The ROI had their annual paint day/picnic at Strand on the Green in London yesterday (Monday) and it was really nice to meet up with members/friends in the sunshine and give the easels a bit of a workout. I’ve never been to Strand on the Green but have seen it painted masterfully by a number of artists I admire so the challenge was on! Actually, for my first sortie I headed up onto the bridge and managed to catch a bit of sparkle from the overhead sun before it quickly moved round to the right. Inevitably, the boat moved about two thirds the way through but I sensed they were planning to move so actually started the boat early on.

‘Towards Oliver’s Island from Kew Bridge’, oil on board 10x13in
Looks like there’s some debris stuck in the paint….should come off when it’s dry! (you can click the image for a larger version). I was in the full glare of the sun and it was very noisy with all the traffic streaming across the bridge behind me. Enjoyed it though and I think the painting captures the warmth of the day.
I wasn’t quite so inspired by the light for my second effort but I thought I’d have a go anyway at Oliver’s island with the receding tide. It was too hot to hunt around looking for another pitch! By this time the sun was popping in and out which made it a bit trickier. Those two fir trees sticking up out of the island are an odd but distinctive feature. Notice the students on a school field trip who gathered on the left to bring a nice little touch of interest and detail.
‘Oliver’s Island, low tide’ – 8x16in, oil on board
To round off the day a few of us gathered for a well earned brew in the nearby cafe :)
Above: Nicholas Verrall, Adebanj Alade, Roger Dellar and Tim King. Come on Tim….say cheese!!
Tony Merrick and Nicholas relaxing after some painting action