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

Redwings at Looe

Redwings at Looe
14" x 18"

One of my favourite paintings of the year so far. I feel that the vigorous sketchy nature of the brush marks reflect my excitement and passion for the subject. I lay in wait for hours for the racing to finish and the boats to come ashore and then I ran around with my camera like a woman possessed, in and out of the water. Moments like this are so special and so fleeting that I didn't think I would achieve very much if I attempted a plein air piece. Instead I decided to gather as much information with my camera as I could which I could then use for a series of studio paintings. This is the first and it all came together so easily, I was right back there on the beach with wet legs and a silly grin on my face :-)

This painting is currently on show in the Barn gallery at Patchings Art Centre. I have six paintings in a group exhibition with other artists who won the exhibition prize at The Artist magazine exhibition there last year. It's a smashing exhibition and it's on until the 22nd November so do make a trip to see it if you can. You could even make a day of it if visiting from the 13th November because my solo show 'A lighter touch' will be open in Nottingham city centre a couple of miles away.