FROM PAINTBRUSH TO PIXELS

Jane Lazenby LRPS BPE3* CPAGB AFIAP LMPA visited Keyworth C.C. on the evening of November 5th via Zoom to give her talk From Paintbrush to Pixels. This was a superb evening that covered Jane’s obsession with horses and how she began by painting them in 1995 before she started photographing them in 2017 and how each discipline started to influence the other.

Jane’s relaxed commentary was a joy to listen to. Her learning curves fascinating to hear – who knew you could mix paint with gin or red wine to create eye-catching artwork? Jane’s story featured a lot more experiments in both art and photography as she overcame setbacks like being allergic to horses and having to deal with life-changing trials. All these tales, and more, were supported by stunning artwork and photography while Jane’s patter was laced with laugh-out-loud humour. 

Another skill of Jane’s soon became evident, that of sewing. Many of the dresses, headgear, bridals and props were made by Jane specifically for her photographs.

Jane also revealed the secrets of making a sleepy, bored horse, wake up and perform for the camera. 

Jane explained how she mastered the use of light, both natural and artificial to create the right mood for her images. Constantly experimenting with light and Photoshop techniques to give her images power and life. Jane often mentioned that your images need to tell a story rather than being just a record of what is in front of you. Being successful in competitions can make you more confident in your abilities as well as make you try harder, aim higher.

Jane’s favourite art is the pre-Raphaelite period and this soon became evident in her photographs and artwork. Not just in her horse images, but also in portraiture. The examples Jane showed of models and her daughter in exquisite gowns being just as commanding as her horse images.

Thank-you so much Jane for this top-class evening. Your talk was inspiring, entertaining and your images absolutely stunning.