Roy Connelly

The 20th Annual Venice in Peril Exhibition opens this week at W.H Patterson in Albermarle Street.

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

Painting Santa Maria Della Salute at night.

I recently spent a few days painting in Venice with fellow plein air painters; David Bachmann, Paul Rafferty and Karl Terry.   This photo was taken on the day I arrived.  I had been up since 3am to drive to Gatwick in the snow and not even darkness was going to stop me painting.

It was an eventful trip with flights home cancelled by the snow in the UK and an unusually high acqua alta of 140cm left more than 55% of Venice flooded.

Rising water in the Piazzetta San Marco

Painting the Salute in the rain.

The fishmarket at night. Oil on board, 10×8 inches.

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.