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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The Face of Homelessnes, Clapham Common

 This is another one of my series of portraits on  the Face of  Homelessness. I worked with this guy for close to 3 years while working for the homeless and we were able to share different passions. He liked art, bowling and most of all pool. He was very competitive and so was I, he'd been on the streets for a long while before he was discovered and he also had a wonderful dog. I have added him to this series
 because of his cheeky smile, not all in this series are smiling but he was a real character and this was how he looked in his proper element!

The Face of Homelessness, Clapham Common, 12" x 16", oil on board, 2012

This is a sketch I did of him in 2008. His features are prominent but very hard to depict. But in all his face is a dream for a portrait painter! This was done with sanguine and sepia dust and the lines and details were added with oil base pencils-Black and Sanguine.

STAGE 1-I used a  canvas board that had been prepared for a self portrait, the colours have nothing to do with this piece. I just happened to want to use it. These colours were acrylic washes and if you look carefully I had used a blue coloured pencil to square it up, this was not for the portrait of Alan but I decided not to remove it. I just went ahead and sketched with a willow charcoal., trying my best to approximate where I would like his head to be positioned on the surface. The ability to sketch fluently and confidently with lines that depict structure and form is very important at this stage.

STAGE 2- Here I get a bit more specific with my lines and once I am a bit more confident, I darken the lines.  I don't really want a detailed drawing but just a kind of map to follow on, because I'll be putting rich, thick paint on soon.

STAGE 3- This is where I introduce colour. It's just like I explained in the post before this one. I am working in the method called, "INSIDE-OUT"- where I start from one spot, this time it's the forehead and I move outwards to other parts  of the face. This method as mentioned before keeps one at full anticipation on what is to come. It's always nice to see the face unfold.

STAGE 4-I move to the left side of the face which had a lot of complications and the ear but I managed to just keep going, painting shape by shape and putting down the colour just as close as I could  mix. Sometimes the initial sketch is wrong, so I basically forget about it at times and just sketch with colour as I go along.

STAGE 5-Gradually I get round to the main features and just keep adding piles of paint with  expressive brushstrokes to follow the form and structure of the face.

STAGE 6- I'm not impressed with the shape of his head, as I feel I have got  something major wrong at this point, so I just keep correcting the drawing with colour. This is an important process in painting, as nothing stays right until it feels right. So I keep cutting backwards and forwards on the surface, adjusting and re-adjusting until I am fully satisfied.

STAGE 7- After I had corrected the drawing endlessly at the other stage, I now go over the whole piece with a bit of detail here and there, trying my best not to overwork it but to keep it fresh.

THE COMPLETED PAINTING WITH THE PALETTE- The palette shows the 4 colours I 'm working with. It's a limited palette of Black, White, Red and Yellow-popularly known as the Zorn palette.

SPECIAL QUOTE
"Many of us tense up when rendering another person's face. Perhaps you've experienced this; I do, even though I've drawn and painted countless faces......"-Charles Reid, Painting by Design

"Industrial Synthesis" 15" x 9", Mixed Media on Paper, 2009

This is my entry into Karin Juricks DSFDF, The reference picture had roof tops and I didn't really find the whole picture interesting but a section of it.



So I decided to zoom into this area and make a statement with it. I just loved the various tonal values, the variety of shapes and diagonals, so I played around with them using charcoal, oil base pencils and white acrylic. I fixed the charcoal and Oil base pencil marks then worked over with some white acrylic touches.

AFRO HEADGEAR II, 12" x 16", Mixed Media on Pastel Paper, 2009 (SOLD)

This is makes number 2 in my current series of African Headgears.



I'm exploring this series from all angles and will use all forms of media to get my message across, even wax and possibly clay.

For this piece, I had as my model a lovely lady I met at a friends wedding. She naturally took this pose and that was it!




I have used charcoal dust, ink washes, acrylic washes, white ink and oil base pencil to produce this piece on a slightly warm grey pastel paper.

AFRO XXVII, 11" x 13", Oil Base Pencil/Charcoal, 2009

Here comes number 27 of my current Afro Series and if you remember from my last post on the Afro Series, I said the drawing had a better resemblance. This to me looks more like the model.



I have used Soft Oil Base Pencil with charcoal to render this piece. The emphasis of this series once again is to explore the variety and beauty of natural Black Afro Hair, something that really fascinates me!

I have got three more models lined up, any more takers? If you have a good Afro or know a friend that has a good Afro, please feel free to contact me and we'll arrange sittings or work from photos.

Sketch of St Mary's Church, Battersea, Graphite/Charcoal, 2009

Out and about in the city again, this time its a seascape view of St Mary's Church, Battersea. It creates a kind of contrast- the modern architecture in the background and the Church which history records had its original built in 800AD




This scene would have been far more interesting in colour. Hope to paint it when I begin paintings of the city. I liked this place because it wasn't not busy and the cool breeze from the River was refreshing!

Sketch of Buckingham Palace, 13" x 10", Oil Base Pencil/charcoal, 2009

Some more sketching about in London.

This time it's where the Queen lives.

This was done with Oil Base Pencil and charcoal wash.

Static Motion, 16" x 18", Mixed media on paper

This is my entry into Karin Jurick's DSFDF!

Some of you might know why I have interpreted this as a boxer, who has lost 2 rounds and is almost knocked off balance! He is sitting down at the interval before the third round, looking dazed. He has just escaped a knock out and he is feeling the pain! Thoughts are running through his head....Can I go on? Is it worth it? Should I just throw in the towel?......This is exactly how I felt after the British Airways voting didn't favour me for a second time! But then- This work is about static motion- That period where you contemplate, think, ponder and plan your next move. Like this boxer I am DETERMINED, EVEN MORE FIRED UP! This fight has to continue, this foe has to be defeated! I can make it! So even while working on this boxer- I felt the surge of energy and belief and also I added words, positive words on to the drawing, some of which you may not be able to see on the monitor screen, but they are all motivational phrases and that's it! STATIC MOTION- I may be static, but I am moving, planning my next move and I'm rest assured this battle is not mine but God's! VICTORY IS NIGH! Get up and stick in there!



(detail)

This piece was done with willow charcoal, ink, acrylic, coloured pencil and fixative on dark grey paper.

Sketch of Sloane Square, A3 Bristol Board(paper), oil base pencil/charcoal, 2009

Got out again on Tuesday evening. This time it's Sloane Square!


I've always loved this spot!

This was done with oil base pencil and the washes added with water mixed with charcoal dust.

AFRO XXIII, watercolour/charcoal, 10" x 8", 2009

This is number 23 in my present AFRO SERIES. I haven't included any other masculine face in my Afro series apart from AFRO X - where I featured myself, the way I looked when I was younger and used to have my mum treat me to an Afro blow and a 90 degrees part in my hair.




But I am including the second male face in this series that celebrates the beauty of black natural hair. I met this guy at Nandos last year when I went for a send-off meal for one of my friends, she was moving over to America. I approached him and he agreed to join this project.

The face of a black male today makes a bit of history too as Barack Obama becomes the First American Black President!