a Keighley Art Club favourite, describes himself as a jobbing painter now that he no longer teachers art at Shipley College of the venues.

He feels that he has more freedom and choice of subject material following this change in career.

We heard that in his youth Jeremy spent time in South Africa but accidentally broke his binoculars, which were vital to viewing birds and animals.

He went to a Woolworths store and brought watercolours which reignited his childhood interest in painting.

He has worked for agents and has painted for greeting cards.

The composition at our demonstration was to be poppies, cornflowers and daisies. Jeremy visits areas near Driffield when poppy fields are in bloom.

Jeremy constantly referred to the focal point, and explained the “rule of thirds”. He often walked to the back of the room to check progress. In his studio he uses a mirror instead.

The middle is never the focal point.

A pre-stretched canvas board was treated with thin Liquin before Jeremy applied abstract, pale colours in X shapes as background.

He then used a wide bristle brush to soften the applied paint so it was out of focus. Again he repeated this action constantly.

The brushes Jeremy uses are cleaned by wiping on kitchen paper then on rag. He doesn’t fully clean them until the end.

As with handwriting he feels that a good drawing reflects the character of the person.

At the next stage some brushstrokes begin to stay in focus. “Never paint to the edge” is his other philosophy, as this draws your eye there.

Dark tunnel contrast is added roughly and an odd number of dark marks as poppy centres are placed for a pleasing outcome.

Using cadmium red, crescent shapes become petals around those centres. If you loose petals are dashed randomly.

More dark shadows and tones in violet add interest. The burnt sienna is added over these before scratching out grass with a brush end.

A few seedheads are “spotted on” and a few fine green grasses point towards the focal point, giving a 3D effect.

Now a thicker orange oil paint is over-painted onto some petals, to create the effect of light catching, as well as more grasses in yellow on a dirty brush create an illusion of depth.

Jeremy then created blue-toned cornflowers and several lilac daisies around orange centres, with white highlights.

Here he returned full-circle to his original background colours and used a smaller square-ended brush instead.

Thin lines with the brush edge denoted a side view petal effect, and highlights in yellow ochre and white plus rose and white, created light on the daisies.

In summary, Jeremy showed how the largest daisy had become the focal point despite being surrounded by fiery red poppies.

Keighley Art Club with Bingley Arts Society have a joint exhibition at Cliffe Castle Museum until April 26.

Some of the paintings appear on the Bradford Museum s website. Works can be bought, and all are originals.

Visit Keighley Art Club’s Facebook page to see some of our work, upcoming events and members.