Honorary Member Joyce Cairns has been elected the first female President of the Royal Scottish Academy in 192 years.

The following members have works in the Mini Picture Show at the Bankside Gallery until 20th January:
Jill Leman
Meg Dutton
Martin Leman
Bridget Moore
Richard Sorrell
Annie Williams

Peter Newsome is exhibiting work with the M1 Gallery

Martyn Baldwin has works at the M1 Gallery in Central London

John Sprakes is working on a book to be published in the early months of 2019 – more details to follow

Anthony Lester FRBA is working on a book for the RI to be produced later in the year – more details to follow

RBA RISING STARS:

Teresa Hunyadi will have a solo show in Edinburgh next August – details to follow
Blaze Cyan has work in the Mini Picture show at the Bankside
Emma Fineman had work in the Futures show at the Mall Gallery
Joshua von Uexkull also had work selected for the Futures show

The RBA Call for Entries is now open!

The Royal Society of British Artists seeks submissions of work for exhibition at their Annual Exhibition 2019.

Here’s President of the RBA, Nick Tidnam, to tell us more:

An excellent Christmas Lunch was enjoyed by Members of the RBA on the 7th December in the TACP room at 17 Carlton House Terrace. Staff of the FBA including outgoing Director Lewis McNaught joined Members for lunch.  The RBA send particular thanks to Meg Dutton for organising  the amazing spread we all enjoyed and our thanks also go to Annie Williams and Susie Perring who helped to prepare the party.

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At a recent presentation in Birmingham, RBA President Nick Tidnam was made Honorary Member of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA). Nick is seen proudly displaying his certificate, flanked by RBSA President Rob Neil (left), and RBSA Ambassador, the Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire, Mr John Crabtree (right).
The presentation was at the RBSA Gallery, and was held during the well attended and lively Private View of the annual RBSA Members and Associates exhibition.
Nick was given a very warm welcome.

Photo courtesy Grahame Wickings.

Each year, the LARA Prize for a Young Artist is awarded for work that balances technical understanding with a subject that is authentic and relevant to the twenty-first century. As the recipient of this year’s LARA Prize, I had the privilege of attending a week-long painting class taught by Luca Indraccolo.
The first day was dedicated to drawing. We were introduced to basic anatomy and asked to consider the major planes of the face. The second day began with practical instructions for setting up our palettes in the most useful way. We were introduced to the Munsell colour chart. Originally used for soil classification, Munsell’s chart is a way of visualising three qualities of colour; value, hue and chroma. This was vital theory to have in our minds as we started mixing paint.
On the third day, we discovered the importance of ‘keying’ a painting. Overnight, the faster drying pigments had ‘sunk in’, causing them to appear lighter. We spent time re-establishing the darkest darks and lightest lights in our portraits. Throughout the week, the tutors were great at identifying our individual tendencies, telling us why they might exist and how we could counter them to create more naturalistic paintings.
On the fourth day, we dealt with edges. Noticing when a colour changes temperature but not value can be tricky, but is an effective way to make an edge appear soft in a painting. I focused in on the nose in my portrait and tried to detect any subtle shifts in temperature which could help the form appear to turn.
On the fifth day, we refined our likenesses. I realised that there is a significant amount of designing which contributes to making a successful painting. Trying to ‘copy’ nature is futile! Paintings are always a trick – an illusion suggesting space and depth on a two dimensional surface. With new knowledge about the structure of the face and the location of blood vessels, I was able to make better judgements than I could have made by simply relying on my eye.
As someone with no formal training as a painter, practising on my own is often frustrating and progress can be slow. It’s easy to see how the systematic methods taught at LARA can accelerate learning and produce great results. the overall atmosphere was supportive and underpinned by the acknowledgement that each student was at a different point in their journey. It was inspiring to see what students with two or three years experience at LARA could achieve.
I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to sample atelier training and I hope to return to LARA in the future because there is plenty more left to learn.

instagram @jessicadebba 

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Ronald Maddox Hon RBA.
Ronald was born in Purley, Surrey in 1930.
In 1945 he studied Art at St. Albans School of Art and Hertfordshire College of Art & Design and in 1950-56 studied at the London College of Printing and Graphic Art, Regents Street Polytechnic School of Art and completed Designer Experience with BOAC.
He joined the RAF for National Service as a Designer/Artist in the Air Ministry Design Unit and in 1962 became a Freelance Artist, Consultant, Designer, Illustrator.
He served as President of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours for many years.
He was an Honorary Member of the Royal Society of British Artists, the Pastel Society and the Royal Watercolour Society.
Other Society Memberships included the Society of Graphic and Fine Artists, Honorary Member of the Royal Watercolour Society, Wapping Group of Artists, Federation of Canadian Artists, United Society of Artists, Campine Society for Watercolours, Belgium, Society of Architect Artists, Fellow of the Society of Industrial Artists and Designers, Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts, Fellow of Society of Architectural Illustrators, Artists General Benevolent Institution.
He will be greatly missed by colleagues and friends alike.

Peter Kelly has a one-man show in the Chapel Galleries, Chapel, Essex, which runs until the 2nd December

John Sprakes is working on a book to be published in the new year

Sue Campion’s solo show is at the Russell Gallery, 12 Lower Richmond Road, Putney, London SW15 1JP and continues until the 24th November:

Christopher Miers invites you to visit his show at the Panter & Hall Gallery, 22 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4HE from 13th – 25th November:

Instead of private views, refreshments will be served during the exhibition. Christopher will be present throughout. All welcome!

Terry Watts has work in the Coastline Exhibition at the Store Street Gallery, 32 Store Street London WC1E 7BS until 19th November:

Annie Boisseau has a work in the ING Discerning Eye Exhibition, which runs from the 15th – 25th November at the Mall Galleries.

Cheryl Culver has four pastel paintings in the Russell Gallery Christmas Show.

RBA RISING STARS News:
Alice Irwin has a show called ‘A Life Live with Play” at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park 27th Oct – 4th Nov and also has a work in the Flowers’ Gallery “Small is Beautiful” show in Cork Street, London and this runs from 29th November – 5th January.

ANTHONY YATES has been invited, by a viewer of our RBA website, to spend two free weeks at a beautiful house in Montemarcello, Italy, in order to paint.  He was chosen because the house owner loved his work which she saw online and she is making the house available to him at the time she and her husband are in London.  This is the start of a project which the house owners have in mind. Hopefully they will choose the next recipient of their invitation from the RBA website too!

DAVID SAWYER has an exhibition at the Thompson Gallery at 3 Seymour Place Marylebone, London W1H 5AZ.  It will run from the 17th October until the 4th November

CAROLE GRIFFIN has work on show at the Adrian Hill Fine Art Gallery, Holt and the Lion Gallery, Hay on Wye. Also Dry Red Press have selected her work “Snowdrops and Stripes” to be included in the RBA range of cards.

AUSTIN COLE is showing work with the Society of Graphic Fine Arts at the Menier Gallery, 51 Southwark St, London SE1 1RU and the show is on now and runs until the 13th October.  Also, he has three prints chosen for the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair in November.

ANNIE BOISSEAU has had a work accepted for the ING Discerning Eye Exhibition, which runs from the 15th – 25th November at the Mall Galleries

MICK DAVIES has had a work accepted for the Royal West of England Annual Open Exhibition in Bristol, which runs from 7th October – 25th November.

A number of RBA members; BRIDGET MOORE, MARTIN LEMAN, GEORGE LARGE, CAROLE GRIFFIN and ANNIE BOISSEAU are involved in a fundraising collaboration between artists and celebrities including Grayson Perry RA, Mick Rooney RA, Yinka Shonibare RA, Quentin Blake, Joanna Lumely, Dynamo, Bear Grylls and Dame Floella Benjamin.  Each artist has produced one image for a deck of cards. The Exhibition of work will be held at Ewbank’s Auction Rooms, Woking from 8th – 12th October.

CHERYL CULVER will be showing five pastel paintings at the Battersea AAF – Stand D6 – The Russell Gallery.
Opens Wednesday 17 October closes Sunday 21 October.

News Update for September

• MARTYN BALDWIN has a show of his recent works at the Gallery Lacaux, St Rémy-de-Provence, until the 16th September
• MEL PETTERSON has a show of his drypoints and etchings at the Chelsea Arts Club, which is running until the 25th September
• THE GEEDON GALLERY’s Autumn Exhibition runs from 6th – 21st October and includes work from:

• AUSTIN COLE also has work at the Bankside Gallery in the National Original Print Exhibition, which will run from the 19th – 30th September
• MICK DAVIES has 2 works shortlisted to the Royal West of England Academy Annual Open Exhibition
• PETER KELLY has a one-man show coming up in November in the Chappel Galleries, Colchester Road, Essex
• ROB WELLS has a new book just released about his work:

• HOLLY REES has work in the Oil & Water Contemporary Art Gallery, Forest Row from 14th – 29th September
• HENRIETTA MacPHEE has work in TACTILE MINDS, an Exhibition in support of Mind Charity, at The House Mill, in Bromley-by Bow, London, which runs from the 19th – 23rd September
• BLAZE CYAN is now an Associate Member of the RE