Some artists that caught my attention at the Bath Prize 2010

Judges (Artists) with Winning piece.


The Bath Prize is running for the second year and it was great to see an exhibition that featured wonderful works of art to celebrate Bath, a world heritage City. This year I didn't take part but I was part of the judging panel which consisted of Bath gallery owner and artist Nick Cudworth, who was the chair, The Bath Chronicle Editor, Sam Holliday, The director of The Holbourne Museum, Dr Alexander Sturgis and The Inspirational Bath Artist, Irene Marsh. The winners can be seen on the Bath Prize Website. The exhibition is still on at Bath, it runs till the 9th of October at the Octagon, Milsom Street.

This post is just a short review of some works that I really loved. Sometimes you leave the exhibition hall and just need to go back again and again to study, and just stand in awe at the wonderful pieces on display. This is exactly what happened to me. I looked through the whole exhibition again, for about three hours on the opening Saturday but, still had to go back on Tuesday before I left Bath to get a closer feel of the exhibition. It has been great to discover new artists all inspired by Bath! I remain spellbound by the City and I just love it!

1 Scott Rayson


"BATH RUGBY KING"-This is a sublime and accurate pencil rendering, a wonder to behold! The beauty of the Graphite pencil at work in linear labour!

2 Roger Dellar


"RAIN AGAIN"-You won't understand, if only you planned to paint in Bath!! It's a wonderful grey day of Bath in gloom. The front figures add scale to the work and the rectangular format, with the pole dividing the painting into beautiful unequal halves! One of Rogers work won the Best Oil based painting.

3 Sandra Raven


"LUNCH TIME IN BATH"- It's just a heartwarming piece with an illustrative touch. I just love the kind of story behind it.

4 Mark Reynolds


"STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN"-Sublime detail in watercolour, almost pencil-fine like in appearance.

5 Jonathan Mulvaney


"SUMMER SHOWER, ABBEY SQUARE"-I wish I could see more of his work. It's one of my best pieces. I love it because the Composition works as a abstract. It is also full of mood and mysterious warm darks! This piece won the best Water Based Work in the Exhibition.

6 Stephen Bishop


"THE STONE STEPS, BATH"-An amazing piece that is full of harmonious streaks of broken colour, worked well with a palette knife. It is wonderful to behold!

7 Susan Edwards


"DRAMA, ROMANCE, HISTORY, NOCTURNE"-One of my best pieces. I just love the sheer ambition in the heart of this artist. The colours, the scale and the paint application all tell the story of Bath!

8 Dennis Roxby Bott RWS


"GREAT PULTENEY STREET"-A deft piece of pleasure with watercolour. It is draughtsmanship at it's best. A great British watercolour!

9 Roy Connelly


"BUSKING AT THE ABBEY"-A rare little gem! Capturing the atmosphere in a moments time. The musician is carefully placed and balances the whole piece, I love it!

10 David Pilgrim


"RAINY DAY, BROAD STREET"-One of my favourite pieces in the exhibition. The colour of rain has never looked so beautiful, yet so lovely painted. A true test of endurance in the rain by a skillful plein air painter. One of his works also won the best small painting. He also won the Golden Umbrella for Enduring the rain, picture below.



11 Gerald Cains


"TWERTON PARK"-It's just the sheer ambition and energy to produce works of this scale that interests me, great ambition! This piece came third overall in the Bath Prize.



Gerald with his painting

12 Adrian Sykes


"BUILDINGS OF BATH"-The skill and labour of the ORDINARY PENCIL is at work here! This piece is mystery! Careful rendition, yet full of tonal graduation of atmospheric perspective. It's a delight to behold! This piece WON the BATH PRIZE!

13 Jonty Saville


"PARADE GARDENS MEMORIAL"- It is my obsession for drawing that makes me fall in love with this piece. It's linear quality is superb with felt washes of what I think may have been done with a Tombow brush marker.

14 Alan Reed


"THE ROYAL CRESCENT, BATH"-This is what I call "looseness and precision". It is only when you look closer, would you see the quality of loose washes that all add up to an impression of detail when looked at from a far! Brilliant! This piece was the runner-up in the Bath Prize.



That's Alan with his pocket sketchbook, the image opened is one he did of the Roman Baths. He met me while I was on my third Marathon, painting on Gay Street.

15 Bob Child


"LAURA PLACE 2"- It's the simplicity of watercolour here, that caught my attention. Very bold and simple-makes up for a neat piece!

16 Karl Terry


"WET MORNING, BATH ABBEY"- I have been here in wet conditions and this piece justifies the colours and mood. It isn't easy as it seems and Karl makes a good impression of the whole atmosphere on a wet day.

17 Lisa Shearing


"SHEEP GRAZING AT LANDSDOWN CRESCENT"-An amazing piece, better seen in real life at the exhibition.I just kept coming back to it. It has something mysterious about it, but yet it could be my love of the sheep. I have been at this spot and it has been captured superbly in blazing acrylic!