Cathy's Art Diary

Delightful exhibition at the Mall Galleries of work by members of the Royal Society of Portrait Artists. It’s always interesting to see that colleges, companies and organisations are still commissioning portraits although some of the more personal works were the better pictures. There were a lot of artists working in egg tempura and it was interesting to look at the tiny hatched strokes which built into highly realistic pictures. I loved the striking “Study of the Artist as a Heart Patient” by Jeff Stultens a series of self-portraits of his operation, recovery and ending with him sitting up in a chair. He’d asked the medical staff to document his treatment so he could paint this.   Alaister Adam’s portrait of Professor Roy Cowell pulled you across the room, partly because of the well composed background of a library’s red balcony and the stairwell behind which threw the figure out of the picture. Other pictures told stories like Sam Dalby’s “Packing Away” which show...

Delightful exhibition at the Mall Galleries for this years shortlisted pictures for the Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Show. As I think I may have said before thank goodness for colleges, companies and organisations which are still commissioning portraits of their great and good as it is producing some amazing work. Quite early on I was struck by a wonderful portrait of Lord Skidelsky the economist by Alastair Adams.   I have seen him both talk and be an audience member at the Charleston festival and this was not just a good physical likeness but seemed to sum up his character and presence. There were some interesting poses such as Sam Dalby’s “Through Draft” of a man checking a chimney! Also some imaginary pictures such as Jeff Stuitiens’s “Imaginary conversation with Rembrandt” which shows him in Rembrandt’s studio with the man himself. I also liked Bob Last’s take Manet’s “Bar at the Folie Bergere” set in a modern coffee shop. My favourite picture wh...

Interesting show at the Mall Galleries of work by members of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters. There was a wide range of styles in the show and I was struck by how many people had used egg tempera as a medium. You could also tell that colleges and research bodies seemed to be the main commissioners of pictures. In some cases it would have been nice to know a bit more about the sitter as there were obviously things in the picture which alluded to their work an interests but you weren’t quite sure what they meant. Pictures that stood out included a Dutch quality picture of Julian Fellows by Teri Anne Scobie, the group portraits by Richard Foster and some great pictures of women by Bendon Kelly. My favourite however was by Fiona Scott and was called “Henry (Young Farmer)” a very real picture of a young man in ripped jeans and a sweat shirt with a young farmers logo.