Winsor and Newton Oil Painter Awards

Winsor & Newton and the Royal Institute of Oil Painters have today announced the 2010 Winners of their annual Oil Painters Awards.

These are being presented at the preview of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters exhibition at the Mall Galleries today - Tuesday 7 December (which assuming the snow's not bad and the public transport is working is where I am right now!)

The Winsor & Newton Oil Painter Awards are presented to artists under 35 who the judges believe demonstrate “creativity and talent” in their use of the medium.

In 2010 all three prizes have been awarded to portraits.

First Prize: Nathan Ford
Awarded to this 34-year old artist for his painterly portrait of Samuel (see right), a regular drinker at the local Wetherspoons in the Jamaican district of south-east London where Ford used to live. Moved to paint Samuel because he “has a great face” and “jumps out of the crowd”, Ford says that he knows very little about his regular sitter, as they rarely talk during sittings.

Ford graduated from Byam Shaw in 2000, and is no stranger to the Winsor & Newton Oil Painting Awards. He won Second Prize in 1999 and 2000, then First Prize in 2001 and 2003.

2nd Prize: Dad Looking Down by Tim Benson

Second Prize: Tim Benson
Awarded for a portrait of his father, painted from below using sweeping brushstrokes and bold colour. Graduating from Byam Shaw in 2001, London-based artist Benson is a full-time artist and part- time teacher at Heatherleys and Hampstead School of Art. He explains that he is focused on “breaking something down into its core elements” in his portraits.

Third Prize: Leanne Rutter
This 23-year old artist submitted a sensitive portrait of a man and dog. Rutter left university in 2009, intending to pursue a career in portrait painting. Determined not to slip into full-time work and forget her goal, Rutter took a job as a dog-walker, which gave her the opportunity to meet a wide variety of people. Colin, her subject for this work, is a fellow dog walker, who spent one year nursing his girlfriend’s dog back to health after an injury that resulted in a broken back. Rutter was moved to paint Colin because of the adoration devotion he demonstrated to the dog through this task.

Leanne Rutter and Michael Portillo study Post Paraysis which won 3rd prize and the Phyllis Roberst Award (£2,000)

The winners each receive Winsor & Newton artist materials plus a tour of the Winsor & Newton Colour Manufacturing Plant.

A number of other prizes and awards are also presented at the Private View of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition 2010.

The exhibition opens to the public tomorrow (8th December) and continues until 19th December 2010 at the Mall Galleries - details below.  I'll be posting a review of the exhibition later in the week [UPDATE:  See  Review: Royal Institute of Oil Painters - 123rd Annual Exhibition 2010 ]

Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition: Mall Galleries The Mall (near Trafalgar Square), London SW1. Open 8 to 19 December 2010, 10am-5pm daily (closes 1pm on final day).
Admission £2.50, Concessions £1.50 (Free to Friends of the FBA, Art Fund Members, Westminster Res-card holders and Under 16s).
Tel: 020 7930 6844 www.mallgalleries.org.uk