SPS members’ success at RWA Annual Open Exhibition.

The RWA’s Annual Open Exhibition – now in its 163rd year – is a highlight of the region’s art calendar. Attracting leading artists from throughout the UK, it is open to all, and often includes work by unknown exhibitors alongside well-known names. A selection panel assesses every entry and this year 593 works by 386 artists have made it into the final exhibition.

The exhibition runs from 4 October – 29 November.

For details on admissions, click here.

Here are some SPS members who have had their work selected:

Christine Howes

Sheep on the Hill

This wood engraving is the largest I have engraved so far. It is 9.5 cms by 18 cms. The edition is one hundred. The scene is a landscape in North Cornwall which I find very inspiring. I am especially fond of the field shapes and the light on the hill where the sheep are grazing. I have drawn and painted the same scene many times. Engravings like this require a language of marks to convey the textures and light on the land. It is early morning and the brightening sky lights up the edges of the sheep and the dividing hedges. A large field has been mown and the grass rows lie in a pattern of stripes lit up by the sun. I have lifted some ink from the sky so as to soften the effect and make the sky more pale.

I am also inspired by my Engraving teacher, the late Peter Reddick, a founder member of Spike Print Studio, whose landscapes were sublime and full of his sense of place.

Chris Hibbard

North No. 4

North No. 2

Chris was very pleased to get 2 prints accepted for the RWA Autumn Exhibition, even more so by the comments that he had from people about them . Regarding his work, Chris has a fascination with images in books and films. He makes use of pre-existing sources and drawings. There are references to Art History, Political History and Literature in his work, both conscious and subconscious, the latter often revealed to him by the viewer. Both these works are Etchings (hard ground) and Aquatint.

Simon Tozer

MV Balmoral Crossing

The Balmoral is a steamship that was built in 1949 to carry passengers between Southampton and the Isle of Wight. I go past this ship a lot and have been meaning to make a print of it for a while. It’s the biggest boat in Bristol Harbour. You can see a few passengers on deck, but they are very small, almost specks. There is no horizon, the sea and sky are the same colour, so it just hangs there in space. It is a two colour screenprint on Fabriano Rosaspina, edition of 40.

Gail Mason

Clara

The head is an imaginary character with a sense of presence, inviting reflection and seeking to portray the power and vulnerability of humanity. The name was chosen for the direct gaze and sense of stillness.

Sarah Duncan

White Noise and Contact Light

Lithograph, paper size 59cm x 84cm, Edition of 5.

Ian Chamberlain

Mirror I and Mirror II

The two prints are based on the Sound mirrors on the south Kent Coast. The acoustic mirrors were built as early warning devices around the coasts of Great Britain, with the aim of detecting incoming enemy aircraft by the sound of their engines.
The mirrors though had a limited effectiveness, and the increasing speed of aircraft in the 1930s meant that they would already be too close to deal with by the time they had been detected. The development of radar put an end to further experimentation with the technique.
The idea of recording this defunct out of date technology relates with my current interests and proved to be a tough technical exercise capturing the form and surface quality of the dishes.
Etching, Edition 30, paper size 70cm x 65cm

Etching, Edition 30, paper size 70cm x 65cm

SUSAN GRADWELL

These etchings and aquatints are part of a collection of 10 , all 20cm x 20 cm, entitled ‘ The Vitrine Series’. They range from objects traditionally found in display cases to the most unlikely.

No Evidence Etching 20cm x 20cm

Inversion II Etching 20cm x 20cm