Leisure Painter April 2024

Our editorial consultant and this month’s cover artist, David Bellamy kicks off the feature section of this issue with an article and demonstration that illustrates his recent trip to the Alpine region where JMW Turner was inspired to paint The Battle of Fort Rock, Val d’Aouste, Piedmont, 1796. Ever the intrepid explorer, David proves that some painters will go to any lengths to capture the perfect view! His seasoned practical advice and evocative sketches will inspire you to pick up your own brushes and paint. And if you have photographs of past visits to the mountains, or you are lucky enough to live on mountains or hillsides, use this month’s tutorial by David to produce your own life-inspired artwork. Tim Fisher also features within these pages as he reports on…

EXHIBITIONS LONDON ■ Bankside Gallery 48 Hopton Street SE1. 020 7928 7521 www.banksidegallery.com ‘The Society of Wood Engravers’, until 25 February. ‘New Light Prize’: exhibition celebrating and promoting Northern art, supporting both well-known and emerging artists, 27 February to 3 March. ‘RWS Open’: annual open-submission watercolour exhibition, 8 to 24 March. ■ Dulwich Picture Gallery Gallery Road SE21. 020 8693 5254 www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk ‘Soulscapes’: exploring new interpretations of landscape art, 14 February until 2 June. ■ Mall Galleries The Mall SW1. 020 7930 6844 www.mallgalleries.org.uk ‘Royal Society of British Artists’: annual exhibition, 29 February to 9 March. ‘Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours’: 212th exhibition, 28 March to 13 April. ■ National Gallery Trafalgar Square WC2. 020 7747 2885 www.nationalgallery.org.uk ‘Discover Liotard and the Lavergne Family Breakfast’, until 3 March.…

The Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace is currently showing more than 50 works by Hans Holbein the Younger from the Royal Collection, including drawings, paintings and miniatures, telling the story of Holbein’s time in England. More than 40 of these works are intimate portrait drawings of the royal family and Tudor nobility, including Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour and Sir Thomas More, each of them drawn from life as studies for finished paintings. Holbein at the Tudor Court continues at The Queen’s Gallery, London until 14 April.…

Around 100 of Toulouse-Lautrec’s posters will go on show at the Victoria Art Gallery in Bath, from 26 April to 29 September, capturing Parisian nightlife at the turn of the century. Alongside many of his iconic works, including his first poster of the Moulin Rouge and the can-can dancers of La Troupe de Mademoiselle Eglantine, will be shown works by other artists of the day, including Alphonse Mucha and Jules Cheret.…

Now You See Us: Women Artists in Britain 1520-1920 at Tate Britain this summer brings together over 150 works by women artists spanning 400 years, from Tudor times to the First World War. These women forged commercial careers as artists and took part in public exhibitions at times that challenged the stereotypes of their eras. The work of artists such as Artemisia Gentileschi, Mary Beale, Angelica Kauffman, Elizabeth Butler, Vanessa Bell, Gwen John and Laura Knight shed new light on how these artists overcame obstacles and boundaries to establish a path for generations of women artists to come. The exhibition runs at Tate Britain, London from 16 May until 13 October.…

Wimborne Plein Air 2024 The Otter Gallery in Wimborne is launching its first Wimborne Plein Air event and invites artists of all abilities to paint en plein air in the town centre on Saturday 4 May. Entry is £20 per person and there are three categories for entry: professionals; amateurs; and 14-to18-year-olds. Artists Maria Rose and Tom Stephenson, both members of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, will be judging the entries, with prizes to be won. A special exhibition of gallery artists’ work will go on show at the Otter Gallery on 5 and 6 May to mark the event. For more information and to enter visit https://ottergallery.co.uk…