A Duet – Mr Shao & Jessie Tse
Our Patron Mr Shao sings
Mr Feng & family with Ronald Morgan &
Brenda Kelly
Supper Guests
Frank the Busker entertains
Frank the Busker
Stefanina Sawyer wins
a Raffle Prize
Charles & Sarah Russell choose their Raffle Prize
Supper Guests
Supper Guests
William Packer
Has a couple of drawings in the current Chelsea Art Club display which is at the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital in London
David Sprakes
David is showing work at Patchings Arts Centre, Nottingham from Saturday 11th May to Sunday 29th September with the YORKSHIRE SCULPTORS GROUP in an outdoor exhibition called BREAKING GROUND. He also has work in The Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate, from Tuesday 9th – Thursday 11th July.
John Sprakes
Is having a one man exhibition in the Barn Gallery at Patchings Arts Centre Nottingham on the 11th May 2019 until the 23rd June 2019. The exhibition includes some of the paintings included in his recently published book “Journey into Abstraction”. He will also be signing copies during the course of the exhibition. John will also be Guest Artist at Patchings Arts Festival, starting on the 11th July.
Congratulations to Austin Cole, Lee Madgwick, Bridget Moore and Melissa Scott-Miller, who are all showing work in the Royal Academy Summer Show.
When visiting the Summer Exhibition at the RA this year, do also look out for works from Honorary RBA members:
Norman Ackroyd RA, Olwyn Bowey RA, James Butler RA, Joyce Cairns PRSA, Frederick Cuming RA, Anthony Green RA, Ken Howard RA, Phillip King PPRA and Shanti Panchal
Summer Exhibition: 10th June – 12th August 2019
Opening Times: Daily 10am-6pm
Friday 10am – 10pm
AND some really exciting news from some of our RBA RISING STARS, past and present …
Charlie Schaffer has had an amazing year, having been awarded:
Juliet Gibbs, one of this year’s RBA RISING STARS:
The Royal Society of British Artists works hard throughout the year to support and encourage young and emerging artists. Alongside the Rome Scholarship, the RBA Rising Stars exhibition, the RBA Star Students programme and offering the de Lazslo Foundation and LARA Prizes to young artists, this year the RBA have forged links with the BA Artist Blacksmithing course at Hereford College of Arts.
Always striving to encourage young sculptors, Vice President Mick Davies visited the College along with Honorary Treasurer, Francis Drasar, earlier this year. The technical aspects of metal working exemplify the RBA’s dedication to combining high artistic concepts with equally high standards of skill and draughtsmanship and the Society was so impressed by the work being produced by the students that they invited four to exhibit pieces in the Annual Exhibition. Acclaimed RBA sculptor Guy Portelli will visit the college to address the students and offer mentoring advice.
Thursday 4th July
2pm – 4pm
John Sprakes: “Journey into Abstraction” – a power point talk showing the artist’s fascinating creative journey from figurative through to abstract work. His work is celebrated in his new book of the same title, which illustrates his journey with lots of colour illustrations.
Friday
5th July
2pm – 4pm
Coffee afternoon. Sketching in the Gallery with Bex Balloons, who makes the most amazing balloon sculptures – circus theme
Saturday
6th July
11.30 am – 1pm
David Brammeld “Graphite Demo: Expressive Landscape – the Beauty of Trees”. David will be performing one of his popular drawing demonstrations in the main gallery space.
Monday
8th July
2pm – 4pm
The RBA and the rebirth of the Alexandra Palace Theatre – how the project developed – Join Louise Stewart, CEO of Alexandra Palace to hear about the Theatre, film maker Richard Smith to view film about the project and artists Mick Davies, Austin Cole, Annie Boisseau, Meg Dutton and Melissa Scott-Miller, to hear about how they tackled the same subject so many different ways.
9th July
11am – 1pm
Austin Cole –
‘Printing Alexandra Palace’. Following the progress of a work from idea to fruition
2pm – 4pm
Robert E Wells: “The Power of the Sketchbook” and it’s use as part of the creative process. [Robert will provide a number of his own working books to demonstrate the process from initial drawings through to large studio paintings, and their use as a constant source of reference material.
There will also be an opportunity for an informal workshop if students wish to bring along their own sketch books for discussion.
Robert has recently had a book published of his work, and is featured in two forthcoming articles in the Artist Magazine where the subjects of book publication and The Power of the Sketchbook will be further explored.
Wednesday 10th July
11am – 1pm & 2pm – 4pm
Carole Griffin demonstration – “Working in watercolour on a still life”
Thursday 11 July
2pm – 4pm
Nick Tidnam “Looking at figures in the landscape” [Participants will need sketchbooks and a variety of drawing materials]
Friday
12th July
11am – 1pm & 2pm -4pm
David Sawyer
Plein air session painting on the Mall or in St James’s Park
Saturday 13th July
2pm – 4pm
Martyn Baldwin – demonstration “Sketching a self portrait”
The “Family Portrait” was a competition for students from Polish Saturday Schools organised by the Polish Educational Society under the aegis of “The Portrait Foundation” by Barbara Hamilton. Mick Davies VPRBA had been invited to join the panel of judges to select the winning works. There were more than 600 entries from all over the UK and a final 130 portraits were selected, to be judged by the jury. Prizes were then awarded by the jury in four age categories: 5-6 years old, 7-9 years old, 10-12 years old and 13+ years old.
Mick said, “Choosing winners was so difficult … they were all winners in my eyes – I really enjoyed looking at all the artwork.”
“Mick with Maja Sabatowska who helped to organise the event”
This work by the late Alfred Daniels now hangs in ‘Pride of Place’ in the office of Clare O’Brien, the Mall Galleries Chief Executive Officer.
Exhibition Dates:
26th April 2019 – 19th June 2019
Location:
The Royal Over-Seas League,
6 Park Pl,
St. James’s,
London
SW1A 1LR
Tel: +44 (0)20 7408 0214 ext. 214 or 216
Website:
https://www.rosl.org.uk/
The RBA RISING STARS show is at The Royal Over-Seas League in Central London and is open until the 16th June.
It was opened by Mick Davies VPRBA and among the guests was James Napier, the Director of LARA, who selected a winner of the LARA prize – a short course at their London Atelier of Representational Art. The winner was Beth Whell, one of the RBA Star Students from Truro School, with her drawing ‘Window light’:
Another RBA Star Student has been awarded The Arts Society Prize and she is Meg Burridge for her work ‘Evening Sun Triptych’
The RBA Education Committee selected three finalists for the Rome Scholarship award. They are:
Hun Kyu Kim for his work ‘Long, Long Summer’:
Minyoung Choi for her work ‘Fish Tank’
Tara Versey for her work Dark turns to light
RBA at M1 Fine Art.
Selected Members of the RBA showed work with the M1 Gallery Charing Cross Road for the month of March and then subsequently the exhibition transferred to the Greenwich Gallery. The final sales report has exceeded expectations with sales in excess of £85,000.
The V&A have acquired this work by Shanti Panchal 
Shanti also had work at the RWS Bankside Gallery with their ‘In the Studio exhibition which ran until the 27th April.
Also included were works by Martin Leman, Jill Leman, Bridget Moore, Richard Sorrell and Annie Williams among others.
Cheryl Culver will have 5 works with the Russell Gallery stand at the Affordable Art Fair in Hampstead, London, from 9th – 12th May
David Sprakes has a sculpture called WOODLAND ABSTRACT. Showing at Patchings Arts Centre, Nottingham from Saturday 11th May to Sunday 29th September with the YORKSHIRE SCULPTORS GROUP in an outdoor exhibition called BREAKING GROUND.
RBA members Tony Yates and David Brammeld are currently exhibiting in a group RBSA show at Trent Art Gallery in Newcastle-under-Lyme. The show, Moving Boundaries – A Group Exhibition of The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, runs till the end of May.
John Sprakes
On the 1st May John was on the judging panel for the Artist and Leisure Magazine painting competition at the Mall Galleries. On the 3rd May he held his first book signing in South Yorkshire at an evening event that took place at the XP Trust South Yorkshire. John will be having a one-man exhibition in the Barn Gallery at Patchings Arts Centre, Nottingham. This show will run from 11th – 23rd June and he will be signing copies of his book ‘Journey into Abstraction’ during the course of the exhibition:
The Towner Gallery has an exhibition of selected work from their permanent collection to mark the 10th Anniversary of the opening of their
Gallery 1. Rob Wells will be showing his work ‘Amsterdam’, which is now owned by the Towner Gallery, alongside works by John Piper, Grayson Perry and others.
This show is from 17th May until November.
‘Amsterdam’ features in the ‘Foreword’ written by Sara Cooper Head of Collections at the Towner, in the book: Robert E Wells in perspective, https://bit.ly/rewells
Annie Williams is showing work with three others in “Take 4 Islington Artists” at this new venue for art exhibitions and Islington Prom Fringe in May and June, at St James’ Church, Prebend Street, London N1 8PF
The show runs from Tuesday 14th May – Saturday 15th June
REMINDERS:
Denis Baxter has work in ‘The St Barbe Open Exhibition 2019’ This takes place at the St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery, New Street, Lymington, Hampshire, SO 41 9BH.
The show is on now and finishes on June 2nd at 5:00 pm
The Hall Place Exhibition is on until July 7th
“The RBA at Hall Place – Painters, Sculptors & Printmakers united”
The Exhibition of RBA Artists continues at Thompson’s Gallery in Aldeburgh until 12th May.
Mick Davies has work in the Chelsea Arts Club Exhibition, which is showing at the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, in aid of the hospital’s charity fund. The show will run until August or September.
RBA RISING STARS 2019 will run until 2nd June. It is taking place at the Royal Over-Seas League, Over-Seas House, Park Place, St James’s Street, London SW1A 1LR.
Vice President Mick Davies opened the show and it features work from 20 Rome Scholarship semi-finalists and 21 RBA Star Students from across the UK.
AND … Some good news from some of our RISING STARS past and present:
Alex Wood:
Is currently exhibiting ‘Sputnik’ in The Royal West of England Academy Sculpture exhibition until 2 June. He’s also been working on new bronze sculptures in the foundry, including ‘Space X’, after receiving a third award from The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation in Canada last year.
Elinor Stanley will install a range of her paintings in the Great and Little Chamber of the National Trust’s Sutton House Please join us on the evening of the 7th of June, 6-9pm at Sutton House, 2-4 Homerton High St, London E9 6JQ
The show will be possible to see by appointment till the 19th of June (please call 07913492807), or by booking yourself onto a tour of the house.
She has been selected for the Royal Academy Schools 2019-2022
Nneka Uzoigwe Is participating in an artist led show curated by two contemporary artists who have put together a selection of work by 11 artists. She will be exhibiting two paintings and the exhibition will run from the 16-21 May 2019, at:
Crypt Gallery, St Pancras Church, Euston Road, London NW1 2BA
16-21 May 2019 10-6pm daily
The Public Opening Party is on: 16 May 2019 6-9pm the artists will be present, all welcome and the exhibition is free to view.
Charlie Schaffer was also awarded the Brian Botting Prize of £5000 at this year’s Lynn-Painter Stainer’s exhibition. He has now been awarded this prize 3 out of the 4 years that it has been running. And another work “Head of Thandi” was awarded second place at this year’s Artist & Illustrator’s Artist of the Year.
SPECIAL EVENT Saturday, 27 April 2019
Jain Art: celebrating Mahavir Jayanti
“Jainism originated in India and is one of the world’s oldest religions. This event marks the annual celebration of the birth of Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankar (spiritual teacher). Discover more about Jainism with fascinating talks from contemporary Jain art to medieval manuscripts, and enjoy a special viewing of a painting by Shanti Panchal, ‘The Jain Monks’, newly acquired by the V&A, together with a talk by the artist.”
For more information see:
https://www.vam.ac.uk/event/Z1Jqn879/jain-art-celebrating-mahavir-jayanti-april-2019
Selected Members of the RBA will be showing work at Thompsons Gallery Aldeburgh.
The exhibition will run from 20 April – 12 May.
To view the catalogue online: [Click Here]
Artists who will be showing work are:
Peter Brown, William Packer, Judith Gardner, Cheryl Culver, Julian Halsby, Jacqueline Rizvi, Nick Tidnam, Nicholas Verrall, Robert Wells, Annie Williams, Anthony Yates, Anne Wright, Cinzia Bonada, Ann Heat, Bridget Moore, John Martin, Peter Kelly, Mick Davies, Malcolm Ashman, Susan Bower, Austin Cole and David Eustace.
East Life Magazine are using Nicholas Verrall’s ‘Passing Storm over Turf Fen Mill’ on their March front cover which is great news and they will of course also make reference to our exhibition.
175 HIGH STREET, ALDEBURGH
SUFFOLK
IP15 5AN
+44 (0) 1728 453 743
john@thompsonsgallery.co.uk
