ADMIRAL COWDISLEY SHOVEL'S
SCHOOL OF FINE ART

The Cowdisley Group has evolved to become a group of senior professional artists and writers who have devoted their life to the fine arts and are concerned to pass on their skills and appreciation of such to future generations. They are successful professionals in their own right and produce new work only as their patience and skill demands.They all have the common desire to add to the techniques, lift the skill level and promote the appreciation of the fine arts.

THE BEGINNINGS ... 'This site was originally developed for the purpose of promoting painting and poetry and the fine arts. It is targeted at no particular group but, as you will discover, there should be something in it for everyone from the would be painter to the professional artist, from the amateur collector to the professional curator and from the youthful poet to the published muse. We have tried to be even-handed in our approach, technical where necessary but above all tried to make the instruction as enjoyable and interesting as possible. All the examples I used in the original painting lessons are from my own work (unless attributed and recognisable pre -1900 grand masters). The site combine the free on-line art lessons, a fine art gallery, A Bounty Art Gallery, a decorative art gallery, faculty of fine art with tutorials, a poetry section with poetry tutorials an Australian haiku anthology. The founding members were John Hagan (artist, writer, and web designer), John Bird (poet and director of poetry)'

Since writing the above the site has grown to include lessons from additional artists as well a respected critic and amateur painter. You will find these in the Advanced lesson site. Most lessons have been translated into Spanish and are currently being translated into French. For these efforts we are hugely indebited to Claudia Klee for the Spanish translation and Jacqueline Satterlee for the French

'Admiral Cowdisley Shovel' was a real eighteenth century Admiral. Magnificiently, he maintained his estimation of his fleet's position in a dense fog while others around him disagreed. The whole issue was one of a disputed timepiece, in the eithteenth century, mid-atlantic. Unfortunately Cowdisley was wrong and many of the fleet perished as they could not avoid the lee shore - yet, as a consequence, a reward of twenty thousand pounds was offered for anyone who could come up with a reliable marine clock. I came across the Cowdisley name while researching my novel on the Bounty. Later, when I was searching for a unique, easily remembered and simple word for identifying an internet site, I recalled my research and decided on Cowdisley.

In traditional painting techniques these are perilous times, and in 'art' the connection to such a pusuit is but a fragile thread, we must therefore navigate with great care lest a lee shore looms six points to larboard. My 'Venitian' fanciful portrtait of myself as Cowdisley leads this page as if to emphasise the fact no one is beyond error, however well adorned.


To join the 'Cowdisley Group' research and email group concerned with improving paints and painting :
Who May Join: Anyone, though the list administrators (Virgil wears a black cloak for this) reserve the right to expel anyone for any reason at any time. Virgil usually weilds the axe.
Etiquitte: A level of writing that would not frighten usually sedate farmyard animals.. Failure to do so will result in the offenders being removed. No advertising.No attachments!
Cost: free.
How to Post:
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The publication for profit of any material on the 'Cowdisley' site is conditional upon permission  2006 ©jhagan@cowdisley.com

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