Bath Experience V (Winning the Future Bath Plus Plein air Award)

My experience at Bath continues with the Private view of the 154 paintings at The Octagon, Milsom Place . I got there to find out that one of my paintings were missing from the main display walls, it was only when the awards were being called out that I found out I had won the Future Bath Plus Plein air award! Now that really made me feel great! Once in a while these things happen they serve as great motivators! I really thank God for the opportunity! This was the first painting I did in Bath! The experience of painting this piece wasn't that straightforward either!



Around Theatre Royal before the rain, Acrylic on panel, 40cm x 20cm, 2009 SOLD



I arrived in Bath, after a three hour journey on the Coach from London-Victoria, not knowing where to go because this was my first time in the city, but I had a handy map and located the gallery where I needed to get the place allocated to me. The lady at the reception told me my place was The Theatre Royal. She showed me how to get there and wished me well. The only sad thing on this day was there was no dramatic light in the air, it was a typical British grey day and there were even signs of rain in the air! But I kept a positive attitude, got to the venue and started looking for where to position myself. Finally I got a place of refuge from the oncoming showers and I got everything out only to find my easel had loose nuts and bolts, and to make it worse they were missing! So I had to abandon painting for the moment and begin shop searching. After a few miss hits, wrong turns and not listening well to the directions given, I finally got to a nice hardware shop and the man was terrific, he really helped me find all I needed and now I could go back to the scene and paint! I was so lucky to pack light, because if not, by now I was already feeling exhausted!



Picture of the scene


At the scene, the action started! I painted for the next 3-4 hours just trying my best to fine tune my painting, fighting the changing weather, hunger and trying to answer too many questions asked by people passing by. I used Acrylics, the New Winsor & Newton acrylics and they were a delight! The work was done on a Masonite panel I primed myself with gesso and a grey acrylic mix.



My palette, painting and general set up



Enough said! The pictures will tell the rest of the story!





Adebanji with The Mayor of Bath




My winning painting with the lucky RED DOT!





Serious Business, painting in progress





Adebanji with Bonnie Helen Hawkins and Richard Hall, Director of Future Bath Plus