Last Few Tickets Left For Masterclass Event

Tickets are selling out fast for our Masterclass event to be held at the Picturecraft Gallery in Holt, North Norfolk on Sunday March 20th.  Three popular ROI  members will be demonstrating on the day - David Curtis, Peter Wileman and Brian Ryder. There are just 20 tickets left. Tickets cost £59.50 and  include lunch (£50 to Friends of the ROI) . The next door art materials shop is being opened up just  for those  attending and will be offering a special discount on the day. Adrian Hill who runs the newly refurbished gallery has also obtained discounts  for local accomodation. Details and tickets available from him on  01263 711040.

This is a wonderful opportunity not just to see these artists in action but to talk to them while they paint.

This is what the timetable for the day looks like at the moment::

• 09.00 Coffee on arrival and chance to shop for materials
• 09.45 Demonstration by ROI President Peter Wileman
• 11.45 Coffee
• 12.00 Demonstration by Brian Ryder AROI
• 13.15 Lunch and art materials shop open
• 14.30 Demonstration by David Curtis ROI, RSMA
• 16.30 Last chnace to chop for materials and depart

If you want any more details email me on royaloil@btinternet.com

David Curtis demonstrating at last year's masterclass event

Pure Gold Gets Royal Approval

The Mall Galleries current exhibition to mark the 50th anniversary  of the  Federation of British Artists welcomed a royal visitor yesterday  in the person of  HRH Princess Alexandra. The FBA is made of up nine art societies,  including the ROI,  and the current Pure Gold exhibition celebrates the work of the societies and their members. In this picture Princess Alexandra is talking to ROI President Peter Wileman about his work at a tea party to mark the celebrations..

And here's Peter with ROI stalwarts Dennis Syrett and Trevor Chamberlain - The Three Amigos

The Pure Gold  ehibition runs until Feb 19.

Pure Gold Exhibition At The Mall Galleries

The ROI is one of nine bodies that form the Federation of British artists based at London's Mall Galleries and to mark the 50th anniversary of the FBA the gallery is staging it's Pure Gold exhibition which runs from 9 - 19 of Feb. It features work from past and present members of the societies that form the FBA including previously unseen works by artists such as John Singer Sargent, Walter Sickert and William Orpen, on loan from major public and private collections, including the Tate. We will also be showcasing outstanding works by the FBA’s most eminent contemporary Member artists.  Further details from The Mall Galeries
Here's a painting by current ROI member Lucy McKie which was amongst those sold on private view night on Tuesday. Still Life With Winter Light.

And another sale on the night from ROI President Peter Wileman - Winter Sunset On The Tove

Come and Watch The Masters at Work

Our next ROI Masterclass is to be held on Sunday March 20 and promises to be our best ever. The location is the splendid Picturecraft Gallery in Holt in Norfolk which is being specially opened for the day for us. There will be three members demonstrating on the day. You can get as close as you lilke to the painting action and ask as many questions about technique and materials as you wish.
We are delighted to have David Curtis ROI, RSMA back  for his second ROI Masterclass. David does very little teaching these days so this is a rare opportunity to watch him in action.

Along with David we also have ROI President Peter Wileman PROI, ARSMA, FRSA

And the ever popular Brian Ryder AROI

Tickets are selling fast so if you want to come along I would advise that you dont delay in  booking. Tickets are £59.50 each (£50 for Friends of the ROI) and include lunch at the gallery.

Adrian Hill who runs the Picturecraft Gallery has organised a discount  for local accomodation for those who plan to make a weekend if it. Remember,  Holt, a beauttiful Georgian market town, is just 4 miles from the picturesque port of Blakeney on the  North Norfolk coast. Adrian is also arranging for his family's next door art matertials shop to be opened up especially for those attending  with discounts for all present. If you want more details please email me at royaloil@btinternet.com

You can obtain your tickets direct from Picturecraft Gallery  01263 711040, e-mail at info@picturecraftgallery.com

All three artists will have copies of their books and DVDs available for sale.

Brian Ryder Elected Associate Member Of The ROI

Norfolk based landscape painter Brian Ryder has been elected to Associate Membership of the ROI after a year as Provisional Member.

Brian turned professional in 1993 to pursue a life in painting and teaching, following a long career in Architecture. The demands for his teaching skills grew and he has been teaching for 35 years, and running courses in Britain, together with painting holidays in many parts of Europe. Italy is his preference. In 2011 he will be returning to his favourite haunt in Venice.

Brian paints in most media, but all nearly always landscape based, sometimes abstracts but more impressionist and atmospheric oils being his choice approach, media and style of work, but often using pen and wash on location.

He has exhibited in many galleries in East Anglia, the Cotswolds and London where he held a one- man show of abstract landscapes in 2002. All four of his submitted oils were accepted  from 2008 to 2010 for the R.O.I. exhibition at The Mall Gallery and he was then offered Provisional membership of the R.O.I. for 2010.

Brian has written a numberof books on paiting and featured in several teaching DVDs.

Brian's greatest love is his oil painting and is over the moon with his achievement with the R.O.I. and feels this association with them is the greatest achievement  he has had since his first “real” oil painting some 45 years ago. Originally from North London Brian now lives in Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk. Here are some examples of his recent work.

Find our more about Brian on his web site: http://www.brianryder.org/

Tim Benson Elected Associate Member Of The ROI

Award winning London based artist Tim Benson has been elected to Associate Member of the ROI along with Chris Bennett and Brian Ryder.

Timothy Benson was born in London, July 1978.
 

1996 - 1997 Art Foundation, Middlesex University.

1998 - 1999 1st year BA(hons), Fine Art, Glasgow School of Art.

1999 - 2001 2nd and 3rd years BA(hons), Fine Art, Byam Shaw School of Art. 

2006 - 'Open Studio' tutor, Heatherley's School of Art, Chelsea

Over the last couple of years Tim's attention has fallen on the flatlands of East Anglia,
in particular Norfolk and Suffolk. Of this area, Tim states "It is no coincidence that this is where both Constable and Seago made some of their most powerful works, as the combination of impossibly vast skies and abrupt verticals in a sometimes overwhelmingly horizontal landscape creates views that have a stark beauty found nowhere else".

Whether it be a landscape or a portrait the same fundamentals apply. 

Light, dark andcolour in the right places will create a painting. These variables are all within the artist’s control. The vision to elevate the image to something extraordinary is altogether more fleeting, something intangible that from one painting to the next is the source of elation but more commonly frustration.

Here's some examples of his recent work.

Here's a brief video about Tim's painting technique

You can find more information about Tim Benson on his web site : http://www.timbenson.net/

More information on Chris Bennett and Brian Ryder to follow.

Lucy McKie Elected Full Member of the ROI

Portrait and still lufe painter Lucy McKie has been elected to full membership of the ROI from Associate Membership. She is one of three new members along with Bill Dean and Nicholas Verrall.

Born in 1974, Lucy McKie has painted since childhood and has always had a real love of portraiture. Although Lucy specialises in portraits, she also paints still life, and enjoys painting both subjects for their very different challenges. Most of her time is spent on commissioned portraits which provide a really exciting and interesting variety of sitters. She has won awards including The Barbara Tate Oil Award, The Daler and Rowney People's Choice Award, C.Roberson Award (2006 & 2007), a Stanley Grimm Award, The L.Cornelissen Award, and the second place Winsor and Newton Young Artists Award.  Here are some examples of Lucy's work.

Congratulations to Lucy and more news on the other new members and associate members in the next few days.