Making A Mark

On the topic of "mark making" or "making a mark" (re PAOTY / LAOTY) if you're not sure why people say it, I suggest you read this

I'm getting quite frustrated by those making fun of certain words in PAOTY / LAOTY which are in COMMON use in the art world. So every time it happens, I'm going to be citing the definition as per the Oxford English Dictionary. Plus I'm also planning a new blog post on art terms as it appears it's time for increased awareness of where you can find the explanation of COMMON art terms.

The view of Lucian Freud's Studio which forms the end of the long central corridor of the ground floor exhibition space at the National Portrait Gallery where you can see Lucian Freud - Drawing into Painting, which opened yesterday.
I'm going to drip feed some of my photos onto this page over the course of the exhibition. I took rather a lot.

Note the distance between sitter (chair on plinth) and the easel!

What did you think about this week's LAOTY episode 5 on the HMS Wellington and the paintings of the South Bank by heat artists and wild cards?
My checklist for my next review is filling up with ticks (structure, artists, pics, theme headings) - but I've still got to do the hard bit which is the words about the themes and what do I think of the results.

Plus this morning's jaunt to the NPG to see the Lucian Freud Preview has not helped - mainly because I spent two hours there - and my review will now probably publish TOMORROW MORNING.

Another plein air painting in the rain from Peter Brown, Pete the Street.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DUbaksJjd23/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

As well as Glasgow I’m also painting for a Bath show (in Feb 2027 @victoriaartgallerybath ). I’ve painted Bath off and on for 32 years but I’m finding interesting angles even now. These recent ones from the edges of the city looking in. SWIPE ➡️ The rainy one of the steps by St Stephen’s Rd, Camden, the path upto Beechen Cliff from Holloway and the rainy view down Holloway. It’s so nice still to be surprised by a city after all these years. happy weekend all! #paintingfromlife #oilpainting #paintingstreets #bath #pleinair

Where I am - at 9am this morning - at a preview of the new Lucian Freud exhibition at the Nationsl Portrait Gallery

Artists contemplating entering an "Artist of the Year competition might find MY TEN TOP TIPS in my latest blog post to be very useful
It was written for the WH Smith online blog after a similar series eleven years ago. Plus the international publication of my book.
Plus - in relation to "a view across the River Thames" (the subject of Episode 5 of Landscape Artist of the Year) here's one of mine on the cover of my book!

Never forget a brush has two ends and both are very useful!

I painted it allaprima. On my way back from a walk, I picked a branch from a nearby bush, placed it in a jar and set a green apple beside it. A very simple setup, yet it felt so fresh and alive. I painted this piece with pure joy. This painting has already found its buyer and its forever home 🤍#fruitpainting #buyartonline #australianartist #annaspeirs #annaspeirsart #stillliferealistic #traditionalart #oilpainting #artstudio #artcollector #artgallery #fineartpainting #stilllifepainting

The announcement of the NEW Judges for Portrait Artist of the Year was rather weird in terms of timing and what appeared when. So I decided to defer comment until sure everything that was being published had been published. So below (LINK IN COMMENTS) is:
* An Overview of "What Happened?"
* The NEW Judges of Portrait Artist of the Year
* The Major Disconnect around Portraiture re. PAOTY
* New Judges for Landscape Artist of the Year?

David Hockney: A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts about Painting.

Peter Doig has just finished an exhibition at the Serpentine Galleries. Coming next in March is David Hockney with an exhibition (12 March - 23 August 2026) FREE to enter

David Hockney | Exhibition | Serpentine Galleries David Hockney’s first exhibition at the Serpentine in London. Free to visit. Explore new works by one of the most influential artists of our time and discover the extraordinary in the everyday.