My Favourites at The Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition 2014

The ROYAL SOCIETY OF PORTRAIT PAINTERS ANNUAL EXHIBITION opened a few weeks ago and I really enjoyed the exhibition as usual. I have always mentioned in my reviews that the exhibition is an education and if you are into figurative art or portraiture or you just love seeing paintings of people-GO THERE! (Mall Galleries, London) It's a revelation!

The selection committee are all top professionals and they have taken time to choose some of the best work in portraiture you can get in the country!

There's 2 days left, so if you happen to be in London get to the Mall Galleries and enjoy the show while it lasts. if you are far away and rely on the internet for reviews on shows like this then enjoy the few I have chosen here. Note that these are just my choices, the one's that struck a chord with me. There are over 210 works but I have only chosen 21-my favourite 21. Hope you enjoy!


1. ANDREW JAMES VPRP Luyiso 40 x 32

ANDREW JAMES VPRP Luyiso 40 x 32

Arguably my best portrait in the Exhibition! For what I like about portraiture-the reality, the mood, the tones, the colour, paint application, the composition, the mark making and the composition.....this is it!
I stood there stunned!

This kind of portrait makes me want to risk my mortgage on a bucket load of oil colours and just paint!

When a painter comes into connection with his innermost desires and he is able to conquer the subtle deception of technique, he goes forth triumphantly to the canvas, fully knowing that there's nothing but victory on the way!

Andrew James is such a deft painter with those qualities I love! I would rather watch him paint than watch England play Nigeria in the World Cup finals in Brazil. This is EXPLOSIVE! I think I love art.....

2. NEIL B HELYARD Ali 16 x 16

2. NEIL B HELYARD Ali 16 x 16

Everyone knows I love sketching, maybe that's an understatement....but I do! Now, whenever a painter brings in that sketching prowess into painting, there's something magical that happens in between.

Neil's drawings are my favourites but I never knew he had those same qualities tucked into his paintings. This piece proves that LESS is MORE!

You don't need to kill the painting, make your statement, make it well, make it comfortably in full confidence and what you get is a result like this. The painting is like mosaic of precious pearls!

I'd have lunch with him, sketch him and tell him to reveal all what goes through his mind while he paints!

A splendid piece!

3. KENNY McKENDRY Art and Reality Portrait of James Simmons 9 x 8

3. KENNY McKENDRY Art and Reality Portrait of James Simmons 9 x 8

Do you love the force of a painting in which every brushstroke tells the story right from the word-GO?!

Then this Kenny piece is what you'll be loving to see!

I like the textured-casual-dragging of strokes, mostly transparent to reveal a glazing alla-prima technique that is stunning to say the least. I love it! It's a small piece but it's mighty!



4. JOHN MURPHY-WOOLFORD Age 45 26 x 26

JOHN MURPHY-WOOLFORD Age 45 26 x 26

Self Portraits are really not my strongest trait, but when you have to stare at yourself for long, you begin to wonder whether your face is actually yours or not!

John's painting has lovely brushwork, it's his handwriting with paint that I love, you can feel the paint and something tells you this was nailed to the core. It looks so uncompromising and true!

5. KEITH BREEDEN Sketch 1 20 x 16

5. KEITH BREEDEN Sketch 1 20 x 16

The picture doesn't do this one justice.

Every stroke is carefully laid in a Cezanne like manner. Wash upon wash, mark upon mark....until the whole face looked upon as a whole is simply a masterpiece!


6. VALERIY GRIDNEV  Piotr- Father of my Friend 24 x 40

6. VALERIY GRIDNEV  Piotr- Father of my Friend 24 x 40

The picture does do this one justice too, but I so much love the way he has composed this piece.

How the main facial features are all in the shade and the way you just can almost hear him thinking so deeply. This is what true painting does......says more than a million words!

7. JEFF STULTIENS Cindi Goodridge (Bajan Portrait Series) 30 x 24

JEFF STULTIENS Cindi Goodridge (Bajan Portrait Series) 30 x 24

My Tutor, the man who re-ignited my sketching passion!

I love this work because it's a lesson on drawing more than painting!

He paints so deliberately you think he does it with a knife!

Every colour shape is carefully observed a laid down next to the other- and the whole piece just sings!!!

Can you hear the music! I think I'm going mad!


8. ILARIA ROSELLI DEL TURCO Daniel 22 x 18

8. ILARIA ROSELLI DEL TURCO Daniel 22 x 18

This is a painting that evokes some sort of enchantment upon the viewer!

The model looks so apprehensive as if to say," I can't bear your staring at me for any longer."

There is definitely a connection between the model and the artist here. It's always nice to see that connection show up in the  finished piece.

But that's another thing about this piece, you are left raking your head whether or not the full story has been told. It's left for you the viewer to fill in!


9. ANNA WIMBLEDON Portrait of The Artist and Her Family 47 x 47

9. ANNA WIMBLEDON Portrait of The Artist and Her Family 47 x 47

This was one of the portraits that left me looking so close as if I had lost my eye sight. The composition is excellent, every figure is well treated in such a rich, colourful painterly manner!

She is a discovery! I love this piece! I wish I could take it home.

There's so much going on, even in the background, the window reflections and the landscape-everything has been attacked with so much assurance. She knows exactly what she is doing!

10. PHOEBE DICKINSON Pup at EASTER 12 x 14

10. PHOEBE DICKINSON Pup at EASTER 12 x 14

This is one of those paintings that you might just miss if you went to the exhibition but surely it's one of those that you really wouldn't want to in the end.

It's a small piece but size doesn't really matter.

What I like is the beautiful composition and the placement of the shapes and everything seems painted in a really great alla prima tempo.

11. PATRICIA CASTELAO COSTA Ana's Cousin 20 x 14

11. PATRICIA CASTELAO COSTA Ana's Cousin 20 x 14

You don't get many powerful watercolour portraits nowadays but this is surely someone who has not only mastered the medium but also fallen in love with it.

A great composition with confident bold strokes to keep the painting fresh and sparkling.

12. DAVID R NEWENS Pedita 14 x 10

12. DAVID R NEWENS Pedita 14 x 10

I have watched David paint and if there is anyone who is able to get the resemblance of the sitter in a very short space of time, he's the one.

His method is simple, he is very observant and he measures a lot!

Nothing is taken for granted.

I especially like this because of the simplicity of the main shapes and how the interlocking of them all just work to make this a really great painting.


13. ALDO BALDING Self in Mirror 16 x 12

13. ALDO BALDING Self in Mirror 16 x 12

This painting reeks with CONFIDENCE! Nothing looks serious at all but I tell you don't be deceived. Even though it looks quite straightforward, this speciality must have taken years to cultivate.

The secret here is the drawing, He is a great draughtsman!

14. RAOPF HAGHIGHI Self Portrait 14 x 18

14. RAOPF HAGHIGHI Self Portrait 14 x 18

One of discoveries in this exhibition! Just love the colour application and paint texture.

It's vibrant and holds very well as a very successful painting.

15.  MICHAEL HYAM  Soldier (Study of Bill)  11 x 9

15.  MICHAEL HYAM  Soldier (Study of Bill)  11 x 9

I really miss his work! Always has something spectacular to offer! The whole process is laid bare and he feels no inhibition or fear to stop when he feels the job is done.

His works look very experimental and dynamic, which appeals to me because I love the spontaneity!


16. JOS VAN RISWICK Portrait of Dutch Girl  16 x 11

16. JOS VAN RISWICK Portrait of Dutch Girl  16 x 11

This is what I call good old traditional stuff!

Straight to the point-no fussing and huffing.....just good old traditional indirect painting!

I love it!

17. BELINDA CROZIER Fred the Traveller 15 x 11

17. BELINDA CROZIER Fred the Traveller 15 x 11

A very interesting face! I like how the artist has used structure planes and colour to exaggerate the main features in this face, bringing it to life in a remarkable way.

I also like the texture, I think it was the texture that really got me hooked. But also it was well drawn.


18. CAROLINE SEILERN- ASPANG Nino 19 x 26

18. CAROLINE SEILERN- ASPANG Nino 19 x 26

A very good observational drawing-looks very well like a master drawing of the 19th or 20th century!

19.  ALEX TZAVARAS Rafael 26 x 22

ALEX TZAVARAS Rafael 26 x 22

It's always the simplicity of Alex's work that I like. He breaks everything down to almost 2 tones of light and shade.

The simpler the better. This is another clear example of less is more.

20. PETER BROWN Ella & Ned Looking at Pictures on Lisa's Phone with Mad Cat 26 x 31

PETER BROWN Ella & Ned Looking at Pictures on Lisa's Phone with Mad Cat 26 x 31

It's the composition that wins this one to my heart! To capture the three figures in such a very unique way is worthy of commendation

21 DAVID COBLEY Sir Christopher Hum KCMG 36 x 26

21 DAVID COBLEY Sir Christopher Hum KCMG 36 x 26

I have always been a great fan of David Cobley/s work. He is a true portrait painter.

He always gets very deep into his subjects and that's why he has this kind of Rembrandt take on the way he handles faces and hands.

I also love the way he uses multiple sources of light to model the figure in this piece!



SPECIAL QUOTE
" The Portrait is the one aspect of art and painting that lies don't work, it's the whole truth and nothing but the truth."- Adebanji Alade

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Simon Davies: Portrait Painting Demonstration and some other paintings I liked at the RP Show

(above) This is a sketch I did of Simon Davies at work.

I got to hear about this demo on Making a Mark blog and I was delighted! First it was a free demo and secondly it was going to be one done by one of my favourite painters. I think, if I am not mistaken, that this is a new feature during the RP (Royal Society of Portrait Painters Exhibition) There was one I missed by Andrew James. That's another one I would have loved to be at. Anyway, I am posting this to share with those who couldn't make it and also to document this for reference purposes, as it was a rare opportunity.



Completed Demo piece on the day


Simon Davies is a member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters. I fell with his work sometime back. What I like about his work is his brushstrokes, they are definite, painterly, crisp and neat! It's not always you get such a combination. His square brush strokes define his work and displays his personal style in such a way that it is very hard not to recognize his work. I am always intrigued by brushwork, I think every painter should have a brushwork that is so personal as his/her handwriting. It was Trevor Chamberlain that said, "Try to make a personal statement, remember, it's not what you paint, but how you paint paint it that will make your painting interesting, so let your brushwork be as personal as your handwriting"

Lessons, Observation and Points of note.

1. Always be open to learn from all artists out there, learning is power!



2. He paints from pictures and has 4 prints clipped horizontally across his easel.

3. 2 of the pictures are approx 6" x 9" and the other 2 are approx 9" x 12"(I didn't measure, so I am not too sure)

4. All the pictures he paints from are the same pose. But 1 is black and white, another full blown colour, while the other 2 are warm sepia versions- he says he has all these pictures outlined this way so that he can see the picture of the model wherever he looks- I found this quite interesting.






5.He uses a disposable palette with an attached dipper which contains Liquin, the medium he uses, with a few monochromatic colours (Yellow Orche, White, Prussian Blue and Burnt Sienna)-All Winsor & Newton


6. His brushes are mainly long flat synthetics made by Pro-Arte

7. He is the first artist I have seen that uses a black rag to clean his brushes.

8. He is the most patient artist I have seen at work, I have been learning recently that, "Haste is the Artist's worst enemy"

9. A definite accurate and detailed drawing in graphite is done of the picture with a light was of a warm orangery grey over it or as the under-painting. For this demo the drawing had been completed prior to the demo ads he had only two hours for it.

10. He is patient and slow in his approach, his observation is done in full blown concentration.

11. Basically, he draws and stokes with these long flat brushes always modelling with a square brush stroke-it's a delight to behold. to me it's a kind of calligraphic way of painting, something I have been keen to learn myself.

12. Everything is done with slight shifts of colour all drawn with the brush. Everything is done in this square brush technique and it's all pure drawing-there's no magic here, he is patient, slow and definite, nothing is taken for granted-amazing!

13. It's great how thee few neutral colours produce such a cool monochromatic piece in the end.

Some of his paintings.







-Another great highlight was meeting fellow artist blogger Olha-She has got a painting into the BP this year!


Some other paintings I loved.
Now, I can't overstate the importance of attending this exhibition whenever it is on. It is an education. There were scores of paintings I loved but here are just a few.


Valeriy Gridnev, Artist in Studio, 70" x 42", Oil- One of my favourite painters-the freshness and his direct technique win my heart every time! He is also a candidate for membership this year.


Maryam Foroozanfar, Ying(baby series 2), 12" x 35", Oil-I met Maryam for the first time during this demo. She has been a regular in the BP Portrait Award and I think her works are simply breathtaking. She is also a candidate for membership this year!


David Caldwell, 21 Portraits 28" x 47", oil- David is a past winner of Bull Dog Bursary Award and is also a candidate for membership this year.


Alex Tzavaras, self Portrait, Charcoal, 18" x 14"- I loved his drawing last year and was on the look out if he'd put in another drawing this year and he did!





Special Quote
"The main thing is to keep working, questioning, experiencing, growing. You've got to train your eye and develop your emotions to work together. We're all students. There's no end to learning"-Everett R. Kinstler in his book on Painting Portraits

Learning by Sketching from Paintings in Galleries/Museums II

This is my 2nd post on the usefulness of sketching in galleries and museums, the first one can be seen HERE. It really helps one to tap into the way the artist works and that also helps increase the ability to see and learn from seeing. Seeing does sound a bit common but for the artist it isn't, it means so much more and I keep learning that everyday.

Learning from Andrew Festing PPRP.

I love The Portraits of Andrew Festing and I always lookout for his work during the Royal Society of Portrait Painters Exhibitions at The Mall Galleries annually. The sketches I made in this post were of detailed parts of complete portraits he had on show at the RP Exhibition in 2007. I'll just share below, all the notes I jotted down while getting absorbed into the paintings.

1. Portrait of the 55th Grand Prior of the English Knights of Malta, Oil, 80" x 46" (detail)



I have sketched this face because I love it, it communicates! Simple! It's fascinating to paint from life and Andrew Festing makes it look like a delight. His BRUSH condition is his strength and the marks in specific places delineating the structure is very interesting. The cool parts of the skin around the chin are just great, it makes the skin flow with life and it definitely depicts the form.
A few lights (2) midtones (2) greys (2) and there is no mark in dark but colour.
He must definitely use black because it has a "carbony content" appeal. But it's great! I love it! It's a delight to watch and observe this guys strokes- Adebanji Alade(thoughts going through my head)

The real painting (detail)




2. The Master and Past Masters of The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists, Oil, 50" x 70" (detail)



2.1 Every mark is a sketch, stroke paint-placed mainly broad
2.2 Draughtsmanship, even though executed fast is precise!
2.3 Kolinsky Round Sable brush sketch, stoke paint, "It's Sick!"

The sketch and draughtsmanship is everything
There's no feat, no hesitation
It shows he enjoys this
It is "HANDWRITING"
The Background is a pinkish warm colour
The strokes mould and model the figure in clothes
Enough colour has been mixed
The light must have come straight on
-Adebanji Alade(thoughts running through my head put on the page)

The real painting (detail)






While researching for the images for this post I discovered a wonderful blogpost on his working methods by Joseph Galvin Winner of the Bulldog Bursary Award in 2007, which can be seen HERE

Links and information on Andrew Festing can be seen below
Website
Wikipedia
Royal Society of Portrait Painters
Commission a Portrait
How to paint a portrait-Very Useful on Youtube
Painting a portrait-Very Useful on Youtube

Special Quote
"One of the most frequently asked questions from students is "How do you know what to paint" It's a question that comes from painters working at all levels: beginners who really haven't done much subject searching and more experienced painters who are trying to discover their unique style. Here's what I recommend: Buy a small notebook-one that you can easily carry around. In the book, write down the five senses: sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch. Carry the notebook for three weeks and as you come across them, jot down things that really wow you under the appropriate sense category. These should be the things that take your breath away. For example, under sound, one of my horse students wrote, "The sound of my horse running in the meadow at night." By the end of three weeks, try to have 10 to 20 things listed under each category. These are the things you should be painting. Once you've focused in on what you should be painting, there aren't enough hours in the day to paint that subject."
-Mary Whyte on Why Workshops work-in Watercolour Magic Handbook

Learning by Sketching from Paintings in Galleries/Museums

In this post I would like to highlight one of the ways I like to learn by sketching from paintings I love in galleries and Museums. If you love a particular painting, especially if it is a portrait, one of the ways of understanding how the artist went about it is to sketch it. Working in this way can really help to improve your understanding of how artists edit information and concentrate on what matters most to them. I have two in this post, as seen below.

Learning from Anastasia Pollard RP
I really like the work of Anastasia Pollard. She paints very small scale sensitive portraits from life. The one I have sketched from here is not illustrated but it was a wonderful little portrait that measured 8" x 7", titled "Nick" it was exhibited at the Mall Galleries last year during the Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition. I remember standing in front of this little piece for hours. I kept coming back to it. When I couldn't get my head around it I decided to sketch it, now the experience is with me for ever. Even though you can't see the painting in colour-you can tell from the sketch that it had a very solid tonal foundation and that's one of things I was trying to explore. Other things that were of interest to me were the way she handled the temperature changes. When next in a gallery or museum and you are carried away by a favourite piece-don't let the experience go by your visual response only-put it down and it would remain with you forever.




Portrait of Nick by Anastasia Pollard-added after comment by Vinayak

Learning from Velazquez
Diego Velazquez is one of my favourite painters of all time and again it is the manner in which he edits information that excites me the most. This page spread is just one of the several I did from original paintings during The Velazquez Exhibition at the National Gallery in 2006. It's good to do the sketching but also to write notes of what you think you need to remember about the way the artist distributes tone or anything you feel is worth noting for future references. Keep sketching!




Special Quote
"If work is fresh and new, you can't expect to like it straightaway, because you have nothing to compare it with.
The effort of coming to terms with things you don't understand makes them all the more valuable to you when you do grasp them.
Good art speaks for itself. That doesn't mean you have to like it.
So the next time you go to an art show, or look at anything for that matter, observe what effect it has on you and try to form your own opinion.
That way you become the critic and not a mouthpiece for someone else's opinions."
-Paul Arden author of Whatever you think, think the opposite.