ING Discerning Eye 2023 Exhibition

A bit of late news but my trio of wood panel drawings ‘Junction’, ’Stafford Road’ and ‘Vauxhall’ and my two Devon paintings ‘Pause (I)’ and ‘Pause (II)’ were all selected for the 2023 ING Discerning Eye Exhibition at the end of last year.

It was held at The Mall Galleries from 17th to 26th November 2023, and online until the 31st December 2023. The ING Discerning Eye annual exhibition is a show of small, domestic scale, works independently selected by six prominent figures from different areas of the art world: two artists, two collectors and two critics. This is the third time I’ve exhibited with the Discerning Eye (I was previously selected in 2020 and 2022).

I had a lively lovely evening at the artists’ opening of the ING Discerning Eye Exhibition. It was great to have five pieces on the large wall curated by Tony Adams. Excuse the double-posed photo composite but I couldn’t get them all in the same frame with me! So good to have four of them hanging together.

The exhibition was curated by a star-studded panel including singer Ian “H” Watkins and former England footballer Tony Adams among other tastemakers. Out of 6,500 entries, 628 artworks by 387 creatives were shortlisted for this prestigious show. The ING Discerning Eye showcases talent in a wide range of media – painting, drawing, sculpture, print, photography, video, textile, ceramic and more. This is the 25th year of the Discerning Eye charity’s partnership with bank ING.

Penny Harris and Marine Costello discuss the work. [ Photo: Parker Harris ]

Penny Harris and Marine Costello discuss the work. [ Photo: Parker Harris ]

Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize 2023

I’m really pleased to reveal that ‘Swerve’, 2022 - the fifth of my ’Streetcombing’ series of drawings - has been selected for the prestigious Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize 2023.

Swerve. 2022. Inktense pencil, acrylic, ink on paper. 29.7 cm x 42 cm.

The exhibition opens on 29th September at Trinity Buoy Wharf, London and runs until 15th October 2023 before going on tour to other venues in the UK (Dundee, Bournemouth, Plymouth and Wigan). Thank you to Laura Hoptman, Dennis Scholl AM, Barbara Walker MBE RA and Drawing Projects UK for including my work. I can’t wait to see what the other artists chosen have produced.

The Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize 2023 received 3,000 submissions from 1,450 candidates located across the world. A total of 124 works by 111 drawing practitioners have been chosen by the two distinguished Selection Panels for the exhibition and are shortlisted for the awards. The Prize is the foremost annual open exhibition for drawing in the UK. Founded in 1994 by Anita Taylor and Paul Thomas as the Rexel Derwent Open Drawing Exhibition, it was known as the Jerwood Drawing Prize from 2001 to 2017 and delivered in partnership with the Jerwood Charitable Foundation.

I found all the discarded objects as I walked to my studio in Croydon, south London, and then arranged them into a tiny balanced tabletop sculpture. Some side lighting, and the camera on my phone, helped me construct a strong source of inspiration to work from for the drawing itself. Inktense pencil, acrylic, ink on paper. 29.7 cm x 42 cm.

The lighthouse and The Buoy Store, Trinity Buoy Wharf, London.

Installation view of the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize 2023 at the Buoy Store, Trinity Buoy Wharf, London.

 

If you've got an hour spare you can watch a serious walk-through of the show here.

OR if you follow this link it will go straight to my bit.

Town House Open 2023

My painting ‘Pause (II)’ features in Part 1 of the 'Town House Open 23’ exhibition.

This is the fourth year of their Open exhibition with more selected artists than before, so the show has been split into two. Part 1: Paintings & Drawings (24th June - 30th July), Part 2: Original Prints & Mixed Media (5th August - 10th September).

The Town House is an amazing building tucked in a corner of Spitalfields: a gallery, shop and coffee shop that has been in an early eighteenth century building opposite Hawksmoor’s Christ Church for more than twenty years. Well worth visiting if you can (and to see my painting in the flesh, of course). 5 Fournier Street, London, E1 6QE. Open Tuesdays to Sundays.

5 Fournier Street, London, E1 6QE

Christchurch, Spitalfields: the Town House’s impressive neighbour (view shown here from Commercial Street)

Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2023 Selection

My two paintings: ‘Push Button And Wait’ and ‘No Stopping’ have been selected for the Royal Academy of Art’s Summer Exhibition 2023, helmed by David Remfry RA.

The proud parent posed with his offspring! Selected by Eileen Cooper RA for her Room IX.

I did these pieces in the first lockdown and since then they’ve been on the wall of my studio. Really glad they’re going to be seen by a larger audience than just me! ‘No Stopping’ and ‘Push Button And Wait’.

David Remfry was one of the judges for the ING Discerning Eye Exhibition in 2020, that I was also in, and ultimately chose my painting ‘Check Your Travel’ as the winner of the inaugural Cityscape Prize.

This year saw 11,204 entries from the public with 998 artists making the cut and 1,613 artworks featuring in the exhibition.

You can watch a nice tour of the show here. It’s effectively a walk around after everyone has gone home. Can you spot my paintings? They are there, I assure you.

The back of my head admiring the wall of work I was featured on (bottom left). Photo: Sam Mortimer

 

SFSA 2023 Drawing Open Exhibition

My 2023 drawing Junction will be making its first appearance in public on 4th May 2023. You can see it as part of the Second Floor Studios & Artists (SFSA)’s 2023 Drawing Open exhibition at the 'no format Gallery'.

Junction. 2023. Pencil crayon, acrylic on gessoed wood panel. 20.8cm x 29.4cm

The show features the work of 100 artists and is a celebration of drawing on a small scale. All works are available to buy.

Open preview night: Thursday 4th May 18:00 - 20:30

Opening times: Friday 5th, Saturday 6th, Sunday 7th & Wednesday 10th, Thursday 11th, Friday 12th May 13:00 - 18:00

Studio NF01, Casting House, Moulding Lane (off Arklow Road), Deptford, London SE14 6BN. 8 minutes walk from New Cross station.