Oil Residency in London

How do you fancy being the artist in residence at Winsor & Newton? 

Last week I discovered an Oil Residency in London is being offered in London in 2020 by Winsor & Newton.

It was launched on Thursday at the Winsor & Newton "Discover Oil Colour" event at the annual exhibition of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters at the Mall Galleries.

The thing is I can't find any reference to this specific Residency Online online (although it does appear that W&N have previously offered a residency. It's not on

• EITHER the Winsor & Newton website for the UK
• OR the Royal Institute of Oil Painters website 

So I've decided to print off my rather crumpled, folded launch guide that I was given and give you the email address for further enquiries.

Key Features

Benefits

• Sole use of a 34 square metre studio "at Winsor & Newton". I assume this means their registered office and trading address at The Studio Building, 21 Evesham Street, London W11 4AJ although this is not clear.
• Art Materials will be provided for the period of the residency
• Professional mentoring by ROI members and W&N staff
• Open Studio event at the end of the residency
• Local accommodation provided if winner lives outside London +  weekly £100 living allowance

Timeline

• Residency: Start and Finish Dates - 1st June - 3rd July 2020
• DEADLINE for applications: 1st March 2000
• Judging: Mid March 2020
• Winner to be announced on 20th March 2020

How to enter

• ELIGIBLE ARTISTS: 
• Within 5 years of graduating. Unclear whether this needs to be in art. 
• Not stated whether eligibility is limited to UK citizens and/or current legitimate UK residents (they've forgotten to state the legal niceties re. legal right to be in and study/work in the UK that they need to comply with to avoid problems with UK Immigration)
• ELIGIBLE ARTWORK: Nothing mentioned re. actual artwork or digital images
• TERMS AND CONDITIONS:  No link for formal terms and conditions and very necessary legal niceties re personal data (eg GDPR)
• HOW TO ENTER: Send images and a brief synopsis (Of what? Do they mean a CV? Or why you want a residency - or both?) to ROIresdencyUK@colart.com

[Note: Winsor & Newton is one of the brands owned by Colart]

ROI Exhibition: Young Oil Painter Awards

One of the things I love to see is an art society which makes time to celebrate young emerging artists in its annual exhibition AND prize sponsors who believe in backing young artists.

At the 2015 Annual Exhibition of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters at the Mall Galleries, one wall is devoted to the Young Artists who were considered for the Winsor & Newton Oil Painters Awards (for artists aged 35 or under) who won Winsor & Newton Fine Art Materials to the value of First Prize - £1,000; Second Prize - £600 and Third Prize - £400.

The ROI's top cash prize is also one intended to encourage and support young oil painters.

The wall of Young Oil Painters (18-35 years old)
hung by the Mall Galleries technicians who did an excellent job

There's no specific competition for the young artists. Those eligible for the award are those selected via the open submission to the Royal Institute of Oil Painters (ROI) Annual Exhibition who indicate they are under 35 years of age.  Hence all paintings are also eligible to win awards from the 'main event'.

One of the interesting aspects of these awards is that winners often go on to become Associate and then full members of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters. It's certainly a very good way of getting your work noticed and remembered by the members of the ROI when your application for membership finally goes in.

Bernadette Timko wins Top Prizes

This year one young oil painter stood out - Bernadette Timko. She won BOTH:

• An award of £2,000 in memory of Phyllis Roberts ROI to encourage and support young painters.
• First Prize in the Winsor & Newton First Young Oil Painter Award - £1,000 of W&N art materials.

(She has also been chosen as a new NEAC Drawing School Scholar for 2015-16).

Bernadette Timko being presented with the Phyllis Robert Award (£2,000) at the ROI Annual Exhibition 2015by Sir William McAlpine

An award of £2,000 in memory of Phyllis Roberts ROI

(courtesy of the ROI)

The painting which won both awards was this self-portrait - which exhibits both beautiful draughtsmanship and really excellent use of both oil paint and colour.

Self Portrait by Bernadette Timko (SOLD)
Winner of the Phyllis Roberts Award and First Prize, Winsor & Newton Young Oil Painters
oil, 36 x 25cm

Frankly I was equally impressed by her other painting in the exhibition Anthony I - and I'm not in the least bit surprised that it has also sold.

Anthony I by Bernadette Timko (sold)
oil, 50 x 40cm

Frankly I expect to see her work turning up in exhibitions of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and the BP Portrait Award very soon.

(But please can she get a website soon!)

Other Prizewinners

Second Prize

The Second Prize went to Andrew Farmer for his self portrait which was a very colourful painting.

Self Portrait by Andrew Farmer

- won £600 of artists materials from W&N

Third Prize

Third prize was awarded to Harriet Pratt for her portrait of Ben. Interestingly all three prizewinners painted portraits.

See also my Review: Annual Exhibition of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters 2015

It would be

Links about Previous ROI Annual Exhibitions

• Review: Royal Institute of Oil Painters - Annual Exhibition 2014 (14 Dec 2014)
• Review - 2013 Annual Exhibition of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters (19 Dec 2013)
• Royal Institute of Oil Painters - Annual Exhibition 2012 (18 Dec 2012)
• 124th Annual Exhibition of The Royal Institute of Oil Painters 06 Dec 2011
• Review: Royal Institute of Oil Painters - 123rd Annual Exhibition 2010 11 Dec 2010
• Winsor and Newton Oil Painter Awards 07 Dec 2010
• Exhibition Review - Royal Institute of Oil Painters 09 Nov 2009
• The Royal Institute of Oil Painters - 121st Annual Exhibition 06 Nov 2008

Links for oil painters

• Top tips for travelling artists - oil painters 15 Aug 2011
• The Best Books about Oil Painting