This is to announce the 2016 exhibition of the Wapping Group of Artists in the Threadneedle Space at the Mall Galleries, which will be our 70th show. We were formed in 1946 by a group of keen plein air painters to record the sights of the busy Port of London and the surrounding city. Each year the exhibition brings together the varied sights of today’s city along with some memories of the old. Although we are united in our subject matter each of the 25 exhibiting members brings their own unique vision to bear giving a very broad and varied view of our changing city.

The Wapping Group is delighted to welcome Chris Burdett and John Walsom as Candidates.

They will be joining us for the painting programme and all other Group activities during the 2016 season, beginning next April.

Trevor Chamberlain’s oils and watercolours will be featured in The Artist Magazine to celebrate

70 years of painting, written by Tony Frazer Price.

The article will appear in the January 2016 edition, available in mid – December.

Trevor is a well – established Wapping Group member having been elected in 1969, in the days

when all the docks were still active and the mighty Thames was a working waterway.

1. ‘Dusty Road, Ghanerao, India’ (oil)  On site painting depicting the bustle and activity of this dusty street, late one evening.

2. ‘Early morning, Euston Road’ (oil)  Painted on site one morning in Autumn, standing on a traffic island.

An exhibition of oil paintings, gouaches & drawings by Roy Glanville RBA RSMA (1914 – 1965)

will be held at the Roland Goslet Gallery, 139 Kew Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 2PN

from Saturday 21st November 2015 – Sunday 29th November 2015  11am – 7pm each day.

Images of the paintings can be viewed at www.rolandgoslettgallery.co.uk

Most years we try and have an exhibition other than our annual show at the Mall. This year we are very pleased to be at the Minster Gallery in Winchester. The show runs until the 21st of November 2015 so plenty of time to see it if you are in the region.

Each year we join with guests for our annual dinner. As usual we were in the Mall Galleries appropriately surrounded by this year’s RSMA show. No more description is needed except a picture to set the scene as our President Robin Mackervoy stands to deliver a few words!

John Stillman painting at Brenford Lock.

A very strange sight indeed to be seen at Strand-on-the-Green, Karl Terry in his all-in-one wet weather gear! The wettest day of the season!

Derek Daniells, John Killens and Karl Terry enjoying some wonderful summer light.

David Penny taking on Greenwich.

And after a hard day’s painting some of the group enjoying a well-deserved drink!

Paul Banning

Roger Dellar and John Killens at Tollesbury.

Our President Robin Mackervoy painting in comfort.

Robin Mackervoy arriving at Putney.

John Stillman and Karl Terry painting between showers at Rye.

Each year Wapper Michael Richardson and his partner Kate have organised a painting trip to France in which members are joined by friends for a holiday where painting takes precedence. This year we were in St Malo, Le Croisic and finally in Honfleur. With the sun under the command of weather maestro Trevor Chamberlain we had 10 days of wonderful light and varied subjects.

Karl Terry on the right braves the full sun in St Nazaire, a fascinating working port where huge ships are built.

Trevor Chamberlain finds a shady spot to paint the wonderful walled town of Guérande.

Every year we start and finish the painting season with the traditional Whitebait Supper. This year in the Cutty Sark pub in Greenwich we were treated with glorious views across the Thames in beautiful evening light. Here you see the members catching up after the winter break!

The 69^th Annual Exhibition of paintings by the Wapping Group, which closed last Saturday, has been very successful indeed. The Private View on Sunday February 15^th was extremely busy and at the end of just that first afternoon 21 paintings had been sold. In each of the six days that followed there were between 200 and 300 visitors to the North Gallery, and the show finished with the sale of 39 paintings and 3 original prints (by John Bryce). The group have been exhibiting at the Mall Galleries since 2005 and have always sold a good number of paintings but this is a record.

There were plenty of very positive comments, from our long-standing supporters and also from first-time visitors to the show: the exhibition was ‘fantastic as always’, ‘wonderfully diverse’, and ‘brimming with personality’. The paintings were ‘inspiring’, and showed ‘the Thames in all its glory’; newcomers were very impressed: ‘this is the first time I have visited, and will certainly come again!’

The fine selection of around a thousand greetings cards that were on offer were also eagerly snapped up, and virtually sold out.

All in all, a wonderful response to a show that the group members and fellow painters felt had reached a new standard for its range of subject matter and for the artistic skill shown in watercolour, oils and pastels.

If you missed the show this time please add your name to the mailing list for future exhibitions.

Some early visitors to the Private View, which was shortly afterwards very busy indeed.