Royal Institute of Oil Painters | Events Programme 2025
- - Times vary | Mall Galleries
Free with gallery admission, no booking required (unless stated otherwise)
EVENTS PROGRAMME
The Royal Institute of Oil Painters presents a series of special events to accompany the ROI Annual Exhibition 2025:
Painting Demonstration by Sarah Spackman
Thursday 27 November, 10am to 12 noon
Sarah Spackman will paint live in the gallery.
'I am often inspired by the specific beauty of an organic form, be it a nasturtium picked from the allotment or a particularly handsome fig at the market' - Sarah Spackman
Book Launch with Naomi Alexander
Thursday 27 November, 3pm to 5pm
Join Naomi Alexander for the launch of her illustrated memoir, A Chicken Full of Jewels: Domesticity in Turmoil.
The book, written and illustrated by the artist, is a cautionary tale of domestic violence, detailing her abusive marriage alongside impactful, yet light hearted, imagery. Designed to raise awareness of the signs of such relationships whilst educating readers on coping mechanisms, the book is as emotional as it is important.
About the book
A Chicken Full of Jewels tells the true story of Naomi Alexander’s abusive relationship with her late husband. Illustrated by a sequence of over 160 iPad drawings, it is accompanied by Naomi’s emotionally charged text, filled with raw honesty and evocative humour. It highlights the characteristic signs of abuse, as well as the powerful techniques which eventually saved her.
The book’s artwork is already well regarded, with the closing image being exhibited in the Royal Academy of Art’s Summer Exhibition.
About the author
Naomi Alexander is an internationally renowned artist, who has an astonishing ability to imbue her work with both delicacy and emotionally charged humour.
Naomi has been a member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters since 1984 and sat as its Publicity Officer for a decade. Her work has been exhibited internationally and has been selected for the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, London regularly since 1985.
Her paintings are held in numerous notable collections including the Victoria and Albert Museum collection, London; New Hall, University of Cambridge; Europas Parkas, Lithuania; Baker Tilly, London; and the collection of the Sultan of Oman.
She has published two books, Once Upon A Time in Lithuania (2006) and Domesticity (2015). A Chicken Full of Jewels is her first visual narrative.
Guided Tour by Peter Graham
Friday 28 November, 12 noon to 1pm
Peter Graham will lead a guided tour of the ROI Annual Exhibition, taking a closer look at some of the finest oil paintings produced in the UK and around the world.
Covering style of approach, variety of subject, and new and emerging artists, the tour will highlight award winning paintings and spotlight the very best of the small paintings wall.
This tour is a chance to learn a little more about the painters behind the canvas.
Portfolio Reviews with Natalia Avdeeva
Tuesday 2 December, 11am to 1pm
Natalia Avdeeva will be offering one-to-one portfolio reviews and professional artistic advice.
Format
• Individual sessions of approximately 10–15 minutes each
• Opportunity to ask questions about practice, technique, and artistic direction
What to bring
• A minimum of three original oil paintings (recommended, if possible)
• Drawings and sketchbooks to show process
• If originals cannot be brought: a digital portfolio on tablet, laptop, or phone (Instagram account or website also acceptable)
What to expect
• Constructive feedback on technique, composition, and presentation
• Advice on developing a coherent body of work
• Guidance on future artistic opportunities
How to attend
• Open to painters of all levels
• Spaces are limited — advance sign-up is recommended by emailing exhibitions@mallgalleries.com
“Being an artist is a path of honour. If it lives within you, your gift will find you sooner or later. Follow it with courage and discipline — accept it, perhaps with a touch of humour. Don’t become fanatical about it, and remember: it is never too late.”
Natalia Avdeeva is an artist, curator, and mentor whose practice bridges creation and education. A Winsor & Newton Award Winner, and a full member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters since 2013, she currently serves as Education Officer, leading the Institute’s outreach and learning programmes.
Having previously run an art gallery and framing business and curated exhibitions, she brings a broad understanding of how art lives — from the studio wall to the public space. Her teaching and mentoring are recognised for their unconventional yet deeply structured methods, designed to help artists develop clarity, confidence, and professional direction.
Painting Demonstration by Roger Dellar
Tuesday 2 December, 2:30pm to 4:30pm
Roger Dellar will paint live in the gallery.
Roger's enjoyment of painting is the process rather than the end result. It is about finding the subject and letting it emerge. He enjoys the surface created, the brushwork and the differences between lean and fat paint.
ROI Art Event Evening
Tuesday 2 December, 6pm to 8:30pm
Paint alongside ROI members ‘after hours’ with portrait models, wine, and mince pies. The Art Event Evening Award, a prize of £150 worth of Winsor & Newton art materials, will be presented to the (non-member) artist that produces the best painting on the night.
Participants should bring their own sketchbooks and art materials. Easels and boards will be provided on a first come, first served basis, therefore artists are encouraged to bring small, portable easels if possible.
What to expect
5.30pm: Doors open
6pm: Artists commence painting from a choice of three clothed portrait models
7pm: A short break, including a glass of wine and mince pie
7.15pm: Painting resumes
8.15pm: Judging commences, after which the winning artist will be declared
Tickets £12, or spectate for £10. 10% off for Friends of the ROI and Mall Galleries.
Painting Demonstration by Tom Marsh
Wednesday 3 December, 11am to 1pm
Tom Marsh will paint live in the gallery.
The beautiful sense of light and shadow that was so much part of Tom’s early life in New Zealand has informed his painting subjects ever since. Now living in Battle, Tom uses his keen sense of light to render his local landscape which includes the countryside, coast, marine subjects, and London.
Painting Demonstration by Karl Terry
Wednesday 3 December, 2pm to 4pm
Karl Terry will paint live in the gallery.
'I live on the Isle of Oxney in Kent and paint outside in all weathers. My work is an immediate response to what I see and feel when immersed in the everchanging landscape. This process has opened my eyes to the beauty that can be found everywhere, even in the mundane' - Karl Terry
Painting Demonstration by Max White
Thursday 4 December, 11am to 4pm
Max White will paint live in the gallery.
'I paint scenes and moments which move me, and I paint the visual impression in these moments as that, for me, is the aspect of reality that I believe generates the feeling behind a scene worth painting' - Max White
ROI Paint Live 2025
Saturday 6 December, 10am to 5pm
Take part in the ROI’s annual Paint Live competition, a friendly and engaging event where you will have the day to create a painting within a half mile of Mall Galleries.
This area includes some of London’s most iconic places: Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery, Leicester Square, St James’s Park and Piccadilly Circus, as well as many smaller streets, squares, parks, and views of the Thames.
The prizes
• First Prize: £250 Cass Art Gift Card for the winner
• Two runner-up prizes of £50 Cass Art Gift Cards
The judges
• Adebanji Alade, President of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters
• Natalia Avdeeva, Member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters
• Ian Cryer, Fellow of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters
The rules
• Meet at Mall Galleries for 10am to register your arrival
• You will be provided with a 10x14" canvas board, courtesy of Winsor & Newton
• You may bring a 10x14" support of your own choosing if you wish but it will need to be marked so as to confirm that the work is produced during the competition period
• You may wish to bring acrylic colours for toning your ground ahead of starting work
• Your subject must be within a half mile radius of Mall Galleries
• The competition is for work produced during the competition period and although we expect many to work on location this is not a rule and references may be used
• A lunch break may be taken between 12:30pm and 1:30pm in the gallery’s café or elsewhere if you choose to bring your own packed lunch
• You are welcome to speak to the judges and ask their advice during the break
• Working resumes at 1:30pm and the work must be completed by 4pm
• Judging commences at approximately 4:20pm with prizes presented on completion before 5pm
Tickets £18, £13 for Friends of the ROI and Mall Galleries.
Painting Demonstration by Rob Pointon
Monday 8 December, 11am to 4pm
Rob Pointon will paint live in the gallery, focusing on wide angle perspective games.
Rob paints primarily en plein air and has a particular interest in the use of wider angle perspectives and the depiction of movement within his paintings.
Portrait Demonstration by Stewart Beckett
Wednesday 10 December, 2pm to 4pm
Stewart Beckett will paint a portrait in the gallery.
Stewart's work is an invitation to contemplate, appreciate, and participate in the continuity of artistic heritage.
Landscape Demonstration by Lucy Marks
Friday 12 December, 2pm to 4pm
Lucy Marks will demonstrate painting ‘loose landscapes’ working from sketches and photos, live in the gallery.
As an observational landscape painter, Lucy works en plein air in both oil and watercolour working directly from the subject, out in all weathers and seasons. Observation is key and her compositions are drawn from real places. Lucy works alla prima responding directly to the scene to gain a freshness in her work. In the studio, she uses her en plein air works and field sketches to scale up her paintings to much larger work.
Paint Live Sponsors
