Roy Connelly

Low Tide at Bosham. 10 x 26 inches, oil on board.
click to view full size

Another painting from my show at Island Fine Arts. until 2 Jul 2011

Harry Brioche, Roy Connelly and Sally Trueman

Island Fine Arts Ltd
53 High St, Bembridge, Isle of Wight P035 5SE
Tel: 01983 875 133

Above: Ken Howard, Peter Brown, Roy Connelly – click to view

This is a recent interview with Ken Howard RA in which he talks about the difficulties encountered when painting on the streets of London.  The problem is not one of perspective,  capturing the light or changing weather but of being moved on under the spurious excuse of ‘health and safety’.

I was pleased to get a mention in the article, along with Pete the Street – Peter Brown NEAC.

The Health and Safety Executive saw fit to respond with a letter defending common sense:

“Real health and safety is about dealing with risks that are likely to cause serious harm or even death to those in workplaces. I would urge you to challenge those jobsworths who persist in devaluing the real and important stuff by using “elf ‘n’ safety” as an easy excuse for spoiling everyone else’s enjoyment.”

You can read their letter in full here on the HSE website.

Finally, in a humourous response to the original story in the Telegraph, The Guardian newspaper found 10 ‘serious menaces’ in Trafalgar Square that were apparently missed by the wardens.

Spring Blossom
8 x 10 inches, 20 x 25cm, oil on board £480

This is one the the paintings I am currently showing at Island Fine Arts until 2 July 2011.

Island Fine Arts Ltd
53 High St, Bembridge, Isle of Wight P035 5SE
Tel: 01983 875 133

Josephine Harpur’s Summer Exhibition is on now at the Edmund Gallery, Angel Hill in the beautiful Suffolk town of Bury St Edmunds.  I popped in to see the show on the opening Saturday and was just in time to meet the buyer of one of my paintings.  It is always a pleasure to meet one’s collectors, without whom artists could not lead the lives they do.

Bury St Edmunds has an amazingly well preserved mix of medieval and Georgian architecture and is well worth a visit.

The exhibition features the work of Roy Connelly, Sarah Coghill, Paul Curtis, Kate Denton, Katya Gridnev, Valery Gridnev, Veda Hallows, Kevin Hughes, Pamela Kay, Peter Kelly, Ffiona Lewis, Ronald Morgan, Charles Rake, Mike Speller and Tim Woolcock

The Edmund Gallery, St Edmundsbury Cathedral
Angel Hill, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 1LS
Saturday 11th to Thursday 16th June
10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Enquiries Josephineharpur@aol.com
tel 01359 269692 mob 07946 523285

Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace.
Oil on board, 12×10 inches, £580.

The Trooping of the Colour ceremony takes place in London on Saturday, so I thought I would post this picture from my current show at Island Fine Arts. It was painted in The Mall a few days before the Royal Wedding of William and Kate.

The police were happy for me to set up my easel in the middle of the road, which was closed to traffic that day.  Each time the troops marched to and from the Palace I had to pick up my box easel and kit and quickly move to the side to let them pass, before reclaiming my spot.

To paint the marching band as they passed I had one brush loaded with red paint and another loaded with black.  I hadn’t account for the brass instruments they were playing and had to quickly get another brush and more paint mixed but I got it down in one hit and was quite please with the result.

Union Flags flying in The Mall. Oil on board, 16×10 inches.

Painted earlier this summer when The Mall was lined with flags for William and Kate’s wedding, these are two of the new paintings I have on show at Island Fine Arts until 2 July 2011.  The Mall was closed to traffic so I was able to stand in the road to paint.

4 Jun- 2 Jul 2011 Harry Brioche, Roy Connelly and Sally Trueman

Island Fine Arts Ltd
53 High St, Bembridge, Isle of Wight P035 5SE
Tel: 01983 875 133

Royal Flags, The Mall. Oil on board, 12×10 inches.