Mark Fennell RBSA

News and events

Portrait painting workshop in the Slad valley.

My first painting workshop for Chez Helene at their great new studio in the Cotswolds.
Looking forward to more workshops here and Lake Annecy next year.

https://chez-helene.co.uk/

Holyport College arts week

What could be better than spending a summer's day outdoors running a portrait painting workshop for a group of talented students at Holyport college during their Arts Weeks.

https://www.holyportcollege.org.uk/

Judging Pinner Sketch Club exhibition.

It was really nice to be invited to judge the Pinner Sketch Club summer exhibition.
I had to choose a winner and five highly commended, no easy task as there was so much good work to choose from!

https://www.pinnersketchclub.co.uk/

Charcoal portrait drawing workshop.

An enjoyable day running a charcoal portrait drawing workshop for the Abingdon artists group.
This day was split into two halves, the morning group worked from photographic references and the afternoon group worked from a life model.

https://www.abingdonartists.org.uk/

Portrait of Franco Luxardo.

My recent portrait of Franco Luxardo President of the Girolamo Luxardo Italian liqueur and spirits business. Luxardo is one of the oldest European firms producing liqueurs and spirits and is famous for it's Maraschino cherry liqueur.
This one was quite a challenge as it was commissioned as a suprise gift for Franco and i had to work from supplied images rather than meet Franco in person and take my own reference images.
I was commissioned by Martin Watts, pictured with Franco above. Martin presented Franco with the portrait in Torreglia as a thank you for their long standing business relationship.
A quote from Martin -
"Tears were shed by both sides as memories of our personal relationship which dates back to the early 1980’s, unfolded. Quite interestingly, Franco earlier had proudly shown me a portrait of his grandfather, dated from around the 1920’s which he had found in a museum in Zara (the original site in Dalmatia of the company), and which he persuaded the museum to part with. Whilst in a different, more formal, style to your portrait of Franco, they will take pride of place in the new corporate museum that they are opening in the Autumn."
https://www.luxardo.it/

Charcoal portrait drawing workshop.

An enjoyable morning running a charcoal portrait drawing workshop with a group of talented students at Akeley wood private school.
https://www.akeleywoodschool.co.uk

Portrait painting workshop.

Another enjoyable workshop with Henley art and crafts guild.
Thanks to Ellie for being such a good sitter, she barely moved
throughout the day!
https://henley-art-crafts-guild.org/

The Artist Magazine.

My article in the January issue of The Artist magazine, portrait painting in oils with palette knives.

Painting workshops in the cotswolds.

I ended my year of workshops in the Cotswolds at Pure Artwork studio.
Looking forward to teaching there again next year!

Portrait drawing demonstration.

It was really nice to be invited back to Pinner Sketch Club for another demonstration, this time it was portrait drawing in charcoal.
https://www.pinnersketchclub.co.uk/

Portrait painting workshops in Cornwall.

Another two very enjoyable portrait painting workshops at Truro Arts Company.
This was my first one at their fantastic shop in Truro city centre, next year i should be teaching back at their coachouse studio in the heart of the Cornish countryside just outside Truro.
So nice to get down to St Agnes afterwards!

Zorn palette Portrait painting workshop.

Another very enjoyable portrait painting workshop with Pegasus Art in Stroud.
It was so nice to be painting with a lovely group of artists in Stroud again.
Thanks to Paul for being such a good sitter!

Painting workshops in the Cotswolds and Stroud.

As things are starting to get back to normal i'm getting back to running painting courses in some lovely venues and locations across the country. Here are a few pictures of my workshops
for Pure Artwork Studio and Pegasus Art. I'm looking forward to the other courses that i have lined at these venues and more this year.

2021 TALP Open Exhibition Award winner

I'm really pleased to have won a Clairefontaine Award at the 2021 TALP Open exhibition for one of my submissions 'Paint Splattered Apron'. I've also won one of The Artist's Exhibition Awards, the competition judges have chosen ten artists from The Artist category to contribute five paintings to form a special finalists’ show to be held at Patchings Art Centre in October 2022.

The Artist and Leisure painters magazine 90th anniversary front cover competition.

Very pleased and honoured that my entry 'Paint splattered apron' has been selected as one of six highly-commended paintings and will feature in the 2021 December issue of the magazine.

The Artist, Leisure Painter and Painters-Online 2021 Open competition.

Really pleased to have two of my knife paintings accepted for The Artist, Leisure Painter and PaintersOnline 2021 Open competition in partnership with Patchings Art Centre.
They will be on exhibition at Patchings Art Centre, Oxton Road, Calverton, Nottinghamshire from 21 August to 26 September 2021.

Here’s my third portrait for #portraitsfornhsheroes. This is Theodora, she's a university student who was asked to come and help out in the Covid Intensive Care Units and wards because they were desperate and so understaffed! I painted her portrait as part of the #portraitsfornhsheroes initiative created by fellow Oxford art society member and painter friend Tom Croft.

Portrait painting demonstration

I recently did a Zoom portrait painting demonstration with a limited palette (the Zorn palette) for The Art events Group. It was another enjoyable Zoom experience, i was told afterwards that it was like watching the grand national towards the end as i was finishing up.
I tickled this painting up a bit after the demonstration!

"Great demo! I really enjoyed the excitement!" Linda Bywaters