Top winemaking paintings at the RBA exhibition

The Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibition has a number of works that have taken inspiration from vineyards and winemaking regions – with some of the best selected here.

The exhibition, taking place at the Mall Galleries in central London, has over 500 works in all media.

A selection of works, with notes provided by the RBA, appear in the following pages.

The exhibition runs 17 March to 2 April, 10am to 5pm (1pm on the final day), and readers of db can be given free entry for two upon mention of the drinks business at the gallery desk.

Click through to take a look at just some of the works you could see at the exhibition…

Julian Halsby

Cambridge graduate Julian Halsby was elected a member of the Royal Society of British Artists (RBA) in 1995. Drawing inspiration from the landscape, he and his printmaker wife, Miranda, divide the year between their studio in Dorset and second home in the winemaking region of the Languedoc, France.

Julian paint in oils on board which on a fairly small scale, up to a maximum of 20″.

Vineyards at St Jean de Bueges
Morning by the Dordogne
Misty Morning, Dordogne

Miranda Halsby

Miranda studied at Hornsey College of Art and later, printmaking at Hampstead School of Art. Inspired by her surroundings in Dorset and France, her work often depicts people involved in outdoor activities, such as market scenes, village fetes and people playing boules.

She says of her process “I often make initial drawings and sketches in-situ. These are quick and spontaneous and I aim to capture the energy of a place or event. Once I have found a theme, I take photographs and do more detailed drawings as a way of establishing the composition in my mind. I then transfer these directly onto a waxed plate and begin the etching process. I have a fairly traditional method of printmaking – using copper plates for their excellent quality of line and oil-based inks for their rich colour.”

Autumn Vines, Nizas, Languedoc

Nicholas Verrall

Nicholas Verrall is a painter that delights in maximising the effect of light and colour. He has over the years honed his talent to capture glorious atmosphere and mood created by natural and brilliant light. Seeking this magical light often takes him to Provence and the winemaking regions of France and Italy. Dappled light through vines can be seen in a number of his paintings in this year’s exhibition.

Olive Tree amongst Vines
The House with Blue Shutters
Château de Roussan, St. Remy

Christopher Hall

Trained at the Slade School of Art, Christopher works exclusively in oils, enjoying working directly from nature depicting scenes of everyday life in both Britain and France.

Reveillon

Anne Wright

Trained at Nottingham Collage of Art followed by four years at the Royal Academy Schools, London, Anne paints mainly landscapes, houses and streets from drawings and sketches done on the spot.

Anne is showing a couple of paintings that she has done in Cotignac, France, in the heart of Provence.

Cotignac, France
View of Cotignac

Michael Sangster

Michael trained at Chelsea School of Art and Royal Academy Schools, perfecting his highly technical, beautiful still life painting. Influenced by the Dutch Golden Age and the school of Intimisme in France, Michael creates intimate and calm domestic interiors and still lifes.
Selected from open submission, this is the first time Michael has exhibited with the Royal Society of British Artists.

Still life with Terracotta vase

David Brammeld

David documents the dramatic and swift changes that take place when industry declines along with the workforce and communities that supported it. He is interested in buildings that have become empty and neglected but show signs of their previous history and human involvement. As such, his painting The Mitre, shows a derelict pub, once the heart of a community, now a grey, faceless, empty shell.

The Mitre