A FREE Plein Air Painting Handout

This is about a FREE Plein Air Painting Handout by Michael Chesley Johnson - a very experienced American plein air painter and instructor in oils and soft pastels of repute.

His CV is impressive - see below to check out the credentials of the chap who is providing this handout for free.

He says 

This is the handout I give to my all-level plein air painting workshops. Although it covers only oil and pastel, the methods and information apply to all media. (Watercolor is a bit different, though!)

I'm not going to include the link to it here - however I will include 

• the link to the page that the handout is on - on his website
• the link to his Substack - which also includes a link which takes you to the website link above!

Content of the Plein Air Painting Handout

The headings and subheadings are:

MATERIALS

• Pastel: Basic materials and Procedures
• Oils: Basic materials and Procedures
• Note for acrylic painters

You’d think that, over 25 years, the handout would need updating, but I’ve found “how to paint” consists of some basic principles that, like the laws of phyics, don’t change. The only thing that might change are some of the products listed (which I have updated for this release.)

PLEIN AIR METHODS, TECHNIQUES & TIPS

• Purpose in Plein Air
• Principals to Capturing the Landscape Quickly & Accurately
• How to Paint - Not Draw
• Plein Air Tips (which are excellent! KT)
• Different Approaches to Interpreting Landscape Values
• Dominance & Contrasting Pairs
• Finding Color Harmony
• Color Harmonies
• To Match Any Color
• About Black
• Useful Resources for the Plein Air Painter

You can find his handout here

Paintings in the South West Gallery on Michael Chesley Johnson's website
- the application of media and techniques to landscape
Note how they all "read" really well even in a thumbnail version

About Michael Chesley Johnson AIS PAPNM

I'm going to use the words from his "about" page and will add a few bullet points and a few extra words!

Basically he is an all round "good guy" in terms of being a plein air painter and helping others to become one too - through a variety of channels.

What does he do?

• He paints primarily outdoors in oil, pastel or gouache, choosing locations from the American Southwest, Downeast Maine and the Canadian Maritimes. 
• He has been invited repeatedly to national plein air events:
• most recently was on the distinguished faculty of the annual Plein Air Convention & Expo in Denver, Colorado.
• He delivers plein air painting workshops across the U.S. 
• He is a frequent writer for 
• The Artist’s Magazine, 
• Pastel Journal, 
• Watercolor Artist and 
• PleinAir Magazine, 
• He is also the author of several books, including Beautiful Landscape Painting Outdoors: Mastering Plein Air.

Recognition and Awards

• Awarded Master Pastellist status by Pastel Artists Canada in 2008
• Signature Member of 
• the American Impressionist Society and 
• Plein Air Painters of New Mexico 
• plus a past signature member of several national organizations. (Read here to learn why I let these memberships lapse.) 
• Featured in The Artist’s Magazine in September 2013.
• His paintings 
• have appeared in many magazines 
• are in both corporate and private collections. 

Website:    https://www.mchesleyjohnson.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mchesleyjohnsonstudio

Substack:  https://mchesleyjohnson.substack.com/ 

• you can subscribe on this page https://mchesleyjohnson.substack.com/about

Review: Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition 2025

There's a new look to the Annual Exhibition of the ROI  - which is an annual exhibition that features a variety of oil paintings by both established and emerging artists, the majority of whom are members of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters.

The theme of this year's ROI Exhibition is "Home"

I visited last Wednesday for the PV and Awards Ceremony and then again on Saturday afternoon to finish my photographs and it gradually dawned on me that it felt and looked different - and then slowly I realised why that might be.

The Demographic Change

It took a while to work it out - and then I realised, almost all the "old guard" who I've been seeing in the Annual Exhibitions for the last 20 years have almost all gone. 

Of those still alive, relatively few are still painting and exhibiting. 

It feels like the overall demographic of ROI members has really changed - so there are now many more younger artists and many more female artists.

• Older members have been replaced 
• by much younger artists who have done their bit as open artists and 
• who have now progressed to becoming members and 
• in turn, some of them are now officers of the ROI in their middle age. 

I'm now older than most of the people running the show - which feels very different for me too!

I remember well walking around the ROI annual exhibition in 2010 with Adebanji Alade PROI while we discussed how we could make even more of an impression than he was already and become a member!

Last Wednesday, I saw him deliver the most electrifying tub thumping awards ceremony I've seen in years - as President of the ROI. It feels like maybe the engine room has had an overhaul and there's a new drive to reinforce and develop the ROI. 

While on the wall next to the cafe, very sadly, there's a record of a number of the stalwart member exhibitors of the past who have died in the last year. The last year we lost so many in one year was 2022. These included:

• Fred Beckett FROI (1933-2025) who was an ex President of the ROI and the Wapping Group; 
• John McCombs ROI (1943-2025) who never grew tired of painting the Pennine village of Delph and 
• Brian Ryder (1944-2025) -  whose landscapes I always looked forward to seeing and who never ever had a painting rejected by the ROI.  I found these "bon mots" on his website - which I'm sure some of you will value

1. Art is not what we see but what you can make others see.
2. Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things.
3. A painting requires a little mystery, some vagueness, and some fantasy. When you always make your meaning plain you end up boring people.
4. Painting is easy when you don’t know how, but very difficult when you do.”

So it felt a bit like you do on New Year's Eve - it's goodbye to the old guard and hello to all the new much younger painters hoping to become members as well as those who have been around a few years and are now running the show!

Interestingly most of those new artists are ones I first came across online. 

 It was good to see that Greg Mason has now become a member and taken over the role of looking after the website and social media  (PS You may remember Greg from Landscape Artist of the Year - when he abandoned the chosen view and still made it to the Final! (His blog post / My Blog post. For the unitiated, I have a memory like an elephant and an archive which services it well!!)

This is his video tour of the exhibition

A comprehensive look at Turner - all my blog posts

This is the blog post I should have done yesterday - on the 250th anniversary of the birth Joseph William Mallord Turner on 23 April April 1775 in Maiden Lane in Covent Garden #turner250

Below is a list of all my blog posts about some aspect of Turner since I started writing this blog. They all include images of various works by Turner - and some even include my versions

Many of you will never have seen or read them.

However, beware the links to pages relating to the Turner Bequest at Tate Britain. They revamped their website - without bothering to do any 301 commands to take people from old URLs to new URLs. In part bebcause they've dumped a lot of their content relating to Turner which used to be on the website - which is a very great shame.

Turner on Making A Mark (2007-2025)

A drawing by JMW Turner
On the Washburn, under Folly Hall
British Museum

2007

• Turner Watercolours with Hockney and Shirley

2008

• Tonight Matthew I'm going to be JMW Turner..... includes one of my sketches of Turner paintings

A study of Turner's snowstorm seascape
coloured pencil on Arches HP, 8" x 10"
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

2010

• Exhibition review: Turner and the Masters at Tate Britain
• Talk and Draw at the National Gallery

The Fighting Temeraire (1839)

oil on canvas, 90.7 x 121.6 cm

Joseph Mallord William Turner

Turner Bequest 1856

2011

• Review: 'Watercolour' exhibition at Tate Britain
• Turner finished my sketchbook

2012

• A Picture of London

"The burning of the Houses of Parliament" by JMW Turner

2013

• 25th November 2013 - Who's made a mark this week? - featuring Turner and the Sea - a major exhibition of marine paintings which opened at the National Maritime Museum.

2014

• Royal Academy Videos: how we made Mr. Turner
• "Mr Turner" - a new film about JMW Turner

2015

• J.M.W. Turner's House in Twickenham - open today!
• Review of Ruskin's Turners at the Fitzwilliam Museum

Brunnen, Lake Lucerne in the distance c.1841-3,
J.M.W Turner (1775-1851).
watercolour over graphite, with pen, brown and black ink on paper
(touches of watercolour, verso, from next page)
height, 225, mm; width, 290, mm
Image: copyright Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

2016

• Art History: JMW Turner and the Industrial Revolution

Rain, Steam, and Speed - The Great Western Railway
Location: Maidenhead Railway Bridge looking east,
across the River Thames​ between Taplow and Maidenhead
The bridge was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and completed in 1838. 
Exhibited: Royal Academy in 1844
Collection: National Gallery

2018

• Visit the Prints and Drawings Room at Tate Britain

2019

• JMW Turner's Travelling Watercolour Paints

Watercolour palette owned by J.M.W. Turner, R.A.
175 mm x 148 mm x 4 mm

2020 

J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851), The Doge's Palace and Piazzetta, Venice, c.1840.
Image © National Gallery of Ireland

• J.M.W Turner and The Vaughan Bequest
• British Museum: Prints and Drawings - The Solution! - how to see some of his drawings and watercolours up close

2023

• Unseen Turner and Bonington watercolours now on display at the Wallace Collection

2025

• The Turner Prize Shortlist 2025 begs a question

Where you can see Turner's artwork

The Turner Society maintains a list of all the larger collections in public museums and galleries throughout the world, has a magazine and various events, walks, visits related to Turner. 

You can become a member of the Turner Society.

Artist of the Year Masterclass: Week 2

Below you can find the details of all this week's classes in the brand new series of Artist of the year: Masterclass. It's the same tutors as last week - but different topics this week.

Week 2 of Artist of the Year: Masterclass

As before the the programmes are

• on Sky Arts every evening this week
• the first programme starts at 6pm and lasts 30 minutes
• the second programme starts at 6.30pm
• so basically an hour of tuition covering two topics every evening.

So far as I am aware, these classes are only currently accessible to those living in the UK via Sky Arts (on Freeview). You can also watch on catchup if you subscribe to either Sky or Now TV.

If you follow the Artist of the Year Facebook page or Instagram account you'll get a reminder about each programme - which will include a list of the materials being used.

Here's the Facebook post for the two programmes this evening. (Sorry I've had to replace the Instagram video one - as the video just appeared as a great big blank space on my blog!!)

How did you find the new series of Artist of the Year: Masterclass last week?

It's certainly not a definition of masterclass that I'm familiar with. The artists are dealing with basics of the sort usually taught to beginners or improvers.

Speaking personally, I also found it difficult to set aside the hour each evening to watch "live". However, since I subscribe to NOW TV I was able to access the programmes already broadcast on catch-up. My preference would be to see two back to back programmes each week on one set day - over a period of weeks.

I also found that it was very easy to tell which are artists are experienced at teaching at this level - because it was very clear that they

• prepared their lesson well in advance 
• delivered the instruction in a very structured way
• didn't drop art terms into what they said without explaining what the term means
• had very clear instructions as to what materials are required
• knew how best to teach online
• did a good demonstration

Not all tutors were experienced and competent at teaching at this level.

Postscript: 

It did occur to me that maybe this skills development series is being done with the aim of improving the skills levels of painters applying for and getting selected for the two series of Portrait Artist of the Year and Landscape Artist of the Year.

What do you think?

SUBSCRIBE IF YOU LIKE 'MAKING A MARK' - and keep up with my reviews

and get an email to your inbox every time I publish

Artist of the Year: Masterclass launches 2nd December

Sky Arts have come up with a brand new idea - Artist of the Year: Masterclass for all those aspiring artists out there. This post provides you with ALL THE DETAILS of what's on offer:

• which artists are involved
• what they are teaching

I've got a few problems with the words they use which are clear evidence of marketing over accuracy. That said, it's probably going to be a very popular series. Just a pity they gave it the wrong name....

The NEW Concept: Artist of the Year: Masterclass 

Tai Shan Shierenberg will be giving masterclasses along with other artists

Each masterclass will focus on a different subject or technique to help audiences understand the basics of painting and drawing, with classes covering everything from exploring tone and Alla Prima painting to composing a landscape, botanical flowers and even animal portraiture.

• Target audience: budding artists at home
• Methodology: 
• live tutorials from a variety of talented artists who have previously participated in either PAOTY or LAOTY
• demonstrations of "easy-to-learn techniques to budding artists at home"

The odd thing is I wouldn't ever describe this as a "Masterclass"

A Masterclass in my eyes is something 

• established artists may take to raise their game - the artist who has got beyond beginner but wants to progress to Intermediate or Advanced Levels.
• by learning about the things that acknowledged experts do which makes their artwork that much better.

Whereas the description is coming across to me as if it's about taking people who would like to be artists to a rather advanced level in one fell swoop. Which is:

• very ambitious 
• absolutely impossible!

Next time they maybe need to be properly innovative and get away from marketing people who haven't got a clue and conventional ideas about marketing and pandering to the novice and actually do something useful - such as directing their attention to creating people who will do well in PAOTY or LAOTY e.g. teach them about the pitfalls - and how to overcome them!

Jury is out for me at the moment. I am easily impressed by solid and good quality instruction - and I know that many of those who are delivering tutorials are very experienced teachers. Equally - and sadly - I know that not all are....

So below I'm going to highlight those who are delivering classes on a face to face basis.

The Artists delivering Masterclasses

The artists are mostly those who did well in PAOTY or LAOTY or are otherwise wellknown and well liked!

Links embedded in their name are to their website. Plus I've included links to Instagram where possible.

I'm commenting on what they have achieved as an artist and also whether or not they appear to be a regular teacher/instructor via classes or books.

Past winners of Portrait Artist of the Year

Call for Entries: Royal Institute of Oil Painters

You've got less than a week left to submit an entry to the Annual Exhibition 2024  of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters at the Mall Galleries which opens on 28th November 2024.
I'd normally writing about this in August - but as regular readers will know I was on a lengthy break for various reasons.

So the first thing I need to tell you is that the deadline for online entries - to to submit your digital image of your artwork / form / fees ONLINE only - is Friday 4 October, 12 noon 

The ROI Annual Exhibition typically exhibits around 300 artworks by both members and those selected via the open entry. 

The ROI is the only major British art society that promotes and exhibits work of the highest standard exclusively in oil paint.

This blog post covers this Open Exhibition - and:

• who can enter
• what you can enter
• how to enter

Call for Entries - ROI Annual Exhibition 2023

You can find the official and FULL Call for Entries here on

• the Mall Galleries website
• the ROI website
• the portal to the entry screen

Plus this is the link to the Full Details, Entry Terms & Conditions

Below is a Summary of the different aspects of the Call for Entry - plus MY COMMENTARY.

I would love to see more artists having the chance to exhibit alongside us at this prestigious event. When I had my first chance, I was over the moon and just being associated with this society has really boosted my career in the most positive ways.
Adebanji Alade - President

WHO can Enter

Artists are invited to submit work for exhibition alongside members of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters at the ROI Annual Exhibition 2023. ROI Exhibition Page

• The competition is open to all artists over the age of 18
• It is also open to international entries - you don't even have to be live or work in the UK. 
• However International Artists need to make sure they read the Mall Galleries/FBA Notice about the need to register for VAT to get your artwork through Customs and into the UK!  
• You might also find my webpage about International Art Shipping: How to ship / export art to other countries useful.

What you can enter

Portraits of people in oils
at the ROI Annual Exhibition 2023 (East Gallery)

SUBJECT MATTER

Artists may submit work on any subject matter.

ORIGINAL ARTWORK NOT PREVIOUSLY SEEN

Basically NEW to the Mall Galleries and less than 3 years old.

ALL artwork submitted MUST

• have been completed within the last three years and 
• must NOT have been previously exhibited at the Mall Galleries (i.e. if you've submitted it to one of the other art societies that exhibits at the Mall Galleries - and it was selected for exhibition you cannot submit it to this exhibition)

ACCEPTABLE MEDIA

I declare victory for common sense!  Last year and the year before in my Call for entries posts, I had a go at the ROI and the Mall Galleries for what was clearly confusing advice as to eligible media - which IMO bordered on being in conflict with mandatory regulations re marketing - and this year it has been sorted!!

I'm really pleased to acknowledge that the ROI is truly exclusive to entries in oil paint.

The definition of acceptable media is now as follows (with my choice of highlighting for what is now EXCLUDED!)

Oils. The ROI promotes and exhibits work of the highest standard in oil paint.

Water-soluble oil paint is acceptable if framed as an oil, so as not to spoil the general appearance of the exhibition.

Acrylic is no longer accepted

Most of the selected works have always been in oil paint i.e. high 90% so this shouldn't be an issue for the look of the exhibition

However this change may well affect all those artists submitting via the open entry in acrylic who will now need to find alternative exhibitions to enter - or start painting in oils.

NUMBER OF ENTRIES

PAOTY 2023: Commission Painting of Dr Jane Goodall

This is about the winner's story about painting the commissioned portrait in the 10th series of Portrait Artist of the Year.

Every year, the winner of the Portrait Artist of the Year Award receives a £10,000 commission to paint a specific individual for a particular organisation - who would like to have a portrait of that individual. The latter is typically famous and has contributed in a significant way to public life.

The unveiling of the commissioned portrait of Dr Jane Goodall
by Wendy Barratt
in the History Makers Gallery at the National Portrait Gallery

In this instance:

• the winner is Wendy Barratt, (see Wendy Barratt is Portrait Artist of the Year 2023 (Series 10)

"a great painter with a sensitivity for the human condition - and that combination is magical" Tai Shan Shierenberg

• her sitter is the esteemed ethologist (a scientist who studies animals in their natural environment), activist and conservationist, Dr Jane Goodall who nearly 90 and is considered to be the world's foremost authority on chimpanzees following her groundbreaking research with a colony of chimpanzees in the 1960s. She also continues to campaign on behalf of the natural world around the world.
• and the organisation commissioning the portrait is the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) - who have been trying to get a proper portrait of Jane Goodall for some time!

The £10,000 commission

The National Portrait Gallery already has a portrait of Jane Goodall - as part of a Panel 1 of a newly commissioned artwork about Work in Progress for Reframing Narratives: Women in Portraiture (see below).

Sarah Howgate, the Senior Curator for Contemporary Collections suggested to Wendy that:

• it was important for the NPG to represent more environmentalists
• the commission portrait could be a head and shoulder, as a full figure of Jane Goodall (plus chimp) in her younger years has already been incorporated in the "Work in Progress" frieze mentioned above (on the left below).
• plus she has an incredible face.

On the left of this "Work in Progress" frieze
is a much younger Jane Goodall with a chimp

The Portrait Process

I thought that this particular episode was particularly good because, from beginning to end, it's a complete education in how one artist pursues her process by talking and showing us what she does.

Other programmes about the commission have similarly followed the process - but I think Wendy is particularly articulate about all the stages she follows and it was a sheer pleasure to watch.

I'm going to try and note the process - with quotes - below!!  I also highly recommend that you go back and watch it again to appreciate the pathway she pursues.

Also bear in mind this is a good process for whoever you are painting a portrait of!

The process

• meet the artist - having watched her produce three separate portraits, the programme introduced us to a bit more about the artist and how she works
• her style is rooted in tradition - but she tries to introduce expression as well
• she loves lines
• she's an oil painter who does more drawing than painting - she wanted to know why she couldn't draw with a brush and then started to draw into her paintings using a small flat hogshair brush
• she loves painting people with a story and likes to bring out the heart and soul of the sitter.

"What drives me is constant looking and learning. It's about experimentation" Wendy Barratt

• meet the client - and find out what they want. In this instance 
• Wendy met Sarah Howgate at the National Portrait Gallery (below)
• she saw the new History Makers Gallery and the nature of the scale, size and style of the different portraits (see second pic below)
• Wendy's favourite gallery in London has always been the National Portrait Gallery so it must have been intensely meaningful for Wendy to know that she would be painting a portrait for the national contemporary collection.

Wendy meeting Sarah Howgate at the new entrance 
to the refurbished National Portrait Gallery

The NEW History Makers Gallery at the National Portrait Gallery

• First Sitting: getting to know the sitter - on their own territory. Wendy visited Bournemouth and Dr Goodall in the house in which she grew up and where she still lives. They talked together in the garden. In a way it's interesting that this approach is routed in ethology - of getting to know an animal in its own space.

"I would love Wendy to be able to capture determination and compassion..... so who can capture 90 years worth of experience and living? It's really difficult!" Dr Jane Goodall

• Wendy brings pre-conceived ideas about what she wants to do
• however first sittings are about trying to take everything in
• at the same time as remaining open to her instinct
• it's about keeping ideas about the portrait loose and fluid so it can change

"I hate looking at myself. I hate photographs" Dr Jane Goodall

• Wendy is making notes - in charcoal - about Jane's face
• She focuses on structures and shapes and how to achieve them
• she takes photographs - at the end AFTER Jane has relaxed from the observation during the drawing session

Note that this section is also wonderful for Jane Goodall talking about what she did and how she did it.

• drawing from life - Wendy is a huge fan of drawing from life and always starts her portraits by making a drawing to get to know the head and face of the sitter. 
• taking photographs - Wendy took numerous photographs for reference to begin to try and work out what might be the best composition for the portrait

Wendy and Jane - getting to know one another prior to starting the drawing

• more studies: 
• working through the size, proportion of the composition and developing drawings of the face from photos and sketches
• she also drew her while Jane was giving a talk in London - while relaxed and at her most animated without thinking - with chimpanzee noises
• then sketching again after she's walked away from the meeting of the face while still fresh in her mind's eye.

"She's so petite and fragile but so strong" Wendy Barratt

• use of life drawing - to stimulate expression
•  she runs a life drawing class in Worthing
• Wendy draws from life a LOT which is probably one of the reasons why she could capture a good likeness so quickly in the heat and subsequently
• Second Sitting: painting from life plus more photos - a second visit brought an opportunity to paint rather than draw Jane. 
• Except of course, Wendy drew her in first to get the shape, size and relative proportions right which underpin the likeness - using a brush. 
• she uses a limited palette of two colours and white to get a number of related tones and develop a tonal painting
• more photographs now she has learned her face and Jane is once again less likely to tense when the camera comes out

I know I can get likeness. That wasn't the sort of thing for today. Today was see what squidging paint around on the surface would do for the story and what I'd glean from that Wendy Barratt

Second Sitting at the Natural History Museum

"She's small and quite quiet but with a strength that sort of almost punches you in the stomach" Wendy Barratt

• working out the final design - this is gathering all the information together in terms of drawings and photographs and different perspectives
• she wants to go through the painful process of working things out
• the studies have helped to eliminate some of the options

Some of the photos and studies of Jane

• painting the final portrait: Wendy's aims include that viewers - when standing in front of the portrait - should be: 
• drawn in by the face alone
• see how serious Jane is
• see also the life in Jane and her emotional spark; and 
• for the face to give an emotion to the viewer

"It's like being at the top of the rollercoaster.... I could end up with really white knuckles and really poorly at the end!!" Wendy Barratt

"I'm not expecting her to like it - but I'm hoping she might appreciate it" Wendy Barratt 

I think she succeeded and then some. It's an amazing portrait painting.

I hope others wanting to do well will also learn from Wendy's process.

 

The unveiling of "the biggest commission on Wendy's life"

The portrait was unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery - in the Gallery were it will hang - History Makers on Floor 0 

This gallery includes paintings of people who are really making a difference to Britain today.  It also includes the portrait of Lenny Henry by last year's winner Morag Caister - see PAOTY Commission - Painting Sir Lenny Henry (aka Len) and the 

Two women with character and strength - waiting for an unveiling

"I think we need a portrait which knocks it out of the park and nothing less" Kate Bryan

Part of this you have captured is me - and part of it is the icon. It's interesting Jane Goodall  

I thought it was a brilliant portrait and I'm looking forward to seeing it "in real life"!  I also really appreciate how Wendy shared her process so very clearly and I hope others learn from it.

PAOTY 2023: Portrait of Dr Jane Goodall by Wendy Barratt
 - for the National Portrait Gallery

Some comments from my Facebook Page 

I was in tears when I saw her portrait of Jane Goodall. I keep going back to it, spellbound.

When I saw the commission programme I knew that she was the only one who could have connected so well with Dr Jane . It was hard to imagine either of the other finalists making such a good connection. Ruth Mann

I felt exactly the same about her connection with Jane Goodall. I'm not sure either of the other two could have achieved it. It really brought it home to me that technical ability is only part of artistic talent, especially where portraits are concerned. It's the artist's ability to see things AND get that vision down on the canvas (or whatever) that makes the difference. Lesley Waring

Previous PAOTY Commission blog posts

• 2022: PAOTY Commission - Painting Sir Lenny Henry (aka Len)
• 2021: incorporated in this post Calum Stevenson wins Portrait Artist of the Year (Series 8 Autumn 2021)
• 2020: PAOTY Commission: Curtis Holder draws Carlos Acosta
• 2019: ncorporated in this post Duncan Shoosmith is Portrait Artist of the Year 2019
   

Call for Entries: Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition 2023

The Royal Institute of Oil Painters invite entries to its Annual Exhibition 2023 at the Mall Galleries which opens on 29th November 2023. This blog post covers this Open Exhibition and:

• who can enter
• what you can enter
• how to enter

It also covers what, in my opinion are two serious mistakes.

The deadline for entries is 12 noon on Friday 6 October to submit your artwork / form / fees ONLINE only.  

Call for Entries - ROI Annual Exhibition 2023

You can find the official and FULL Call for Entries here on

• the Mall Galleries website
• the ROI website

There's not been a lot of marketing of this Call for Entries by either the ROI or Mall Galleries - I only spotted it this week!

Below is a Summary of the different aspects of the Call for Entry 

- plus MY COMMENTARY. 

(UPDATE: I should add that I emailed the President of the ROI before I published and he's written back to say that the ROI Council will consider the points made for the future.)

View of the East Gallery at the ROI Annual Exhibition 2022

WHO can Enter

Artists are invited to submit work for exhibition alongside members of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters at the ROI Annual Exhibition 2023. ROI Exhibition Page

• The competition is open to all artists over the age of 18
• It is also open to international entries - you don't even have to be live or work in the UK. However International Artists need to make sure they read the Mall Galleries/FBA Notice about the need to register for VAT to get your artwork through Customs and into the UK! (See the last bullet point under Sales in the Call for Entries re the need to register for VAT). You might also find my page about International Art Shipping: How to ship / export art to other countries useful.

View of North Gallery - ROI Annual Exhibition 2022

WHAT you can enter

The Royal Institute of Oil Painters was founded in 1882 and is the only major British art society that promotes and exhibits work of the highest standard exclusively in oil paint. ROI Exhibition Page

Acceptable media: Oils. Acrylic and water-soluble oil paint is acceptable if framed as an oil, so as not to spoil the general appearance of the exhibition. 

The ROI have a problem with the wording of the Call for Entries (and website). I explicitly noted the problem with the Call for Entries and the two statements above last year. I warn about issues once and, if not addressed, the following year I spell out why it needs to be addressed - which is what I'm doing this year.

The two statements above are ambiguous, contradictory and misleading which means they are very unlikely to be compliant with The UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing (CAP Code)

A Call for Entries is a direct marketing communication. I'm not sure many art societies are aware of this, but it applies to ALL marketing communications on the Internet, print publications, advertisements and promotional material - including websites. Compliance is also NOT optional!

The UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing (CAP Code) is the rule book for non-broadcast advertisements, sales promotions and direct marketing communications (marketing communications). (CAP Code)

In my opinion, the ROI really MUST review the use of the word 'exclusively' on the ROI website (and Mall Galleries website). All that needs to happen is either:

• EITHER: delete the word "exclusively" and have another think about how to describe the ROI and acceptable media
• OR: delete non-oil paints from eligible media since it's impossible to be "exclusively in oil paint" - and then accept other paints e.g. acrylic which are NOT oil paints! ( i.e. a frame does not change a media!!)
• AND make sure all communications comply with the CAP Code in every respect.

Number and percentage of works - by medium

- in the ROI Annual Exhibitions 2014-2019

The number of works exhibited each year typically varies between 270 and just over 300. 

I RECOMMEND that artists submit artworks in oil paint only via the Open Entry.

In relation to other matters there are various requirements

• Age: All artwork must have been completed within the last three years 
• Previous Exhibitions: Artwork must not have been previously shown at Mall Galleries.
• Presentation: 
• Paintings should be completely dry at the time of delivery
• Wide mounts between painting and frame, as in watercolours, are not acceptable.
• Glazed work is not encouraged.
• Unframed work can be accepted if on a well-presented box canvas.
• Works that are poorly presented or differ significantly from the photograph entered will not be exhibited.
• Exhibition Theme: 
• This year’s mini theme is ‘Urban Life’, which can be interpreted widely. 
• Artists are encouraged to contribute a work on the theme, however it is not compulsory.
• Number of artwork submitted: A maximum of six works may be submitted
• Number / size of artwork selected: 
• A maximum of three works may be selected.
• The combined measurement of works accepted will not exceed 8 feet maximum per artist.
• For Sale: 
• Work must be for sale, unless portraits.
• The minimum sale price is £500.
• All prices must allow for the deduction of commission @45% plus VAT %20% on the commission sum and the cost of the frame and shipping (there and back if unsold).

I'm very concerned that the minimum price has been raised to £500 for a number of reasons. I can only assume this is the product of some misplaced notion that eliminating very affordable art will increase sales and income. This is wrong. If anything the emphasis should be on making artwork more affordable.

Key Pricing Points - based on analysis of actual data:

Review: Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition 2022

This exhibition is on for longer than most of the annual exhibitions of the art societies based at the Mall Galleries. The Annual Exhibition 2022 of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters opened at the Mall Galleries on 24th November and closes on 10th December.

This is a review of what I found when I visited in the first week. I've previously written about the prizewinners in Prizewinners at the Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition 2022

Annual Exhibition 2022

This exhibition comprises 285 paintings which are hung in the three galleries at the Mall Galleries. (This compares to 304 in 2019 which was the last ROI exhibition I went to and is the second lowest total since 2014)

The first thing is that I've uploaded my photos of the exhibition to my Facebook Page - by gallery - as follows:

• West Gallery
• East Gallery
• North Gallery
  

Part of the hang in the East Gallery

Part of the West Gallery

I've highlighted paintings I liked and/or was intrigued by through photographs of the  individual paintings.

You will appreciate that I've reviewed such exhibitions many times - although I've missed the last two ROI Annual Exhibitions due the pandemic and shielding prior to surgery. (I got as far as the hospital a year ago today - before being sent home again!)

So I'm splitting this review into two halves

• what I noticed
• what I liked.

It's always interesting to do a review a little while after a visit to see if you still think the same as what you noted at the time.....

What I noticed

Themes for my commentary are as follows

• Groups of artworks by members
• Changing Times (Theme)
• Young Artists
• Small = Affordable?
• Framing
• Media
• Sales

Groups of artworks by Members

I liked the grouping of artwork by members with very distinctive styles. It makes for a more impactful presentation.