The Inaugural Exhibition of the Plein Air Brotherhood opens this week at the A&K Wilson Gallery in Harpenden.

The picture above is one of several of Harpenden painted recently when PAB artists, Adebanji Alade, Roy Connelly and John Dobbs visited ahead of the exhibition.

Everyone is welcome to attend the preview night, where they will be able to meet the artists. You can download an invitation here: Plein Air Brotherhood Invitation

The Inaugural Exhibition of The Plein Air Brotherhood
1st – 30th September 2011
A & K Wilson Gallery Ltd,
11 Station Approach, Harpenden,
Herts. AL5 4SP
Tel/Fax: 01582 760824
E-mail: drew@akwilsongallery.co.uk

You can learn more at the Plein Air Brotherhood website.

Rye Harbour – Summer Afternoon, oil on board, 6 x 10 inches

painters at work

A five minute sketch in oil on board. 6×8 inches

At the weekend Karl Terry invited a group of friends to join him for a day’s painting. He arranged access to a private stretch of the river at Rye in East Sussex then, in the evening, showed off his skills at the barbeque.

The 5 minute sketch above was the result of a challenge.  We all went over the time limit – this one took me about 10 minutes.

Thanks Karl

San Giorgio Sparkle.  8 x 10 inches, oil on board

Over the years, this exhibition has contributed over £100,000 to the Venice in Peril Fund.  The show features “a wonderful selection of beautiful paintings from many new artists as well as exceptional pictures from the palettes of our talented regulars”.

During the exhibition there is an opportunity to win a fabulous 5 star holiday to Venice sponsored by Kirker Holidays.  The prize includes a stay at the Danieli Hotel and return journey to London on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.  How cool is that?

It’s been a long time since my last trip on the Orient Express so, if you win the holiday and want to take an artist with you, well – you know who to ask…

Find out more about Venice in Peril.

Wednesday 12 January – Friday 4 February 2011

W H Patterson
19, Albemarle Street, London. W1S 4BB.
Tel +44 (0)20 7248 3824  email: info@whpatterson.com

Black Jack Lane, Oil on canvas, 16 x 32 inches

Snow at Marlow, Oil on canvas, 20 x 36 inches

After a busy few days out painting the snow I have finally got round to photographing a few of my plein air paintings.  All of these pictures were completed on location in one session.  It’s been a great having such wonderful subject matter but the snow is now melting.  I cant wait for the next cold snap.

Palette Knife. Oil on board. 4 x 10 inches

I am very proud to be showing with the NEAC again this year.  I have shown in this prestigious exhibition for the last 6 years. This year, for the first time, I sent in some little still life paintings to show that I do occasionally paint subjects other than my plein air landscapes.  I was delighted that the judges liked them.

The day I painted these pictures I had gone in to my studio to paint a large picture from one of my location studies.  But, as I looked at the dipper sitting on my palette I became intrigued by the way it seemed to blend in with it’s surroundings.  Layers of old paint have built up over the years creating a patina-like finish on both the palette and the dipper.  I realised that it could be painted by reproducing the colour, tone and shape of each mark.

These paintings and many of the others in the show can now be seen and purchased here.

New English Art Club.
Mall Galleries, London SW1.
26 November – 5 December 2010

I delivered my paintings to The Old Gaol Studios on Saturday.  The exhibition, which opens on Friday evening, is the first to be held in the newly restored village gaol in the Kent village of Wittersham. The artists taking part are: Karl Terry, Chris Daynes, Rowan Crew, Roy Connelly, Peter Robson, John Stillman, Michael Richardson, David Bachmann and Trevor Chamberlain.

Pagham Harbour, Sussex. Oil on board, 12×16 inches

Please contact me if you would like an invitation to the Private View.

For more information or to purchase any of these pictures please contact Island Fine Arts, tel: 01983 875133.

Click on any thumbnail to view full size. Then click on the image to see the next one or press ‘start’ for slideshow.

I have work in two exhibitions in London at the moment.  ‘London Seen’ is a group show of London paintings at Llewellyn Alexander Fine Paintings.

‘Venice in Peril’ is also a group show,  in this case featuring paintings of Venice.  This popular annual exhibition, at W.H. Patterson in Albermarle Street, helps to raise funds for restoration projects in that most beautiful city.

At Venice in Peril there are works by Ken Howard, Auguste Bouvard, Ivan Lapper, David Sawyer, Robert E Wells, Roy Connelly, Jonathan Trowell, John Stillman and other talented artists.

London Seen features Tom Coates, Bruce Yardley, Roy Connelly, Liam O’Farrell, Terry McKifragan, Robert E Wells, Fraser King and others

If you fancy seeing both wonderful cities in a day, its only a short 20 minute walk between the two galleries.

London Seen Llewellyn Alexander Fine Paintings
11 January – 10 February 2010

Venice in Peril W. H. Patterson
13 January – 5 February 2010

The paintings above show the view from Riva Degli Schiavoni in Venice with San Giorgio on the left and the Doges Palace (under scaffolding) on the right,  Santa Maria Della Salute is in the distance.

Below that is a view of Cleopatra’s Needle by the River Thames in London.

After dropping off the pictures there was just time to paint the view from Culver Down, before having a fish and chip supper and catching the ferry home.  It would have been  nice to have stayed longer.

Today, I was pleasantly surprised to find one of the paintings on the front page of the gallery website.  Rye Harbour, shown above, is in oil on board and measures 12 x 12 inches.  It was painted on location in the fading light just after sunset.

You can find Island Fine Arts at: 53 High Street, Bembridge, Isle of Wight, PO35 5SE. Tel: 01983 875 133  and at the Affordable Art Fair 22-25 October, in Battersea Park, London. Stand E6

Big Ben is one hundred and fifty years old. On this day in 1859 the Great Bell was struck for the first time.  Originally it was only the bell that was known as Big Ben but most people now use the name to refer to the clock tower as well.

Painting outside in London, I have painted the clock tower many times and it can can be seen in the back ground of the pictures above.

French Impressionist Claude Monet painted Big Ben when he visited London the 1870′s. You can see his picture The Thames Below Westminster at the National Gallery in London.