Innehållsförteckning för February 2024 från Artists & Illustrators

… and one way of creating joy is by sharing our artistic endeavours with one another. For me, there’s nothing more relaxing than a leisurely visit to an art exhibition for inspiration. Take the Barbara Hepworth Museum in West Yorkshire, Wakefield. By constantly updating their show, A Living Collection, you get to see some of the world’s most important artworks from artists before and now. One of my favourites is Dame Barbara Hepworth’s Mother and Child. But there’s a plethora of work to get you fired up for creativity I also have a huge delight in presenting the winners, and those highly commended, in The British Art Prize 2023. The entries were, quite simply, astounding. I give my sincere congratulations to everyone who took part. Luckily, I had a fabulous…

10 JANUARY Submit your figurative works for The RBA’s Rising Star scholarship to win £5,000 and a month-long scholarship in Rome. Entry is £10. royalsocietyofbritishartists.org.uk 14 JANUARY RSA Residencies for Scotland provides funding of up to £5,000 for valuable research and residency opportunities for Scottish-born/based artists. Free entry. royalscottishacademy.org 26 JANUARY Submit your paintings, drawings and prints for the Royal Society of Portrait Painters' annual exhibition with a whopping £40,000 prize fund. £20 per work. therp.co.uk 2 FEBRUARY Enter your watercolour or water-soluble works for the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours exhibition. The prize fund totals more than £7,000. £20 per work. mallgalleries.org.uk…

Born and brought up in Sussex, Paul Evans did a foundation year at Eastbourne College of Art and Design, followed by a course in children’s book illustration and printmaking. He is now one of Britain’s most successful landscape artists and works in a variety of media, painting many of the same locations at different times of the year, capturing a unique sense of place, season and light. In 1988, he established a gallery in Alfriston, then moved to Suffolk four years later and, shortly afterwards, opened the Lavenham Contemporary Gallery, where his work is still displayed. Collectors throughout the world have acquired his paintings and more than 500 of his images have been used for greeting cards, calendars and limited-edition prints. paulevans-artist.co.uk Instagram: paulevansartist As a child, I was obsessed…

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH Our annual British Art Prize, in association with Adobe this year, was designed to provide artists of all ages and abilities with a platform to gain valuable exposure and recognition for their work. A prize fund worth over £10,000 attracted the entries by the thousands and quality paintings and drawings poured in from the UK and beyond. An esteemed judging panel made up of Jonathan Yeo, one of the world’s leading figurative artists, Tom Croft of Portraits of NHS Heroes, The One Show’s Artist in Residence, Adebanje Alade, renowned oil artist Sarah Graham, Adobe’s Vice President and MD Suzanne Steel and Niki Browes, the editor of this magazine, have painstakingly cast their votes and the winners have now been decided. This year, all 50 shortlisted artists of…

Spencer & Co. embodies the direction of my current work; the imagery, narrative, techniques and experimentation are all represented within this piece. I aim to create art that offers something more than a straightforward representation but is concerned with the minutiae of the painted surface. I often litter my studio walls with notes that act as prompts to key components I want to address within my work, and edges, layers and movement were among some that formed part of the process when painting this. I work into the surface with coloured pencils, blades and a collection of random objects, anything that I can disrupt the surface. I also wipe areas of paint or subtract elements with rags and drag the paint using a ruler. Through the artists’ group @cane.yo on…

I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF GROWING UP in beautiful South Africa, and some of my most precious memories are of our ten years living in Cape Town. This lovely city – spectacular in its own right – is a mere 45-minute drive away from some of the world’s most beautiful wine regions called the Cape Winelands. The closest vineyards were just ten minutes from where we lived in the northern suburbs. We have spent countless days in the Winelands: from Stellenbosch to Franschhoek to Pearl Valley - you can never tire of this place. Today, I will share an impression of the Cape Winelands painted with acrylics on stretched canvas, but don’t expect a photo-realistic representation. My aim is to provide you with the feel and emotion of the Cape…

HILLARY SCOTT Hillary is an academically trained landscape painter from northeast Massachusetts. She illustrated books for many years before making the transition to landscape painting in 2014. Hillary has an affinity for marshes, seas and skies, and finds endless inspiration in the New England landscape. CARLA BOSCH Carla is an award-winning international artist who loves sharing the beauty of life. It started in South Africa, the place of her birth, but her impressionistic art was always destined for the global stage. She adores painting en plein air whilst is also equally at home in her studio. IRYNA KHORT As a wildlife artist, Iryna focuses on capturing the essence of her subjects. Her passion lies in portraying the beauty of living beings, through vibrant oil and acrylic pieces. Iryna’s art reflects…

GAVIN MUNDY, A SHORTLIS OF THE BRITISH Art Prize 2023, has carved a niche for himself in the art world with his intricate and compelling paintings. His artistic roots run deep, with a childhood filled with doodles. “I was always drawing, copying from books, scribbling my own ideas; it seemed a part of me naturally,” he recalls. The influence of his grandfather – a craftsman with an artistic inclination – left an unforgettable mark, planting the seeds of creativity in his young mind. However, Gavin’s artistic journey was not a linear one. “I studied graphic design, but even during my studies, I began tentative paintings and explored different mediums. I realised that paintings inspired me the most,” he confesses. Gavin’s preferred medium is acrylics, because their quick-drying qualities align with…

1 Experiment One of the greatest gifts you can give yourself as an artist is the freedom to try and fail. 2 Create, Create, Create Sometimes our own desire to make perfect things the first time stops us from creating, but it’s through our mistakes that we really grow. 3 Find Your Community Making art can be a solitary experience. There’s so much we can learn from each other as contemporary artists, that there’s no need to reinvent the wheel and struggle alone.…

Tereza Barnard My friend’s gymnast daughter had been asked for a ‘weekly weigh-in’ by her coach. This started a group of us sharing a cascade of discussions and memories – some funny, some brought on tears, but they all included weird evaluations of our bodies from a young age. When I started this artwork, the girl actually had a measuring tape around her waist. Then I realised I didn’t need to shout in my work; people would see the message if it was subtle. Sure enough, the collector of this artwork loves it precisely because of its meaning. This is typical of the work I produce. I’m known for seducing the viewer with sparkles, sequins and ruffle dresses, only for them to realise that’s not what the paintings are about.…

Things we love… Witness a rare spectacle as Frederic, Lord Leighton PRA’s masterpiece, Flaming June, graces the Royal Academy of Arts Collection Gallery. Transported from the Museo de Arte de Ponce in Puerto Rico, this iconic Victorian-era artwork offers a unique glimpse into Leighton’s brilliance. Take the opportunity to appreciate this treasured painting, admired as the culmination of Leighton’s artistic genius, and explore the profound link between painting and sculpture as Flaming June is displayed alongside the revered Taddei Tondo by Michaelangelo, whose work had a profound influence on Leighton’s composition. From 17 February 2024 to 12 January 2025. royalacademy.org.uk Don't miss… … Elizabeth Xi Bauer’s showcase at the London Art Fair 2024, featuring diverse works from various artists. Get a sneak peek at the 2024 programme, showcasing artists set…

BEYOND THE PAGE 17 February to 2 June This exhibition curated by Hammad Nasar and Anthony Spira delves into the evolution of South Asian miniature art. Witness contemporary artists reinterpreting tradition through installations, sculptures and film. Explore pieces by iconic artists like Shahzia Sikander, Howard Hodgkin and others in dialogue with historic masterpieces dating back to the 1500s. Discover rare Mughal watercolours from the esteemed Cottonian Collection, some of which are on public display for the first time, and experience an immersive journey through the captivating world of art and history. Here, you can engage with centuries of artistic dialogue and witness the evolution of South Asian miniature artistry first hand. The Box, Tavistock Place, Plymouth PL4 8AX. theboxplymouth.com DROP SHADOWS 29 February to 14 March This display unites the…

SUSAN SIMONINI’S ARTISTIC journey diverges from the traditional narrative of inheriting creativity from a family legacy. While artistry wasn’t a direct heirloom, there was a subtle artistic appreciation passed down from her mother. At the age of eight, Susan discovered her passion for drawing, transforming her sketchbook into a personal canvas. It became a visual chronicle, capturing the vibrant moments of her childhood; from everyday life to special outings and the cherished companionships she held dear. Born in 1968, Susan completed her Bachelor of Fine Art at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. Her layered abstract paintings draw inspiration from the varied shapes and patterns found in her daily encounters. Influences stem from the rural landscapes of Tasmania, Australia, her current residence, as well as from her explorations in Japan and…

ARRESTING PORTRAITS AND BRIGHT, candy-hued sculptures next to nudes in nature or dystopian tales of conflict, emerging talent alongside established geniuses: welcome to Gallery One at The Hepworth Wakefield. This beautiful space, which overlooks the River Calder in West Yorkshire, stands for both permanence and change. Here, spoils from a collection which was started exactly a century ago, will always be represented but will also be in frequent flux. Known as A Living Collection, the gallery’s trove of art comprises more than 5,000 works – from sculptures by the gallery’s namesake Dame Barbara Hepworth, to paintings by contemporary and emerging artists working today. It’s rehung on a yearly basis. It began as a collection for Wakefield City Council and has continued to grow and evolve under the Hepworth’s care since…

As a painter, I have always painted people, in a portrait and narrative context. I have a deep interest in the humanities and the social sciences and find that I am best able to understand and communicate this visually. To operate in the world, you must view it through a narrative lens. When I was young, drawing was about the exploration of the world around me; taking the things I loved and integrating them into my crude sense of self-expression. I still think about art in a similar way now. The idea behind my portrait of Emma was to paint her as I saw her. We had two meetings that day and went into great depth on topics such as class, race, national identity and gender and I left utterly…

I WAS READING ABOUT MATISSE recently and he talks a great deal about constantly changing his paintings as he worked on them, sometimes completely repainting the composition. This radical process of changing a painting, as you pursue it is an interesting and satisfying final picture. This is what I want to discuss. The painting of the coffee pot went through enormous changes as I developed it. There were two criteria for success: a perfect composition and great colour interaction. Choosing simple objects and the view through the window presented a range of problems compositionally and the vibrant red of the coffee pot demanded a context of richly coloured objects. As you can see from the early stages, I had a completely different conception of the table before changing the striped…

MESSAGE OF THE MONTH Catherine Belcher Art is my escape, something that I can always count on, especially as a person suffering with anxiety. It has always been so important for me to be able to sit and create art to lessen my stress and feel grounded. My goal is for my bold artwork and story to inspire people to be creative in whatever way they feel, whoever or wherever they are in the world. There is such freedom in creating, and I truly believe in encouraging people to feel this, that I know I feel, whether they suffer with their mental health, feel the need for a new hobby or else. Matt Landers Having always combined my two passions, sport and art, I create artworks of sporting subject matter…

This painting depicts my dog Finnfin, a rescue with a painful past. His enduring sorrow and resilience inspire me deeply. As an animal lover, my art centres on capturing their unique personalities and emotions. I prioritise conveying their feelings through gestures, expressions or those soulful eyes, rather than fixating on details. Influenced by John Singer Sargent and Anders Zorn, I embrace the expressiveness of their brushwork and subtle palettes. Silent Sorrow reflects this style with a limited palette; loose, expressive strokes and minimalism in rendering Finnfin’s form, particularly in his back area. The contrast between the black, red and muted green background strikes a harmonious balance. Finnfin has become my muse, and I’ve painted him in various forms. Although he embodies silent sorrow, I remain hopeful that, with time, I…