ROI Opening

Yesterday, I spent a long, immensely enjoyable day at the Private View Day of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London town. Despite getting none of my own work in this year, not that I'm bitter and twisted in any way you understand.............it was great to see such a fine exhibition of colleagues' work, all done in the Oil medium.

Outgoing ROI President addressed the enormous audience present, presenting quite a moving speech after his illness, then the irrepressible Giles Brandreth was guest speaker who entertained all with his trademark wit and repartee and dished out the awards to the lucky few.

I hooked up with some fine painters I admire, 'talking shop' with David Pilgrim, Roy Connelly, Haidee-Jo Summers, Adebanji Alade and Ian Cryer 

 

Posing with Roy, Haidee and David

and here are a few of the paintings exhibited:

 Farmstead at Troutbeck by David Curtis

Unmistakably David's perfectly rendered painting, singing with light

 Incoming Tide, Hook Head by Haidee-Jo Summers

Great use of the blue underpainting and nice, slabby brushstrokes with crisp, white breakers

 Black Dress IV by Tina Spratt

Unusual composition and high viewpoint, but beautifully and softly painted

 Lavenham Church, late Winter light by Roy Connelly

Cold subject, but warm lighting and see the brightest light on the snow, just below the church

 Rowan feeding the red fire by Jane Hodgson

Superb composition and lively paint rendering

 Old Harry Rocks by David Pilgrim

Great use of the underpainting - just look at that shadow!

 Viewing Day by Dennis Gaskin

Superbly economical mark-making

 The Mill at Cley by Dennis Syrett

Gorgeous slabby brushtrokes

 Homelessness, Earls Court by Adebanji Alade

Great portrayal of a homeless man, so typically Adebanji's - just look at that beard

 Old man wearing a bib by Tim Benson

Click on this and just look at those huge brushmarks on this huge painting!

 Luis Morris's paintings

Beautifully painterly nude studies with really expressive brushmarks

Three of Peter Brown's sublime paintings, all painted en plein air with stunning effects