Roy Connelly

This afternoon I painted in the company of the Wapping Group of Artists.  The “Wappers” as they are affectionately known are a group of painters who get together once a week in the summer months to record life along the River Thames and its estuary.

Above is my painting of the Golden Hinde.  This 12×10 inch study is in oil on board.  The two small figures hidden in the middle distance are Bert Wright and Geoff Hunt both of whom are Past Presidents of the Royal Society of Marine Artists.

I recently spent a week painting in Dorset.  Although it was really a research trip for Victoria’s next novel I did get some time to paint. Here are a few photographs from the trip.

An evening stroll along the Cobb.

View from Eggardon Hill.

The Cobb habour at dusk.

Very fresh fish from the Old Watch House
which sells locally caught fish, crab and lobster
by the Cobb in Lyme Regis.

Simon from the Old Watch House fish shop
with some hand dived local scallops

We took a trip out to.. Well I’m not too sure where.

Here are some of the panels I painting during the week.

This is a very quick sketch of the Lasers setting sail at Lyme Regis.  They had sailed past me as I was painting at the end of the Cobb and I quickly sketched a couple of them before rushing round to the beach to paint the picture shown here. The intense colour of the backlit sails was an irresistible subject but one which lasted only a few minutes before they set off again. It is 6 x 10 inches, oil on board.

I painted this view of Golden Cap from several miles away on the beach at Lyme Regis in Dorset.  It is a very small picture at only 4 inches high.

As well as being a fun evening, the auction at Heatherleys was a great success.  It was an exciting experience seeing my painting of Albert Bridge auctioned by Nick Bonham, formerly of  the Bonhams auction house.  Nick has auctioned over a million works of art in his career.

Other artists in the auction included Julian Barrow, Ken Howard and Jane Corsellis.  Both Ken and Julian were there along with many of the other artists taking part in the Chelsea Riverside exhibition.

Congratulations to Adebanji Alade, who won first price in the competition and many thanks to David Waddell and the Cheyne Walk Trust for organising the event.

I had a fun day out in London today.  I started off at the annual exhibition of the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours where my friend Naomi Tydeman won the Winsor and Newton Prize for a series of beautiful moonlit beach paintings.  Well done Naomi!

Then I went on to paint the Thames with Karl Terry but we found that Ken Howard RA had beaten us to the best spot

We stopped for a quick chat with him on Hungerford Bridge then left him to get on with the two wonderful paintings of the river towards Westminster.

Ken and I will have work in an auction on Thursday 22 April, conducted by Nick Bonham, to raise funds for a young artist’s bursary at Heatherley School of Fine Art.

There will be selected works by artists including: Ken Howard; Jane Corsellis; Bill Packer; Julian Barrow; Roy Connelly; Hazel Soan and others.  You can see the auction items and competetion entries here.

The Cheyne Walk Trust is raising funds for a bursary for young artists at Heatherley School of Fine Art in Chelsea.

There will be an exhibition of paintings of the Chelsea Riverside at Heatherleys 18 – 22 April, 2 – 6pm.

On the evening of Thursday 22nd April there will be a reception, prize giving ceremony and an auction. Prizes will be presented by Ken Howard RA.

Full details here: Chelsea Exhibition The cover image is a detail from my painting of Albert Bridge which will feature in the auction.

If you would like to reserve tickets for the Reception and Auction click here: Reception tickets for Chelsea Riverside

Island Fine Arts. Bembridge, Isle of Wight.
27 March – 24 April 2010

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.

The annual open exhibition of the Royal Society of British Artists is on now at the Mall Galleries in London until 21 March.  I have two pictures in the show, both of the King’s Road in Chelsea.

The Private View was good fun and my friend Karl Terry won the Red Rag Gallery award.  Karl was in London for a couple of days with another friend, Paul Rafferty.  The weather was very cold but we painted all day only stopping after it got dark.

I rarely paint inside, prefering to work ‘en plein air’.  This week I have been painting some larger studio pictures from my location studies so I thought I would share these photos taken around my studio.
Click to view full size. See below for details of my favourite suppliers of oil painting equipment and materials.

I always use the best quality materials when I am painting.  Here is a list of my favourite suppliers and what I buy from them:

Bird and Davis The UK’s oldest artists’ stretcher frame manufacturers and suppliers of best quality linen canvas.

C Roberson and Co High quality oil painting mediums and gilding supplies.  Founded in 1810 – past customers include Turner, Whistler and Sargent!

Cornelissen and Sons Artist’s Colourmen since 1855.  The best looking art shop in london. Brushes, goldleaf and other bits and pieces.

Gold Leaf Supplies Online seller of gold leaf and gilding supplies

Michael Harding Handmade artists’ oil colours

Old Holland Highly pigmented oil paints made to traditional formulas

Rosemary and Co High quality handmade brushes from Yorkshire

Winsor and Newton Professional quality artists’ oil colour