Royal Society of Marine Artists exhibition 2016

Top two works by Peter Wileman
Mine are underneath

I had a great day in London yesterday at the preview of the Royal Society of Marine Artists annual exhibition. It's always a show that I enjoy and this year is the society's 50th anniversary of royal status so the RSMA have taken all three gallery spaces at the Mall Galleries.

Although there is a wide variety of painting styles and mediums to be seen here all the works are unified by a marine theme. I feel extremely fortunate to have been able to exhibit work with the RSMA for the last four years and I love to come to the preview day and catch up with many painting friends. 

This year the Mall Galleries have chosen my painting of the fishermens shelter in Portscatho to produce as a greetings card which is now available from the Mall Galleries bookshop. It makes a very sweet little square card!

I also couldn't resist buying this oil painting of children crabbing at Walberswick by Raymond Leech. I'm really looking forward to being able to enjoy it every day at home.

If you can get to London before the exhibition closes on the 8th October I would urge you to go and see the show for yourself. There are various artists demonstrating in the galleries throughout the exhibition.

If you can't get to London you can see (and indeed purchase) many of the paintings in the exhibition here.

Fishermens shelter

Redwings at Looe

Front of card

Back of card

Crabbers at work, Walberswick
by Raymond Leech

Leaning sheds and allotment hens

Leaning sheds and allotment hens
Oils 8" x 12"

Do you see what the hens were doing when I painted this one? They were queuing up to take turns in that lovely dust bath, so funny.

I really loved the strong lean on these characterful sheds and yes, I may have over emphasised the extent to which they leant ever so slightly ;-)

Sunny afternoon with the hens

Sunny afternoon with the hens

I had a gorgeous few days with these hens earlier in the summer. This is one of four or five paintings I did there - I can't be happier than sunshine+sheds+hens... except possibly for snow+sheds+hens! I'll try to get back here in autumn and winter as it's not a subject I ever tire of. 

Yes it is tricky because they're moving all the time but if you hang around a while you can usually spot another hen in a similar position which helps. I love being around hens, their presence is so calming. 

You can find out how this painting might be yours on my website here :-)

Staithes rooftops

Staithes rooftops

This was worth walking up a hill and missing breakfast for... although I did have second thoughts once I was set up and began to draw in the complicated arrangement of shapes. When I say 'draw' I do mean with the brush and paint. With an architectural type subject I start with a linear sketch-in with a smallish brush, but I am always keen to move onto large value shapes as soon as I can. With a subject like this it's too easy to get lost in detail at the expense of the mood or get so worried about accuracy that you run out of time and lose the light. Luckily I had a strict time deadline which got me reaching for the big brushes and I got what I was after here.

This painting is now available to purchase at Staithes art gallery.

There is a brush set with ten of the brushes that I most commonly use available from Rosemary & Co. Click here for details :-)

Early morning glare

Early morning glare, Staithes

When I'm teaching in Staithes I tend to get up early so that I can get a painting (even two sometimes) under my belt before the teaching day starts at 9.00am. Well with views like this, it would be rude not to wouldn't it?  :-)

Fishing boat at Staithes

Fishing boat at Staithes

I have had a fantastic summer, I hope you have too. I've got so much to show you from June through to the end of August that I thought it was high time I wrote a blog post or two... for those who are not avid Instagram users!

Here's one of my favourites from my teaching trip to Staithes in June. The attraction was the light coming through those buoys and even though it clouded over soon after I started I had sketched out the shape of the shadow cast by the boat and managed to stick to the effect of the sunlight. You wouldn't know that my group, who were watching me paint this were actually shivering with cold by the time I'd finished! I don't tend to notice the cold because I get so involved with solving the problems in the painting ;-)

Next year I'm going to be taking two courses for the Staithes art school, one in June and one in July. If you are interested in coming please contact Al straight away via the website because places are already booking up so quickly. The dates aren't on the website yet for next year but it's probably best to enquire now because it may be too late if you wait. It's a very special weekend and I'd love to see you there :-)