You must have a healthy, wholesome view of yourself, your works and what you can uniquely bring into the art world and be true to it!
Adebanji Alade VPROI on his favourite work in the Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition 2020, his favourite art supplies store and the greatest asset an artist can have.
Past or present, which artist from the ROI do you most admire?
For me, it’s Trevor Chamberlain. I’ve courted his works in books way back when I was in Nigeria. I love his consistency over the years and even after eight decades, his quality is still up there with the very, very best!
What is your favourite work in this year’s exhibition?
My favourite work in the exhibition is David Curtis’ piece titled, “Diffused Light, Jermyn Street”.
He uses a limited palette with such dexterity that it almost looks like he has used a full-blown palette, yet the mood atmosphere of this piece still comes across so vividly. It’s a masterpiece!
Joe Alexander is a master framer with great precision and finishing.
Bijan is experienced in everything frames, I’ve used him since 1999.
What is your favourite art supplies store?
My favourite supply store is Cass Art - they’ve taken way too much of my money but I get quality in return.
You, Your Work and Your Studio
What gallery did you first sell work at? When was it? How much did it sell for?
The first gallery to sell my work in London was the Mall Galleries. It was in 2006 at the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and I can’t remember how much it sold for (£400 according to our records).
It was titled, “The People I Sketch Every Day on Public Transport”
Where do you produce your best work? Do you work en plein air and finish in the studio?
I produce my best work on the go - sketches and plein air.
But then the more refined gallery work is started and finished in my studio.
Do you have any rituals or routines when preparing and starting a painting?
Yes, I pray to God for inspiration - a touch of the Divine.
Where is your studio and what’s it like? / Can you describe your studio space?
My studio space is in Chelsea on Lots Road, it is a cluttered treasure of an organised junkie, filled with sketchbooks, paintings, books and over 500 art magazines!
Advice
What advice would you give a young artist starting out or wanting to join the ROI?
You are making the right decision. Oil is the most respected medium in the world and when you introduce yourself into the art world as a member of such a prestigious society you instantly gain respect and the doors of opportunity are bound to open for you! At least they did for me since being elected a full member in 2015!
What do you know now that you wish you’d known at the start of your career?
I wish somebody had told me to believe more in myself and not let self-doubt consume me.
I believe self-confidence is the greatest asset any artist can have, once it’s gone, there’s not much you can do in a world where a million artists are all splashing their stuff on social media and galleries....and if you are not careful, you’ll compare yourself with too many and be swamped into complete utter despair.
You must have a healthy, wholesome view of yourself, your works and what you can uniquely bring into the art world and be true to it!
'Reflections from the Artist' is an ongoing series of reflection, advice from and insight into the practice of artists who exhibit at Mall Galleries.
"Ken Howard is one of my painting heroes and as a young artist, I was inspired by his work and delighted in reading his books. His work is so uplifting."
David Pilgrim ROI on selling his first work at university, his Royal Institute of Oil Painters hero and the joys of painting en plein air.
David Pilgrim is a British painter with a passion for painting ‘en plein air’ which also compliments and informs his studio practice. Working on location, he strives to capture the very essence of that moment and create a personal response to the subject with energy and economy. In 2012, David was elected a full member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters
You and the ROI
Why did you want to join the Royal Institute of Oil Painters?
I’ve had a passion for oil painting for many years and to me the ROI has always represented the highest of standards in oil painting. Many artists who I have long admired were members and upon entering for the first time back in 2006 (was it really that long ago!) I was delighted to discover what a friendly and open society the ROI really is.
Why should artists want to exhibit with the Royal Institute of Oil Painters?
The ROI represents the very best in oil painting today and it feels a great privilege to be able to exhibit with fellow oil painters of such a high calibre. There is a great tradition and history behind the society but we are also very forward-thinking and mindful to attract and showcase exciting new talent, irrespective of any style or genre.
Why should people want to buy art from the Royal Institute of Oil Painters?
Buyers have the opportunity to purchase art from a diverse pool of artistic talent, ranging from well-established ROI members to emerging and new artists in the public submissions. The ROI has no ‘house style’ and aims to showcase the best work in oil painting today so there should be plenty of diversity to suit buyers’ tastes.
Past or present, what artist from the ROI do you most admire?
Ken Howard is one of my painting heroes and as a young artist, I was inspired by his work and delighted in reading his books. His work is so uplifting and I share Ken’s passion for working tonally and painting the light. His work ethic and dedication to painting is an inspiration to us all.
What is your favourite work in this year’s exhibition?
Such a tough question, there are so many paintings that could be my favourite! I love the Reflected Sunset by Tim Benson PROI as it has such a powerful economy and harmony whilst evoking the essence of that beautiful sunset with such wonderful strokes of paint. A joyous painting!
For plein air work outdoors I tend to rely on oils using my Open Box-M (I have both the 12x16in and 11x14in models) mounted on a sturdy tripod. I use mediums such as Michael Harding oil paint medium, Roberson’s Glaze medium and pure turpentine in varied combinations and consistencies. Favourite brushes tend to be from Rosemary & Co together with Cornelissens hogs.
What paints make up your palette?
I prefer Winsor and Newton Artist Quality Oils on the whole but augment the range with a few additional colours from Michael Harding (e.g. Naples yellow which has a slightly deeper tone than Winsor and Newton).
I tend to hand finish frames that I have made by my local framers in Stony Stratford (Skills Art Materials). I have a selection of preferred mouldings and use emulsion paints (sometimes with gilding wax) to achieve the final finish which is always sealed with polished finishing wax.
I think my first official sale was from my final year exhibition at Aberystwyth University in 1997. At the time I was inspired by Scandanavian interior artists such as Villhelm Hammershoi and painted the interior of a disused academic building, very much focused on the light and the quiet stillness within. The painting was titled ‘Between Two Rooms’ and I think it sold for something like £280 which seemed a lot to me at the time as a student!
Do you have any rituals or routines when preparing and starting a painting?
I always lay my palette out in the same order and it tends to run from dark and cool on the left to warm and light on the right.
Where is your studio and what’s it like?
My current studio is a converted bedroom in a Victorian house with good high ceilings and north facing windows.
Advice
What advice would you give a young artist wanting to join the ROI?
Get involved as much as you can, the best learning is by doing and by showing your work you can get some invaluable feedback. Interact with other artists you admire, ask questions, be curious and build on your passions. Be prepared for difficulty/setbacks and don’t compare or judge yourself too harshly against others. Enjoy your painting and find your own unique voice.
What do you know now that you wish you’d known at the start of your career?
I wish I had discovered the joys and benefits of plein air painting earlier in my painting career.
'Reflections from the Artist' is an ongoing series of reflection, advice from and insight into the practice of artists who exhibit at Mall Galleries.
"It’s a great encouragement when artists whose work you admire so much select your painting to hang in the exhibition, and then a real thrill and a boost to see it up on the wall at the private view"
Haidee-Jo Summers ROI RSMA on selling her first work at the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, her studio space and developing an abundance mindset
Why did you want to join the Royal Institute of Oil Painters?
I first heard about the society when I was in my early twenties and was encouraged by a member to enter. That first time I entered I won a prize in the young artists' award and from then on I dared to hope that one day I might become a member. It became my driving ambition.
Why should artists want to exhibit with the Royal Institute of Oil Painters?
It’s a great encouragement when artists whose work you admire so much select your painting to hang in the exhibition, and then a real thrill and a boost to see it up on the wall at the private view.
I’ve seen time and again how the members are so warm and encouraging to new exhibitors. It’s a wonderful thing to be a part of the ROI show.
Why should people want to buy art from the Royal Institute of Oil Painters?
We are showing the best work of the year by many of the UK’s best oil painters, and have a fantastic array of subject matters and styles on display with a wide range of sizes and prices.
There are so many paintings to love, the hardest thing is narrowing down your choices!
Past or present, what artist from the ROI do you most admire?
This is a hard question because all my contemporaries are outstanding and it’s difficult to pick just a few! Past members I would say Laura Knight, Dorothea Sharp and Walter Sickert of course, plus Tony Merrick who is so much missed.
Of the current membership, Ken Howard and David Curtis have been the most inspirational to me. I should add Peter Brown for being such a powerhouse and Adebanji Alade who keeps everybody encouraged and smiling!
What is your favourite work in this year’s exhibition?
Can I pick two? Ice cream by Craig Lee and Paddy by Adam Ralston. Apart from being beautifully painted they both have that warm nostalgia for summers gone by and hopefully the summers yet to come when we get through this strange time!
I used to hand paint all my frames but now I have a couple of framers and the frames arrive ready for me to pop the paintings in. I worked at a framer many years ago so I don’t mind doing the fitting part at all.
What is your favourite art supplies store?
It’s Jacksons Art that I always turn to. Living quite remotely in Lincolnshire they always seem to have everything I need and I love their bespoke oil primed linen canvasses. But my brushes always come from Rosemary & Co.
You, Your Work and Your Studio
What gallery did you first sell work at?
I did little local exhibitions straight after graduating and around the same time I had my first success exhibiting with the ROI in 1997 and the painting sold. It was around £300 (we've checked our records and it was £575!) which seemed like an absolute fortune to me, probably a month’s wages at the picture framers.
All the other paintings I was selling at that time would have been priced between £20 and £100. I really wish I knew who bought that painting so I could have thanked them!
Where do you produce your best work? Do you work en plein air and finish in the studio?
I produce most of my work en plein air so I have to say that’s my best work, although I am really keen to explore other avenues in the studio, such as paintings being composed of many layers of paint as a contrast to the one shot alla prima ones.
I’d also like to do larger work outside in multiple sessions. There’s so much more I need to challenge myself with.
Do you have any rituals or routines when preparing and starting a painting?
Well in the studio I start the morning with a coffee and lighting the woodburning stove which is a lovely way to start to the day.
When I’m ready to start painting I put my apron on and that means business.
Where is your studio and what’s it like?
My studio is in our garden in Lincolnshire. It’s a huge 1970s concrete workshop which we’ve extended and remodelled to make a dry, well-insulated, airy space with a high ceiling and painted wooden beams and lots of windows.
I also have a mezzanine level at one end which is where I sit and read or sketch or work on my laptop with the cat and dog in front of the fire.
I paint from a model up here when I can, and have lots of fun props and cheerful fairy lights. I’m so lucky to have all this wonderful space to myself and I love it to bits.
What advice would you give an artist wanting to join the ROI?
Have faith in your own voice and follow the ideas wherever they take you. Don’t try to emulate anybody else, we want to hear your authentic voice. When you paint what gets you fired up it shows in the work and that’s really exciting for us to see.
Save your best work throughout the year, put it to one side so that you’re not caught out when submission time rolls around again.
And I would say reach out to us members on social media or face to face at events and private views. We are a friendly bunch I promise, and we’ve ALL been in your shoes and want to help and encourage you.
What do you know now that you wish you’d known at the start of your career?
I learned early on that it was important to put your work forward and enter exhibitions and competitions. Don’t expect to always be selected or win a prize, just keep putting it out there and persevere. Celebrate the highs, shrug off the lows, there’s always another chance around the corner.
The other thing I’m glad I realised early on in my career because it was a big shift for my thinking, is that there really is enough room in this art world for all of us. You don’t want to waste your energies feeling envious of others success, there are plenty of opportunities for all.
They call it an abundance mindset and it’s well worth cultivating one!
What is your favourite work in this year’s exhibition?
So many to choose from but if pushed I would say ‘Rooftop View of St Petersburg’ by Thomas Arthurton. It is a beautifully balanced, economical piece of painting that is simultaneously unassuming and jewel-like.
I frame my smaller paintings and any that are painted on board. I’ve used the same framer for years because he is a master craftsman and crucially, offers a great service!
Vertigo in Great Eastern Street, Old Street in 2001, £1,000.
Where do you produce your best work?
I wouldn’t say that my best work happens in any given environment; I’ve produced paintings that I’m very happy with en plein air and in my studio. I don’t, however, work outside and then finish off in my studio, all work is done in one hit.
Do you have any rituals or routines when preparing and starting a painting?
A cup of tea, a deep breath and a few stern words with myself.
Where is your studio and what’s it like?
My studio is in Wood Green, North London. It’s about 10 minutes walk from my home so really convenient. It’s a small, modest room in an ex-council office block. It’s not pretty but it does the job!
Advice
What advice would you give an artist wanting to join the ROI?
Submit work that you believe in, not something that you think would ‘fit’.
What do you know now that you wish you’d known at the start of your career?
That we’re all in this together and that good things come to those who wait.
'Reflections from the Artist' is an ongoing series of advice from and insight into the practice of artists who exhibit at Mall Galleries.
"If you paint in oils, this is the ultimate shop window for the best that the medium has to offer. To get a chance to exhibit alongside such artists is invaluable."
John Walsom ROI ARSMA on working en plein air, his advice for young artists entering Open Exhibitions and selling his first work for a fiver.
John is renowned for his paintings of landscapes and architectural subjects. He is a council member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters and an associate member of the Royal Society of Marine Artists. When he's not painting he's the guitarist in the soul band The Detectives.
You and the ROI
Why did you want to join the Royal Institute of Oil Painters?
For a long time, going to the annual ROI exhibition, I felt like a kid pressing my nose on a toy shop window - so many beautiful, unattainable things. There’s no more profound compliment than the approval of your heroes, which is why I was so happy to have been made a member.
Why should artists want to exhibit with the Royal Institute of Oil Painters?
If you paint in oils, this is the ultimate shop window for the best that the medium has to offer. To get a chance to exhibit alongside such artists is invaluable.
Why should people want to buy art from the Royal Institute of Oil Painters?
You can be confident that the paintings in this exhibition are the best works of some of the finest oil painters in the world, or have been selected by them to be worthy of sharing the same walls.
Past or present, what artist from the ROI do you most admire?
I'm in awe of all the current members.
What is your favourite work in this year’s exhibition?
Linda by Jane French is a painting I could look at for a long time, it has enormous compassion and warmth while using paint in a confident skilful way.
Mostly Winsor & Newton and Michael Harding, depending on which shop I can get to.
Do you frame your own work?
Nowadays I make most of my own frames, up to about 30 x 40 inches. I previously used Period Frames in Surbiton, who I can strongly recommend for affordable hand-finished frames.
I'm lucky to have a studio right across the road from Pullingers Art Shop in Kingston. They've always been helpful and knowledgeable.
You, Your Work and Your Studio
What gallery did you first sell a work at?
In 1977 I had a regular pitch every Sunday on the railings of Kensington Gardens, on the Bayswater Road. I sold my first painting there for £5, and I've still got the fiver.
Where do you produce your best work?
Most of my oils are completed en plein air, and I think I paint better under the pressure of working on the spot.
Sometimes I do some "adjustments" later in the studio, usually to emphasize some darks which looked strong when they were wet, in the daylight, but sink in a bit as they dry, and under indoor light. I also make bigger studio versions of some of these.
Born into an artistic family, Lucy decided early in life to be a painter. She was elected a member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters in 2011 and serves as a council member for the society. Lucy's work focuses on intricate detail and capturing beauty, natural light and form. She aims to reflect a serene and uplifting feeling within her compositions, and really capture a moment in time.
You and the ROI
What does the Royal Institute of Oil Painters mean to you?
I first visited the Mall Galleries as a teenager and always really hoped to exhibit a painting with the ROI one day - I didn’t expect to become a member. The ROI to me represents a shared passion for painting and real friendships. I hope that artists wishing to join the ROI will feel that too.
Why should artists want to exhibit with the Royal Institute of Oil Painters?
I feel that the ROI is a very positive, friendly society that wants to see a range of art from all kinds of painters. All the members have a real enthusiasm for the medium and are very passionate about encouraging other artists.
Why should people want to buy art from the Royal Institute of Oil Painters?
Past or present, what artist from the ROI do you most admire?
June Mendoza is someone who I have admired for as long as I can remember. I love her work, her wonderful quality and amazing skill. Her portraiture always captures sitters perfectly.
What is your favourite work in this year’s exhibition?
My favourite painting in the show this year is “Late Snow, The Farm” by Michael John Ashcroft AROI. It’s very subtle, thoughtful and atmospheric. The colours are beautiful.
I use the Winsor and Newton Artists Range. The colours that I use most frequently are Titanium White, Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna, Raw Umber, French Ultramarine, Payne’s Gray, Yellow Ochre, Winsor Yellow, Winsor Violet, Winsor Orange, Cadmium Red and Sap Green.
What framer do you use and do you always use the same framer?
I use a local framer that is based near me, and I nearly always have frames that are white or off white, as they seem to distract less from the painting.
For many years I used to mainly do portraiture commissions so I think it was actually quite a long time until I starting selling work in a gallery.
Where do you produce your best work?
I do all of my work in the studio. I like to build the paintings up steadily and spend a lot of time on detail, so it’s the best place to quietly work on the paintings gradually.
Do you have any rituals or routines when preparing and starting a painting?
I always spend a lot of time sketching the initial composition, and changing things around until I’m happy enough to start in paint. I’ve noticed that if I think the painting will be quite a challenge, I’ll find myself avoiding starting the actual painting and distracting myself with all kinds of other things I think need doing!
Where is your studio and what’s it like?
My studio is very small and if I’m honest, not very tidy. It is filled with canvasses and all sorts of bits and bobs I’ve collected over the years. Certainly not one of the lovely spacious studios that I see other artists painting in!
Advice
What advice would you give a young artist starting out or wanting to join the ROI?
Go to the annual exhibition and have a really good honest look at the show. Then do what you do as well as you can and keep on submitting. We’ve all faced many rejections and it is hard, but it’s also part of the process.
What is important is that you continue to paint and keep your own uniqueness, because ultimately that is what will stand out. It is essential to love what you do.
Keep painting and if you can, talk to the members and realise that everyone shares the love of painting and understands the challenges - the ROI is a very friendly group.
What do you know now that you wish you’d known at the start of your career?
That virtually everyone has times of self-doubt and impostor syndrome even if they pretend they don’t! I thought I was the only one until I started to get to know so many artists and realised it can happen to us all.
Perhaps we do need it to an extent to assess our work truthfully, but you also need to love the process and have faith in what you are doing.
