Innehållsförteckning för August 2024 från Artists & Illustrators

… about the merits of entering art competitions. Take last year’s winner of the British Art Prize, Lucy Pass, who admits the life of an artist can be lonely at times. For her, entering competitions is a way of gaining feedback. Bagging the top gong at this prestigious prize gave her a great sense of validation and achievement, which is why I urge you to enter this year’s competition. Fabulous prizes are up for grabs, plus you can get your work seen, sold and exhibited at gallary@oxo in Southbank, the heart of London’s culture capital. For more details, see page 50. If you want advice on how to paint your pet, follow Hazel Johnson’s tutorial on painting a puggle using pastel pencils. Elsewhere, artists show you two completely different ways…

31 JULY Apply now for the Homiens Art Prize International. With $24,000 to be awarded across all art forms, and prizes given every three months. Free to enter. homiens.com 31 JULY Art Unlimited Open Art Competition invites artists worldwide, in any medium, to compete for a top prize of £5,000 and a solo exhibition. Entry costs £10-£15. art-unlimited.co.uk 31 JULY Calling artists aged 3-19! Explore themes through poetry, drawing, painting, video, sculpture and more in the Spirited Arts Competition. Enter now. natre.org.uk 12 AUGUST Oxfordshire residents aged 11 and above, enter the Open Art Competition focusing on ‘representations of people’ by this date. awardoxfordshire.gov.uk…

Growing up in Africa, Karen Davies found herself surrounded by the awe-inspiring flora and fauna of the continent. “I was lucky enough to be brought up in Africa,” she reminisces. “The light and atmosphere is second to none.” It was here that her love for horses first blossomed, amidst the idyllic setting of a thoroughbred stud farm and racing yard. “I painted my first horses as a teenager,” she recalls. Despite early discouragement from an art teacher, Karen remained steadfast in her pursuit of art. “My art teacher told me I shouldn’t try to pursue art as a career – that I wasn’t good enough. I’ve never been very good at following that sort of advice, so I did it anyway!” The artist’s journey as a military spouse presented its…

WITH A NICKNAME AS BOLD as ‘The Gorilla Brigade,’ Riad’s artistic identity immediately captivates the imagination. But what lies beneath this intriguing title? His story is one of rebellion and resilience, echoing the revolutionary spirit of India’s Monkey Brigade. It’s a tale of fearlessness, a refusal to conform and a commitment to self-expression. Riad’s journey uncovers the influences that have shaped his path – from childhood inspirations to encounters with renowned masters. Through it all, his art emerges as a reflection of his unique perspective, his defiance of convention and his relentless pursuit of creative freedom. Working in oils, charcoal and watercolour, he brings a fresh and evocative approach to his work, deeply influenced by his experience as a partially blind artist. His commitment to representing marginalised communities is evident…

When Pierre de Coubertin founded the modern Olympic Games in 1896, he envisioned the competition as a platform to display not only physical strength but also intellectual and artistic achievements. As such, there are a variety of ways artists are being called upon to help celebrate and promote the values of the Olympics. Here are two: Clotilde Jiménez American-born artist and Slade School of Art alumnus Clotilde Jiménez is one of seven artists handpicked as part of the Cultural Olympiad programme to create two artistic posters: one for the Olympic Games and the other for the Paralympic Games. Clotilde’s response is a vibrant and richly textured diptych, depicting athletes in the pool and on the track. He wants viewers of his multimedia posters to feel the grandeur and excitement of…

 BROUGHT TO YOU BY SUPPORTED BY WE’RE THRILLED TO BE BACK with our annual British Art Prize, brought to you by Artists & Illustrators and supported by Raw Umber and Caran d’Ache. This major international art competition will expose winning artists of all levels to a far-reaching platform to gain valuable publicity and recognition for their work. Open to everyone – whether you’re an amateur, emerging or professional artist – all styles, media* and techniques will be considered. The British Art Prize offers an unprecedented level of national exposure and the chance for artists to sell their artwork to a combined audience of almost a million art lovers and collectors. There is also a whopping prize fund worth more than £10,000, which includes great cash prizes along with the chance…

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO PAINT AND CREATE 1 Before I commence any drawing, I always do a quick study or sketch of the reference. Firstly, I change the reference picture into a black and white image making it possible for me to identify the tonal values easily. Secondly, studying and identifying the various tonal values will set my subconscious memory to know when and where to apply any value while working with charcoal and graphite. 2 As an artist practising realism, there are three Ps that are very important: patience, perseverance and practice. Patience is a vital virtue for any artist whose art is in the genre of realism. I find that the art pieces that I spend more time on often turn out to be the best. The urge…

AINE’S MATERIALS Watercolour paint Hookers Green, Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Blue, Vandyke Brown, Sap Green Cadmium Red, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Lemon Yellow, Pyrolle Orange, Opera Rose, Pthalo Blue, Burnt Sienna Brushes The Royal and Langnickel set of three golden taklon craft brushes Aine Divine brush set from Rosemary & Co Support Bockingford watercolour paper NOT Surface 535gsm 250lb half imperial size Round 12” diameter palette Drawing board TO START A SELF-PORTRAIT, the set-up is important, so my palette, brushes and water all sit within easy reach on my right. The drawing board rests on my knee, almost vertical. The mirror leans against a stool on the table. To the right, a north facing window lights my face. I arrange myself so I can see my reflection in the mirror and back…

CATHY VEALE Cathy is a well-known artist who specialises in seascapes rich in luminosity and colour. She has exhibited her work with leading watercolour artists in London, including the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour, the Royal Society of Marine Artists and the South West Academy of Arts. TOM SHEPHERD Tom is a watercolour painter who loves exploring light and colour across a wide range of subjects, although he is best known for his wildlife paintings. He is always chasing that elusive painterly style, trying to find the balance between abstraction and loose realism. LUCY PASS Lucy is a self-taught visual artist currently living and working in Cheltenham. She creates pictures of strangers with no knowledge of their respective interiors, instead painting in her own understanding of the soul that…

WOMEN IMPRESSIONISTS Until 6 October 2024 This exhibition focuses on four key artists of the movement: Berthe Morisot (1841-1895), Eva Gonzalès (1849-1883), Marie Bracquemond (1860-1914) and Mary Cassatt (1844-1926). With all but Gonzalès exhibiting at Impressionist exhibitions, the showcase features approximately 60 works sourced from global collections. The display delves into how these women navigated personal and professional challenges to create and exhibit their paintings, emphasising their shared ambition to redefine modern art. It highlights their individual interpretations of Impressionism’s evolving concepts, illustrating their significant contributions to the movement’s development and legacy. National Gallery of Ireland, Merrion Square W, Dublin 2, D02 K303, Ireland. nationalgallery.ie IN THE EYE OF THE STORM: MODERNISM IN UKRAINE, 1900–1930S Until 13 October 2024 This exhibition will stand as the most comprehensive exhibition on Ukrainian…

I LOVE PAINTING PORTRAITS IN WATERCOLOURS. It represents a great challenge for me but it is incredibly rewarding. When combined with the seemingly less forgiving nature of this medium, painting faces is certainly up there as one of the trickier subjects. It can feel a little intimidating to approach. However, a few pointers and tricks, with a simple process to analyse and paint our subject can go a long way. Try to stay away from details and getting it ‘right;’ be curious and have fun with the medium. For me, this takes the pressure right off, usually leading to better results. The elephant in the room is getting a likeness. Likeness is not borne out of details, but rather the accuracy and arrangement of the key shapes which make up…

Things we love… Christabel Blackburn’s latest solo exhibition features a captivating collection of paintings inspired by the landscapes of Los Angeles and the Californian desert. Known for her interplay between people and spaces, Blackburn mesmerises audiences with her atmospheric scenes infused with light and colour. Drawing from her fascination with California’s sunlight and architecture, her work captures the essence of the LA landscape. Another Day of Sun marks a departure from her previous London-centric themes, exploring her American heritage and identity. Christabel Blackburn: Another Day of Sun is on until 27 July 2024 at Gillian Jason Gallery, London. gillianjason.com Don’t miss… the newly discovered Nicholas Hilliard (1547-1619) miniature, unveiled through the investigative work of art historians Elizabeth Goldring and Emma Rutherford. Their research has identified the sitter as Lady Arbella…

As a child, I always loved fantasy literature and was inspired by the natural world, which I think strongly influenced my vision as an artist. I also had a close family who grew up in faraway places (India and Africa) and had lots of stories of exploration and wildlife. This sparked my imagination. I took a one-year Art Foundation course after A Level, during which I discovered that while I loved drawing, I really enjoyed them becoming more than artworks on a page. Textiles allowed me to create work by hand, but then turn these into products that could also be practical and useful. At the Royal College of Art graduate show, I took orders on my scarf collection so that was my first income to start funding a business…

IF BEN MOSLEY HAD TO LIKEN HIS WORK to another artist, it would be ‘Picasso-meets-Keith Haring’ – and it’s a fitting description. For one, his playfulness with perspective and the picture plane calls to mind the Cubist tradition, while his stylised figures and bold line work are reminiscent of Haring’s pop art motifs. The big-name comparisons don’t end here though. Others have dubbed the Kent-based painter as a ‘modern-day LS Lowry,’ and Ben certainly shares the late Mancunian artist’s knack for portraying the vitality of a crowd. Yet, there is something wholly original about Ben’s work. Whether it’s portraits, cityscapes or live paintings completed against the clock at celebrity-laden events (Ed Sheeran and Hugh Grant are fans), he has developed a one-of-a-kind visual language, which has managed to transcend the…

WHEN MY CHILDREN were much younger, I approached the school holidays with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. I looked forward to spending time with my two young boys, enjoying the break and the fun things we did together. However, I also always felt frustrated about my creative projects being put on hold for the duration of the break. Not only was there no time to work on something big, but I also didn’t have the headspace to concentrate on a long-term project. Eventually, in February 2022, I came up with a solution. I decided to do an observational drawing daily for 30 days, with three materials and for no more than 30 minutes. Having these limitations in place made the challenge much more achievable. I quickly realised that as…

HAZEL’S MATERIALS Pastel pencils Faber-Castell Pitt pastel pencils: 118 Scarlet Red, 124 Rose Carmine, 131 Coral, 138 Violet, 175 Dark Sepia, 176 Van Dyck Brown, 179 Bistre, 180 Raw Umber, 182 Brown Ochre, 101 White, 189 Cinnamon, 199 Black, 230 Cold Grey 1, 233 Cold Grey lV, 270 Warm Grey 1, 273 Warm Grey lV, 280 Burnt Umber, 103 Ivory Surface Clairefontaine Pastelmat white Support Clairefontaine Pastel Revolution Freezer Spray Sandpaper Putty rubber Trace down transfer paper (if needed) Soft watercolour brush Water Paper stumps I LOVE ANIMALS and have always had dogs around since I was very little. I just love them all; not just my own but other people’s too. So the treasured memories of long walks, log fires and the comfort of my dogs have always stayed…