As part of this year’s ROI show, an incredible work, Triptych 'The Garrison Town (8'x10') by female, English contemporary artist Sonia Lawson, is to be exhibited and is available for sale. Created between 1981 and 1984, this stunning piece of art history provides a poignant view of garrison towns during the Second World War, as seen through the eyes of women. Of the work, Zoe Congo, Sonia Lawson’s daughter said; “The sentinel figures on each side are rendered with a muted pallet as they bear silent witness to the activity of the main panel which features a female form in white sounding a drum; a splash of golden hair masking her face, while a girl in a spotted headscarf, red blouse and blue and yellow skirt stands with her back to the onlooker. The Garrison Town is one readying for a call to arms, and women are the foundation of all: muse; nurse; lover; sweetheart; mother; comforter. The castle serves as a dark backdrop with a small flag fluttering, while a skull looms spectre-like, the leitmotif of war.” 

Garrison Town. Oil on Canvas 1981- 84   8' x10' Triptych 

This painting belongs to an autobiographical  and introspective period of Sonia Lawson’s career.  In it she examines the complex and contradictory feelings brought about in her by war.

Sonia’s childhood memories of living in Wensleydale during the second world war were mostly of intense excitement. With the then huge Catterick army camp nearby, she recalled vividly how her quiet market town was suddenly filled with bustling, urgent activity and a feeling that important things were afoot: ‘a different pace – dances, talk of war, victory/defeat and a sense of camaraderie between the grown-ups, pulling against a common enemy for a communal cause’. Allied soldiers often visited the town: ‘smart Canadians and  Americans….seeming to breeze in bringing chocolates for the children and nylons for the young women – a sense of daring, sexy, romantic and a certain heroism’.

These are the feelings that infuse the central panel of ‘Garrison Town’ with colour, life and light: a female form in white sounds a regimental drum; a splash of golden hair masking her face, while a girl in a red spotted headscarf, red blouse and blue and yellow skirt stands with her back to the onlooker, chatting to a soldier.

However, even as a child at the end of the war, Sonia was starting to become aware of the destruction brought about by armed conflict, and began keeping scrapbooks of images, cut from newspapers and magazines, that bore witness to the human misery of war. So, in the central panel the mood of youthful excitement is tempered by a sense of foreboding. The gay colours of the two young women shine out in stark contrast to the dark uniforms of the soldiers and the brooding backdrop of the fortified town gate, which give a feeling of strength and security but strike a more ominous note . The soldiers themselves, identified only by their N.C.O. stripes and shiny buttons, are virtually faceless – even the sergeant to whom the girl is chatting has what Nicholas Usherwood described as ‘a dog’s skull face’- and appear perhaps to belong more to death than to life.

The two monumental female figures that fill the flanking panels of the triptych confirm the sense of foreboding. They are rendered with a muted palette and look upon the central panel’s scene of gaiety like silent sentinels. They, along with the layering and massing of figures on a tight, frontally flattened plane in the central panel, show the influence of Max Beckmann, whose work Sonia had admired since her student days. In 1991 Sonia was to make a painting of these two figures under the title ‘Grieving Women’. The left hand figure also bears a strong resemblance to the figure of Death from Ingmar Bergman’s 1957 film The Seventh Seal, a film that Sonia described as ‘holding all the weight of passionate colour.’

Unlike in previous war and anti-war paintings, women are not portrayed as victims but as an active and integral part of the war. The Garrison Town is one readying for a call to arms, and women are the foundation of all: muse; nurse; lover; sweetheart; mother; comforter, and ultimately mourner.

With acknowledgement and thanks to Zoe Congo and Nicholas Usherwood.

Sonia Lawson RA Hon ROI RWS Hon RWA  (1934 – 2023)

The only child of highly regarded painters Fred Lawson and Muriel Metcalfe, Sonia Lawson grew up in the Yorkshire Dales, surrounded by a lively artistic circle of poets, painters and writers. She went to Doncaster School of Art and then, in 1955, the Royal College of Art. Although among young painters who were to become some of the brightest lights in 20th Century British Art, Sonia was an outstanding student at the RCA. Here she began to discover the power of abstraction which, combined with her innate ability to draw the human form, would enable her throughout her career to create paintings that could express human emotion beyond the means of conventional narrative. Here too she discovered the European films whose powerfully constructed imagery and ability to address fundamental themes of life and death were to have such a huge influence on her work.

Sonia gained a First Class Diploma at the RCA, as well as a travelling scholarship which she took in the South of France. She was also commissioned to do two large abstract murals for the V&A Museum, and in 1960 was one of four young artists selected for John Schlesinger’s BBC TV Monitor documentary “Private View”.

Throughout her career Sonia pursued a fiercely independent path, and she was never afraid to allow her art to change according to what she was feeling and thinking during a given period of her life. Over the years her art took dramatic twists and turns, from the bold semi-abstraction of the RCA years, through the dark, harrowing paintings of the 60’s and late 70’s that cried out against the cruelties and violence of the modern world, via the lyrical, scintillatingly colourful homages to her family, especially her mother, to literature, history, the landscape and people of her beloved Wensleydale, through to the paintings of runic figures cut into dense, earthy, textured paint that compressed life into timeless tablets.

Sonia’s work defied any attempts by art critics to be fitted neatly into any art movement or stylistic pigeonhole, and prompted the distinguished poet and family friend, James Kirkup, to write to her: ‘yours is the kind of painting that can only be “described” by poetry’.

In the 80’s, she overcame the successive domestic traumas of a major house fire and a flood to pursue her career with characteristic determination and energy. She was elected to the Royal Academy in 1982 (having shown regularly at the RA Summer exhibition since the late 60’s), and in 1984 was commissioned by the Imperial War Museum to be the official artist of The British Army’s Exercise Lionheart in West Germany. Sonia was elected to the Royal Institute of Oil Painters and the Royal Watercolour Society in 1985, and in 1989  was commissioned by the Archbishop of Canterbury for a painting to present to Pope John Paul II. Her work ‘St. Augustine Landing in England’ is now in the Vatican collection.   

As Nicholas Usherwood wrote in his 2015 monograph ‘Passions and Alarms’:

She once remarked of herself that ‘I am in painting like a fisherman is part of the sea’, paint being the means by which to land her ‘catch’, her imagery, which lives in the element in which it is discovered and is brought out with all the attendant physical risks that implies. It is not a way of working that endears oneself to critics or dealers who tend to want to know what to expect next, as Lawson has found out, but it does make for the most exhilarating kind of painting imaginable.

Garrison Town. Oil on Canvas 1981- 84   8' x10' Triptych 

£30,000

Contact Sales Team: 

artsales@mallgalleries.com

Tel: 020 7968 0966 

Royal Institute of Oil Painters 2023 | Award Winners

Announcing the award winners at the ROI Annual Exhibition - congratulations to all!

Frank Herring Easel Award

Peter Graham ROI, The Sound of Iona

The Tony Merrick Memorial Prize

Ulrich Suberg, Young Girl with Headphones and Red Background

The ROI Emerging Artist Prize

Kayoon Anderson, In the Bath

The ROI Themed Painting Prize

David Sawyer RBA, Borough Market

The Small Painting Prize

Nia Mackeown, Hereford Cow

Art Academy London Student Prize

Karyn Johnstone, The Show's Over

The Artist Magazine Award

Tom Stevenson ROI, Alstroemeria

The Dry Red Press Award

Lucy McKie ROI, See-saw

Art Academy London Award

Kayoon Anderson, In the Bath

The Le Clerc Fowle Medal

Andrew Farmer ROI, (Body of work)

The Menena Joy Schwabe Memorial Award

Haidee-Jo Summers VPROI RSMA, (Body of work)

The Dartington Crystal Chalice

Luis Morris ROI, (Outstanding service)

Winsor & Newton Non-Member Award

Sam Burke, Deep Dive I 

Winsor & Newton Young Artist Award: First Prize

Max White, Thaw, The Old High Street, Oxted

Winsor & Newton Young Artist Award: Second Prize

Noah Rush, Leo

Winsor & Newton Young Artist Award: Third Prize

Benjamin Wilshaw-Quinn, Self Portrait (2023)

The Phyllis Roberts Award

Luisa Beltran, Mija, what day is today?

View the Exhibition

 

Royal Institute of Oil Painters

29 November to 16 December 2023

On the occasion of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters' Annual Exhibition 2023, new President Adebanji Alade takes us around London to discover what this year's exhibition theme 'Urban Life' truly means.

BROWSE & BUY

The ROI Annual Exhibition has a well earned reputation for attracting talented young exhibitors, alongside much admired, more established member artists. The exhibition gives visitors the opportunity to see the many and varied ways in which artists use oil paint today, from a traditional approach, to more innovative uses of material, style, and content. The Royal Institute of Oil Painters was founded in 1882. Today, as then, it promotes and exhibits work of the highest standard in oil paint.

 

Royal Institute of Oil Painters

Meet the award winners at the ROI Annual Exhibition 2022 - congratulations to all!

• The Artist Magazine Award

The winning artist will be featured in a forthcoming issue of The Artist magazine, print and digital editions.

Adam Ralston AROI, You're Gonna Need a Bigger Bowl, 48 x 48 cm (62 x 62 cm framed)

"The title refers to a famous line 'You're gonna need a bigger boat' in the film Jaws. I've been painting these breakfast table series for a number of years. They're part of an ongoing series, and I just had to paint this Jaws cereal box when I saw it." - Adam Ralston

• The Dry Red Press Award

The winning work will be published as a greeting card by Dry Red Press in their 'Prize Winners' range. 

Lizzie Black, The Cream Tea, 30 x 40 cm (44 x 54 cm framed)

"Some things don't change like the Cream Tea! Quintessential Cornish afternoon treat. I love choreographing these theatrical displays of china and flowers in my garden. Developed during lockdown when I couldn't go out plein air painting, they are now part of my practice." - Lizzie Black

• Frank Herring Easel Award

An award of a versatile easel.

Andrew Hird, Morning Shadows - Juan les Pins, 30 x 20 cm (43 x 34 cm framed)

"An oil study on board of the waterfront of the Hotel Belle Rives in Juan les Pins, inpsired by the morning light and shade across the terrace and the interesting pattern of the umbrellas and their shadows." - Andrew Hird

• Winsor & Newton Young Artist Awards (for artists aged 30 or under)

First Prize: £1,000 Winsor & Newton Fine Art Materials; Second Prize: £600 Winsor & Newton Fine Art Materials; Third Prize: £400 Winsor & Newton Fine Art Materials

First Prize: Jie Zhuang, An Ordinary Day, 80 x 100 cm (90 x 110 cm framed)

"The large brushstrokes without hesitation appear on the linen, with ease and rigor. The painter especially likes to depict the eyes. The picture of speaking through the eyes is more sincere. The flowing paint also expresses a state of unfinishedness, although the image is frozen. On canvas, but with a sense of shifting between the eternal and the fleeting..." - Jie Zhuang

Second Prize: Robert Ware, Self Portrait with Pearl Earring, 30 x 27 cm (34 x 31 cm framed)

"This painting is inspired by Johannes Vermeer's "Girl with a Pearl Earring" (1665) in which the subject appears candid yet also retains her distance. If felt a congenial model for my self-portrait, intriguing, mysterious with an unplaceable intention leaving open possibilities for interpretation with no single correct answer. Emphasis on mark-making is a key component in how the painting comes together. I use impasto paint to ensure each brushstroke has body and holds particular and deliberate intention. Every stroke is connected and latticed together to create a weave that conveys the forms of the painting." - Robert Ware

Third Prize: Thomas Golunski, Amy Li, 30 x 30 cm (35 x 35 cm framed)

• Winsor & Newton Award

£150 worth of Winsor & Newton Fine Art Materials.

Anna Redwood, A Thousand Hours, 39 x 63 cm (44 x 68 cm framed)

• The Phyllis Roberts Award

An award of £2,000 for an artist aged 30 or under.

Kayoon Anderson, Self Portrait with James, 100 x 75 cm

"A painting of an everyday scene, at home with my husband. Trying to use shape and colour to construct an interior scene somewhere between realism and abstraction." - Kayoon Anderson

• The Tony Merrick Memorial Prize

An award of £250 in memory of the late Tony Merrick ROI (1948-2018).

Michelle Anderson, Hinterland, 31 x 41 cm (35 x 45 cm framed)

"A portrayal suggestive of a landscape interface between development and nature - a 'no man's land'." - Michelle Anderson

• The ROI Emerging Artist Prize

A prize of £250 and the opportunity to spend a day with one of the Institute's members, for an artist aged 30 or under at the time of submission.

Liza Sivakova, Anxiety, 25 x 15 cm (28 x 28 cm framed)

• The Small Painting Prize

An award of £250, open to members and non-members, for the best small painting on display (maximum dimension of 12 inches or 30.5 cm, excluding frame).

Sarah Manolescue, Last Night, Bramshott, 23 x 26 cm (31 x 34 cm framed)

"A frenzied paint in February in my local common at sundown. I love how freeing painting a sunset from life can be - no time to think, intuition takes over. Although simple in composition and approach, I think I captured the evening's clarity of light. Squint at the painting and you're there." - Sarah Manolescue

• The Alan Gourley Memorial Award

An annual prize of £1,000, awarded for a painting of outstanding merit.

Tom Stevenson ROI, The Long Meadow in Moonlight, 31 x 72 cm (46 x 87 cm framed)

• The Le Clerc Fowle Medal

In memory of Anne Le Clerc Fowle, presented annually for an outstanding group of paintings.

John Walsom ROI RSMA for his body of work.

Pictured: Lambretta Nights, 76 x 61 cm (87 x 72 cm framed)

• The Menena Joy Schwabe Memorial Award

An award of £250 for an outstanding oil painter.

Benjamin Hope NEAC PS ROI RP RSMA for his body of work.

Pictured: Super 8, 36 x 36 cm (46 x 46 cm framed)

• The Dartington Crystal Chalice

Linda Alexander ROI for her body of work.

Pictured: Copper Pot and Greengages, 25 x 33 cm (40 x 48 cm framed)

"My paintings reflect my personality. I have always been a daydreamer, distracted by the beauty in small things, the curves on a silver jug, textures, flowers, reflections, shadows etc. I can get lost in the contemplation of them. Painting these subjects is irresistible to me. I want the viewer to see what I have noticed and enjoy them too." - Linda Alexander ROI

• The ROI Themed Painting Prize

£500 for the standout painting on the theme of 'Changing Times'.

Kayla Martell, Roe, 20 x 25 cm (25 x 30 cm framed)

"One of the most significant current events is the repeal of Roe in the US. This was my interpretation of that. The book is the recognizable Handmaid's tale. The door is opened slightly, as if someone were spying on this scene. The cloth draped in the bathtub, the colour red (blood). A skull in the mirror - the impact of repealing Roe upon women. The wine balancing on top of the toilet paper is to bring discomfort to the viewer." - Kayla Martell

View the exhibition

 

Benjamin Hope is a member of a number of the societies within the Federation of British Artists, including the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, whose Annual Exhibition 2022 is now available to view online, and will open at Mall Galleries on Thursday 24 November. 

The ROI exhibition highlights a number of contemporary oil painters including exciting young painters who are exhibiting alongside established names who are experts in their field. 

We spoke to Benjamin Hope about his background, work and inspirations.

Old Paint Tubes, Benjamin Hope NEAC PS RSMA ROI RP, 25 x 36 cm (35 x 46 cm framed), £1,400.

Q&A with Benjamin Hope:

• You have a scientific background having studied maths, physics and a PhD in Theoretical Nanoscience - do you think this changes the way you observe the world around you and has it had any impact on the way you paint?

It certainly frames the way I view everything but it’s difficult to have a firm view on how it affects my painting as I can’t compare with what it would be like to have an alternative history. I would say, though, that I think artistic and scientific pursuits are much closer in practice than conventional wisdom would suggest. At a fundamental level both are about making conjectures and doing experiments—figuring stuff out, trying things, trial and error etc. The idea that one is creative and the other analytic is a myth and a false dichotomy. Both are very much both.

• What are your main sources of inspiration and are there any particular painters or paintings that are you are especially drawn to?

I think I have been more influenced and inspired by contemporary painters than historical ones (although no doubt there is plenty of indirect influence from the latter). As a child I used to visit festivals like Art in Action and watch artists such as Tom Coates at work. That certainly had a big impact and helped me see past the kind of hyper-realism I was also drawn to when I was young. I was also inspired by movie visual effects artists and production designers.

In recent years, I've tended to become very interested in one or two painters at a time and absorb something of what they do before coming across someone new. Key names for me would be Ann Gale, Pete Brown, Andrew Gifford, Peter Clossick. They are very different painters but then I don’t ever intend to stick to a fixed style or process.

• You are a member of a number of societies within the Federation of British Artists, including the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, what are the benefits of your memberships within the FBA and are you able to speak of the community this creates?

One obvious benefit is guaranteed showing of my work in multiple shows a year (no more nervous waiting for the results of selection!). But really the main thing is, as you say, the community it creates. Painting can be a lonely business and I think not interacting with other people every day can actually result in a kind of cognitive impairment so being part of FBA societies is a way out of that problem. And who better to become friends with than a diverse range of talented artists? Three of the painters named in my previous answer are members of FBA societies!

Self Portrait, Benjamin Hope NEAC PS RSMA ROI RP, 31 x 30 cm (41 x 40 cm framed), £1,400.

• How often do you create self portraits and is there anything in particular you are trying to investigate or capture through depictions of yourself?

Self portraits are a subject I tend to return to between projects or if there’s a spare day when I can’t work on anything else. They are a really good way of practicing painting the head and you have the freedom of being able to boss yourself around in ways you might not have the confidence for with another sitter.

I don’t really try to capture anything specific in them—they’re more about experimenting with marks, lighting and so on. However I think I do end up getting to something like a truth—I mean I usually look cross or miserable!

• Your work tends to have relatively neutral tones, how do you decide on your choices of colour and what is your process behind building up colour and creating tones?

I really don’t have a fixed process or palette. I just mess around and experiment until I get what I want, or like what I get. Were I ever to do any proper teaching, this would be the main thing I would encourage. That said, I do always start with a coloured ground—I’m pretty sure that’s a technique that will never change. I don’t work on white as it’s at the extreme end of a the tonal range whereas painting (for me) is more about playing against somewhere in the middle.

Mum Painting Me, Benjamin Hope NEAC PS RSMA ROI RP, 41 x 31 cm (51 x 41 cm framed), £1,700.

• ‘Mum Painting Me’ is a beautiful piece capturing a wonderful sense of reflection. Are you able to discuss the story behind this painting and share anything about the relationship you have with your mother and what this was like to capture in a painting?

I would never have become a painter were it not for my Mum because she’s a painter too and got me started when I was very young. On this occasion we had a day working together in my studio which included the exercise of painting each other and this was my effort. It was at the end of the day when the light was fading and I couldn’t see much by the end of it!

I wanted to include this piece partly because my Mum has exhibited at Mall Galleries several times—it means a lot to her—but she’s been very ill over the last year and hasn’t been able to paint. Thankfully she’s been able to dust off her brushes again in the last few weeks.

 

We hope you enjoyed learning more about Benjamin’s creative processes! Including Benjamin’s work there are over 300 paintings for sale within the Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition which are already available to browse and buy online. If you are able to visit us in person, the exhibition opens Thursday 24 November and runs until Saturday 10 December.

View the ROI 2022 Online

This year’s Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition is now available to view online, and opens in the gallery Thursday 24 November and is on until Saturday 10 December.

The exhibition showcases the work of many of the UK’s established oil painters, alongside new and emerging talent, showcasing oil painting as a fundamental medium within the broader art world. 

We spoke to Linda Alexander, an established member of the ROI, about her paintings, processes and love of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition. We hope you enjoy learning more about her work and are able to visit us at the gallery to appreciate her impressive talent in person.

Q&A with Linda:

• Your paintings capture a sense of stillness and serenity within our busy lives, allowing viewers to slow down and take in the beauty of the natural world - are you able to comment on this further and describe why you are drawn to still life painting and botanicals?

I think you describe it perfectly. My paintings reflect my personality. I have always been a daydreamer, distracted by the beauty in small things, the curves on a silver jug, textures, flowers, reflections, shadows etc. I can get lost in the contemplation of them. Painting these subjects is irresistible to me. I want the viewer to see what I have noticed and enjoy them too. As you say, in our busy world it is so easy to miss the beauty in small things.

As for botanicals, in my early career I painted large flower compositions, attracted to the way that sunlight illuminated their fascinating structures. It was probably this interest in light and natural structures that initially led me to becoming an architect. But as my work has developed I started to enjoy the quieter, smaller still life compositions but still with the same eye for light and shape.

Yellow Rose, Linda Alexander ROI, 27 x 27 cm (42 x 42 cm framed), £1,795.

• What are your favourite materials to work with and who are your biggest artistic inspirations?

I only work in oil paint, using the best quality paints that I can afford. I love their slow drying qualities which allow me to manipulate the paint for the whole day. It also dries to nearly the same colour and tone as when wet which is essential for my delicate work.

I paint on very fine primed Italian linen which I stretch myself. I have tried to paint on numerous surfaces over the years but this is perfect for me, it is soft with some ‘give’ which is lovely to work on. I use refined poppyseed oil and Da Vinci black sable flat brushes.

I am hugely inspired by the impressionists especially Sorolla. Also Vermeer and more recently Barbara Richardson, and contemporary artists such as Gianluca Corona, Dana Zaltzman and Julian Merrow Smith.

• Sunlight is a vital element within your work but can be incredibly unpredictable and constantly moving so how do you go about capturing this? Do you always work from life and do you have ways to artificially recreate sunlight?

This has always been a tricky one for me. Whilst I absolutely love painting from life, I can only do this when I decide that the light will be from an even flat north light. But I rarely do this. Sunlight gives a beautiful radiance and joyful energy to a painting and as I said before, it fascinates me. Natural sunlight on a cloudless day is extraordinary! The shadows produced pull in colour and light from everything around them, the colours sing and beautiful areas of reflected light appear in unexpected places.

These moments are so fleeting and so I capture them by camera with no choice but to work from reference photos as I have tried reproducing sunlight artificially with no success.

Copper Pot and Greengages, Linda Alexander ROI, 25 x 33 cm (40 x 48 cm framed) £1,950.

• What is your artistic process when you create a painting and how do you manage to capture colours, textures and shapes so accurately?

 I spend quite a long time drawing the subject out onto the white ground. Then using slightly thinned oil paints, I paint everything - highlights, darks and mid tones, all in one layer. I will then paint subsequent layers, usually two to four, balancing and adjusting the various tonal elements against one another. It’s not a traditional way of oil painting but it works for me!

As for capturing colours, textures and shapes accurately, there is no secret to it, it just takes very careful observation and skills in colour mixing and application developed over many years.

• Are there any stories behind any of the ceramics, jugs or bowls that feature in the paintings you will be displaying within the ROI exhibition?

I am forever foraging in bric a brac markets and antique shops when I go away. I have a very patient husband! I bought each item in the four paintings I'm showcasing in this year's exhibition this way. The blue/green ceramic bowl (pictured below) was an expensive purchase from an antique shop in South Africa. I had to have it because of the gorgeous deep and complex glaze. The other items have qualities I always search for as I often seek a reflective copper, silver or brass surface. Ceramic glazes work well too. It is such a joy to paint the reflections of the rest of the still life and shadows in these surfaces. Sometimes the reflections are so subtle that I wonder if people notice them. There’s a lovely one of the pear in the ceramic bowl.

The objects may be transparent, like the faceted glass vase with the yellow rose, creating wonderful distortions (pictured above). Or they can have a lovely surface texture like the little pot with the pear which has a rough stoneware surface below and a shiny glaze above. The fruits I choose often have great surface textures too, like the little greengages and pears.

The relationship between the still life subjects is also important to me. The colours and shapes have to be harmonious. Often in my paintings the curves of a jug and handle are reflected in the curves of the fruit and the negative spaces between. I spend a lot of time considering these relationships.

Pear and Ceramic Bowl, Linda Alexander ROI, 24 x 29 cm (39 x 44 cm framed), £1,950.

• What is your favourite thing about the ROI annual exhibition and is there anyone’s work in particular that you are looking forward to seeing within this years’ exhibition?

This is by far my favourite time of the year as I love everything about the exhibition! The ROI is made up of the friendliest group of artists you could ever hope to meet and there is wonderful camaraderie. From the huge honour of being on the selection panel and seeing the amazing artistic talent, to the hanging of the show, it’s hard work but the build up is exciting and enormous fun! But my favourite part has to be the Private View when I can stand back and look with pride at the show I’ve helped put together. Here I also get to meet the non-members who have successfully had their work hung. They are often, understandably, really excited and keen to talk about their work. I love those conversations.

I am particularly looking forward this year to seeing the work of other still life artists like Lucy McKie, Sarah Spackman, Lotta Teale and Tim Gustard.

 

We hope this was an exciting insight into Linda’s creative processes and inspirations. Make sure you take a look at the Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition online now!

View the ROI 2022 Online

ROI Annual Exhibition 2021 | Q&A with the Prize-Winners

The Royal Institute of Oil Painters and Mall Galleries would like to congratulate all prizewinners and give a special thank you to all our prize-givers. 

 

Watch our Q&A with the Prize-Winners!

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View the ROI Exhibition 2021

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The Royal Institute of Oil Painters and Mall Galleries would like to congratulate all prizewinners and give a special thank you to all our prize-givers. 

 

We do hope you are able to visit the exhibition to experience the prize winning works in person, but if not, the exhibition is also available to browse with works available to purchase online.

View the ROI Exhibition

The Art Academy Portrait Prize

Belinda Wrigley

Scarlet Clouds

The opportunity for a student at The Art Academy to have their work included in the ROI Annual Exhibition.

The Artist Magazine Award

Rob Pointon ROI

Piccadilly Flow

The winner will be interviewed in The Artist magazine, print and digital editions

 

 

The Le Clerc Fowle Medal

Stewart Beckett

For an outstanding group of works.  ‘Mirror Mirror’, ‘Red Bag’ and ‘The Edge of The Fall’.

In memory of Anne Le Clerc Fowle, presented annually for an outstanding group of paintings.

 

 

The Dartington Crystal Chalice

Adebanji Alade VPROI

In recognition of outstanding service. Introduced in 1995, the Dartington Crystal Chalice is presented annually to a member in recognition of outstanding service and contribution.

 

 

The Dry Red Press Award

Michael Alford

Eastbound, Piccadilly

To be published as a greeting card by Dry Red Press in their 'Prize Winners' range.

 

 

The Alan Gourley Memorial Award

Amanda Coleman AROI

Dad

An annual prize of £1,000, awarded for a painting of outstanding merit.

 

 

Frank Herring Easel Award

Adam Ralston

Awarded for all his works ‘Blackpool Bathers’, ‘North Pier Light’ and ‘Studio Table’.

An award of a versatile easel.

 

 

The Tony Merrick Memorial Prize

Sarah Freeman

Awarded for all her works ‘Clogs’, ‘Green Crocs’ and ‘Plate of Tunnocks’

An award of £250 in memory of the late Tony Merrick ROI (1948-2018).

 

 

Menena Joy Schwabe Memorial Award

Luis Morris ROI

Awarded for all his works ‘Ada Turning Away’, ‘Ada With Arms Outstretched’, ‘Ava’ and ‘Cristina’

An award of £250 for an outstanding oil painter.

 

 

The Small Painting Prize

Tom Marsh ARSMA

Evening Light, Fields, Battle, E. Sussex

An award of £250, open to members and non-members, for the best small painting on display (maximum dimension of 12 inches / 30.5 cm, excluding frame)

 

 

Winsor & Newton Non-member Award

Paul Heredia

Mirror Test 15.6.21

Non-member Award - £150 worth of Winsor & Newton Fine Art Materials

 

 

Winsor & Newton Young Artist Award: Third Prize and The ROI Emerging Artist Prize

Max White

‘Tenby's North Beach, August Morning’ (Winsor & Newton Award) and ‘Evening Sun after Storm, Regent Street to Piccadilly’

Winsor & Newton Third Prize: £400 Winsor & Newton Fine Art Materials for artists aged 30 or under and the ROI Emerging Artist Prize: A prize of £250 and the opportunity to spend a day with one of the Institute's members, for an artist aged 30 or under at the time of submission.

 

 

Winsor & Newton Young Artist Award: Second Prize

Ruth Fitton

Grace, at Dusk

For artists aged 30 or under - Second Prize: £600 Winsor & Newton Fine Art Materials.

 

 

Winsor & Newton Young Artist Award: First Prize

Hanie Soltani

Still Life in Time

For artists aged 30 or under - First Prize: £1,000 Winsor & Newton Fine Art Materials

 

 

The Phyllis Roberts Award

Jie Zhuang

One Day in the 1980s

An award of £2,000 for an artist aged 30 or under

 

The Royal Institute of Oil Painters are currently seeking work for their 2021 Annual Exhibition, and artists are invited to submit work to exhibit alongside members of the society. 

The ROI are calling for oil paintings of all subjects and in any style, and there are a number of prizes and awards available to be won. We would really love to encourage you to submit your work, especially if you are an emerging artist, even if you haven’t exhibited your work within a prestigious gallery before. The Annual Exhibitions attract an array of contemporary artists, art collectors and enthusiasts, so it is a wonderful opportunity to get your work seen and to raise your profile!

Hannah Martin spoke to some of the previous prize winners from the Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition 2020, about their experience of submitting work alongside members, and how the exhibition benefited them.

Owain Hunt - Emerging Artist Prize Winner 2020

Owain Hunt Lockdown Man 

I asked Owain what he would say to encourage someone who is unsure about submitting their work and he said:

"Entering a society exhibition is a great way to gain exposure early on in your career. Alongside the obvious benefits of showing your work in central London, the whole process, from submitting your work, to attending the Private View is a great way to immerse yourself in the ongoings of the respective FBA societies and the Gallery itself."

Owain told me that a lot of exposure came from winning the Emerging Artist Prize and he received several sales enquiries and has gained a lot of clients via the gallery. 

Michelle Anderson - Tony Merrick Memorial Prize

Michelle Anderson Fieldspan

Michelle said it was a thrill to get accepted initially, and then to win a prize was totally unexpected and a wonderful surprise. She said having her painting in the exhibition meant she gained exposure and a wider appreciation of her work. She would encourage any talented painters to apply saying "Have a go, you never know!"

Ruth Fitton - Winsor & Newton Young Artist Winner 2020 (and Emerging Artist 2019)

Ruth Fitton Self Portrait in Miniature

I asked Ruth what she thought about submitting to the exhibition and she explained: "It's really important to just go for it. Don't second-guess yourself or worry about your work fitting in - it's so important to be you, and submit the pieces which speak most to you personally. I would also add that the ROI is a very friendly society - this is a group of people who just love to paint. If you love to paint, then this is the competition for you!"

Ruth was the Emerging Artist prize winner in 2019 which she said gave her a huge confidence boost and changed her whole perception of herself as a painter. She then won the Winsor & Newton Young Artist Award in 2020, and purchased £1000 worth of paint with her prize money, she said "it’s wonderful to suddenly have the freedom to use enormous amounts of paint!"

Ruth went on to say: "showing work and winning awards with the ROI has dramatically increased my confidence in myself as an artist, empowering me to try new things and inspiring me to keep going."

Daniel Roy Sharples - Dry Red Press Award Winner 2020

Daniel Roy Sharples Bridesmaid

Daniel won the Dry Red Press Award last year, meaning his painting was published as a greeting card by Dry Red Press and is available to buy on their website. Daniel said: "they were very friendly when liaising with me about the design and printing process. I receive a royalty fee every year from Dry Red Press and received 24 complimentary greeting cards that I could use to send to clients and promote myself."

Immediately after winning the award, his painting Bridesmaid was also sold which he said was a nice bonus! Exhibiting and winning the award gave Daniel positive publicity and he was able to promote himself successfully across social media and it also gave him the confidence boost he needed to keep producing work he enjoys. The experience inspired Daniel to keep on pursuing his career as an emerging artist.

I also asked Daniel what he would say to encourage someone who is unsure about submitting their work and he responded: "I would say that it’s definitely worth the effort. Knowing that your work might be selected and exhibited in a prestigious exhibition like the ROI makes you up your game. You want to enter your best work. Even if your work isn’t selected, you will have at least pushed yourself to make more artwork and develop your skills and experience as an artist."

We hope that reading these encouraging statements from previous prize winners inspires you to submit your own work for the ROI Annual Exhibition 2021. Take a look at all the guidelines and information.

Enter your work now

The deadline to submit your work is Friday 10 September, 12 noon. We can’t wait to see what you create!

Article and interviews by Hannah Martin

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!

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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. 

Adebanji Alade VPROI Grey, Rainy, Gloomy Day, London

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You and the ROI

Why did you want to join the Royal Institute of Oil Painters?

I wanted to join the ROI because I love the oil medium and I wanted to belong to a society that parades the best artists in the medium.

Why should artists want to exhibit with the Royal Institute of Oil Painters?

It is a great opportunity to get your work recognised and seen alongside some of the best painters in the oil medium today.

Why should people want to buy art from the Royal Institute of Oil Painters?

People should buy art from the ROI because you know for sure you are getting work from some of the best painters in the oil medium today. 

Trevor Chamberlain ROI RSMA Winter, Oak Trees in the Snow

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!

David Curtis ROI RSMA Diffused Light, Jermyn Street

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Your Materials

What paints make up your palette? 

• Winsor & Newton
• Michael Harding

I couldn’t do it without them!

What framer do you use and do you always use the same framer? 

Two framers, Joe Alexander & Bijan!

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.

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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. 

Adebanji Alade VPROI Too Early....?

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!

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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!

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'Reflections from the Artist' is an ongoing series of reflection, advice from and insight into the practice of artists who exhibit at Mall Galleries. 

Discover the full series here.

Next Up... Derek Daniells AROI

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