Wednesday 24 October 2012

Tim Benson at Affordable Art Fair


Tim Benson will be showing work at the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea Park with Panter and Hall from the 25/10 - 28/10 / and then at the Affordable Art Fair in Hampstead Heath with Highgate Contemporary Art from the 1/11 - 4/11 / 


News from Provisional ROI Member Lachlan Goudie

Lachlan writes: " Over the past year I have been involved in a long term project to document the construction of the Royal Navy's new aircraft carriers in Govan and Rosyth, Scotland. It's a fascinating job which affords me privileged access to the shipyards and I have accumulated a vast number of sketches and studies which will eventually be worked up into large paintings.

Over the last twelve months I have exhibited in London, Glasgow and Spain. I also featured in a Times newspaper feature about 'promising' young British artists which appeared just before the Olympics.







Latest News From Provisional ROI Member Tony Merrick


Provisional member, Tony Merrick has had a busy Summer and Autumn.

After running a course at Pear Tree Farm, Derbyshire, Tony then demonstrated and exhibited work at Art in Action , Waterperry, Oxfordshire. He was also invited to teach at Waterperry Gardens and St Oswald Studios in Fulham. In between demonstrating at various art societies Tony also managed to squeeze in painting trips to Italy and France as this lovely example shows.
 
 
 
  Narbonne Flower Market.

Latest News From Provisional ROI Member Natalia Avdeeva


This summer, Natalia Avdeeva participated in the seventh All Russia Vasnetsov Forum and plein air painting residence program, organised by the Kirov State Museum and sponsored by the regional Government of Kirov, Russia.

Alongside Natalia, thirty others were also invited to take part in this fantastic experience. The artists, both established and emerging, came from many different parts of Russia including Moscow, St Petersburg and abroad. The program took place at the end of July and lasted for three weeks.

At present, three of Natalia Avdeeva’s paintings produced during the program now hang in the collection of the Kirov Vasnetsov State Museum. Another of her paintings hangs in the Yrzhum Museum, also in Kirov Region, Russia.
 

Natalia was the Winner of the Winsor and Newton Prize 2011 at the Annual ROI Exhibition.
 
 Click on her name above to view her work on her website.
 

Saturday 20 October 2012

Latest Project For Adebanji Alade

Adebanji is currently working on a series of portraits of London's homeless. It was a picture of a homeless man that was the second painting to sell at last year's ROI Annual Exhibition. Adebanji used to work among  London's homeless where he used art to try and give them  a new focus on life. An inspiring thing to do from a really nice guy who also happens to be an exciting young painter.


To read more about his exploits - and there are many I can assure you - check out his blog.


And this is his web site: Adebanji Alade

Here's his latest portrait.




Friday 19 October 2012

Latest News From David Pilgrim AROI


David writes:
 
'It’s been a busy few months. In May 2012 I organised a return painting trip to Sennen in Cornwall with a group of plein air painting pals. It was great to have Andrew King ROI and some of his art friends from Norfolk join in all the fun! June was marked by a painting session for the Diamond Jubilee Pageant with the BBC on the Millennium bridge. Weather wise, it was a complete washout but we stuck it out and I was pleased to get two paintings done on the day.
 
" Over the summer I’ve been out and about painting on location, particularly enjoying some local allotment studies. With work shown at the Hawker Gallery in Amersham (ROI, Marine and Heritage exhibitions) and the ‘Best of the Bath Prize’ show with the Bath Gallery, attention then turned to the 2nd annual show with the ‘Plein air brotherhood’ at the A&K Wilson Gallery in Harpenden (October 2012). I was also delighted to have two plein air paintings accepted into the Royal Society of Marine Artists annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries (October 2012). In November a group of us are heading back to Venice for a week of painting around the great city. Can’t wait!'
 
Here are a couple of smashing paintings from David. Lovely work!
 
"Old Harry and his wife, Dorset", 8x16in - oil on board
 
 
"Enys, Pendeen", 10x12in - oil on board
 
 
 

A Funny Old Job

Being a professional painter is a funny old job and if that's your calling you do find yourself in some curious situations.

ROI member Phillip James recalls the time when he was called in by a client to look at a problem they had with a watercolour portrait he has done of their children. The problem : "Our chidren have vanished! " . When Phillip saw the work  he observrd that the face of the boy had almost completely disappeared. A supernatural event? Faulty paints? No,quite simply, the family had hung  the picture in the conservatory and the sun had bleached out the colour.

Phillip was able to explain the fugitive nature of the medium, tinker with the boy's features and avoided giving a refund!  With future watercolours, Phillip says , he will put a warning on the back.

On another occasion he was painting en plein air on the Sussex Downs on a very hot day. An unexpected gust of wind  picked up the entire tripod easel and overturned the oil painting he had been working on all day. The picture  was virually complete and landed face down  in the field. Phillip was convinced the picture was ruined but his wife told him that, on the contrary,  the stubble and grit adhering to the paint made it a better picture! Phillip doesn't say if he has adapated this technique  for future work.
Phillip's paintings  is wonderfully atmospheric and painterly in style. Here are some examples of recent work, from him.



 
 

Thursday 18 October 2012

Upcoming Exhibition For ROI Vice President Ian Cryer

ROI Vice President Ian Cryer is currently engaged in Painting a series of paintings for an one man exhibition entitled "A year On Exmoor" . The exhibition which runs from May 6th to 1st of June 2013 at the Churchgate Gallery, Porlock, West Somerset. The show will feature more than 60  oil paintings  reflecting the life and landscape of this beautiful part of Somerset. This show follows a similar exhibition in 2001 called "A Year in West Somerset" at the Lynda Cotton Gallery, Watchet.

Ian Cryer said "I love a big challenge or theme to work on, it really focuses my energies and I am finding no shortage of idea's and inspiration on the moors and in the sheltered villages of West Somerset. "


Tuesday 16 October 2012

Powerful Exhibition for Naomi Alexander ROI

 
After 6 months at The Museum of Florida, Naomi's exhibition, Once Upon a Time in Lithuania, has come to an end. It was not a selling exhibition but it has become political due to its subject of Jewish homes and killing fields of Lithuania.
 
Naomi writes: " I have been caught up in two different histories...one is rewriting history...in Lithuania. It became very unpleasant for me....and I will not go into details. It is next to be seen at the Shipley Art Gallery and Museum , Gateshead , in June 2013, and no doubt will carry on because of its nature!
 
"It has previously been shown in Leicester University, Lithuanian Embassy, London Jewish Cultural Centre and The Vilna Gaon State Museum in Lithuania, where I informed the American Ambassador ( for two hours) and the British Ambassador of the situation of Jews  before the Holocaust in Lithuania. It became a big event as I was also on state TV and radio. I am now preparing for a new residency....Art Deco in Miami in conjunction with UNESCO World Heritage City,Tel Aviv, Modernism and Bauhaus. "
 






 

Naomi's book Once Upon A Tim in Lithuania, published by David Paul books is available on Amazon via this link:


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Once-Upon-Lithuania-Naomi-Alexander/dp/0954848217/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350382013&sr=8-1



You can see more of Naomi's work on her web site: http://www.naomialexander.com/
 



Monday 1 October 2012

ROI Masterclass Event

Yesterday more than 50 people attmeded the annual ROI masterclass event held at the Picturecraft Gallery in Holt North Norfolk. There were splendid demonstrations by ROI members David Curtis and Roger Dellar and the gallery also hosted a small exhibition of ROI members work, Here are some pictures from the day.