The Royal Societies Marquee
In celebration of the festival’s 30th year, ten selected artists from the Royal Societies, exhibiting and working in an informal setting. A special opportunity to meet these prestigious artists throughout the festival.
Andrew Farmer ROI, Chris Slater, David Curtis VPRSMA ROI, David Howell PPRSMA, Graham Webber ROI IEA, Haidee-Jo Summers ROI RSMA’, Jenny Aitken ARSMA, John Walsom ROI RSMA, Roger Dellar ROI PS RI, Ruth Fitton AROI
David Curtis VPRSMA ROI
Essentially a ‘plein air’ and figurative painter, working in both oils and watercolours, he observes transient lighting conditions and effects of atmosphere in his compositions.
David also exhibits in all the major National Society exhibitions and has work held in private collections, both nationally and abroad.
David Howell PPRSMA
Roger Dellar PPRSMA
Andrew Farmer ROI
“I love to paint the ordinary, analysying simple subjects that will encourage the viewer to loook more closely at the many wonderful and beautiful things surrounding us daily.”
John Walsom ROI RSMA
John is drawn to scenes which normally go unnoticed, and aims to question whether they can be worthy subjects for an oil painting. He works towards an honest statement about what he sees, and searches for ways to express the fascination which first drew him to a subject. Technically, the process of converting three dimensions into two and reflected light into a solid surface of paint, is constantly exciting to him.
Graham Webber ROI IEA
Graham is a professional artist born in North East Essex and is an elected member of The Royal Institute of Oil Painters and the Institute of East Anglian Artists. His love of landscape oil painting stems from the adaptability and responsiveness of the medium as well as his family connections to the landscape. East Anglian painters such as Edward Seago, Harry Becker and John Constable are constant sources of inspiration. Most of Graham’s paintings are influenced by changing atmospheres and appreciation of nature and the landscape itself whether at home in East Anglia or further afield.
Chris Slater
“I am passionate about painting figurative, plain air and still life works, directly observing my subjects. Despite the great British weather, this challenging process offers a dis/nct freshness and energy to the pain/ngs, capturing a moment in time , they remain timeless.”
Jenny Aitken ARSMA
Since graduation in Art & Art History from Aberstwyth in 1998, Jenny has exhibited all over the UK and won many awards. Fascinated by coastal light, she was elected an associate member of the RSMA in 2021, and won the Topbond marine award in 2022. She is also an author and teacher, running workshops and pain.ng holidays both in the UK and abroad.
Ruth Fitton AROI
Ruth has been fascinated by portraiture since her mid-teens. She taught herself to paint in oils while also studying for a BA in Music, and on graduating began painting full-time.
Ruth’s work is almost always figurative; it is humanity, facial expression, and body language which spark her imagination. Ruth always strives for a strong narrative element in her paintings. Ruth is passionate about painting from life, drawn to the organic experience of capturing her immediate reality in paint. This passion is balanced by a keen curiosity regarding texture, layers, and edges; she constantly seeks the most imaginative ways to make paint replicate the feel and character of what she sees. Quick, immersive live studies are generally followed by extensive studio work.