Where Did He Get That Paint Box?

This is the familar cry of many of our customers who have borught DVDs from us featuring Charles Reid, Steve Hall, John Hoar, Robert Brindley or Dr Robin Macdonald. What they are referring to is the all metal hand-made paint box they all use and which gets so many admiring looks. I have had so many enquitries I thought it would be helpful top place this information in the public domain.
They all use the same box made by the very talented Craign Young.

It really is a thing of beauty and is hand made by Craig in his workshop in Ludlow, Shropshire. It's fashioned from brass and is hand enamled. It is built like a tank - or rather I should say, like a Rolls Royce,  and will last you a lifetime. There is nothing else quite like it on the market currently which is why it is the choice of so many profesional watercolour artists. Two pointrs of caution. Firstly Craig cannot make enough to satisfy demand so there is always a waiting list which seems to vary between three and nine  months. Secondly they are not exactly cheap. But quality does come at a price. Craig does a number of different designs  I own three of them! I always say to people it is best to order the thing, pay the deposit and then forget about it for a few months. When it arrives it is a wonderful  surprise. You can get all the information you need and order from Craig here: Craig Young Watercolour Paint Boxes

Beat The VAT Increase

There are less than two weeks left before VAT goes up to 20% when we shall regretfully have to increase our prices. It does however mean that you have got  until mindnight on Jan 3 to order at current prices. We will be dealing with internet orders right over the Christmas period and the only days our phones  will not be manned are Dec 25 and 26. Any order placed on line or by phone before midnight on Jan 3 will be at the current prices.

We have already lined up a number of exciting projects to film in 2011 and I will be posting some details of these before the year ends.

Meanwhile from Elaine and I and all the team at Town House Films including Steve Thorpe our camerman, Marton Rosten our editor, David Meachen who does all our disc authouring and duplication, Dr Robin Macdonald our associate producer and  Michelle Day who keeps our books on the straight and narrow,  may we wish you and yours a verry Happy Chrustmas and a prosperous  and exciting 2011.

Aahh summer. I rememeber that!

Christmas Deliveries

With Christmas less than two weeks away we are still busy with orders and will be open for business right up to Christmas Day itself. We always aim to ship DVDs the day they are ordered and as you know post and packaging is included in the price, so you can order with confidence either for yourself or as a gift for someone else. However there is no postal service in the UK until Weds Dec 29 because  of the public holidays, so orders placed over the Christmas period will be shipped on that day. We don't want your order laying around in a frozen post box! Full details are on our website: Town House Films Website

Mad, Wonderful Painting Project in Bath

There's mad ideas and then there's mad ideas. Perhaps the maddest I have heard of from an artist for some time was Adebanji Alade's  wheeze to paint 500 pictures of the city of Bath in a year. Well there were plenty who thought he would never do it but just to prove them wrong he currebntly has a one man exhibition in The Bath Gallery of the first 211 paintings!!!! Only 289 to go Adebanji!!!!

Adebanji is a past winner in thre Bath Prize awards designed to promote plein air painting and this year was on the judging panel - hence his link with Bath.

Here are some more images of paintings from the exhibition and  Adebanji in action.

Adebanji's new DVD Coastal Adevntures in Acrylic is out now. and avaialble from us here: http://www.townhousefilms.co.uk/ Here's  a taster.

ROI EXHIBITION AT ITS BRILLIANT BEST

I spent yesterday at the 123rd annual ROI exhibition in the company of several of our arists who are mmebers. And what a brilliant exhibiton it is I do urge you to go and have a look yourself. It runs from Dec 8 to Sunday Dec 18 at London's Mall Galleries and 260 stunning pictures are on display.

Here are some of our artists who are ROI members in action.

ROI President Peter Wileman wih the opener of the exhibition Commendatore Antonio Carluccio admiring a picture of Peter's daughter Olivia.

Brian Ryder with his "guess who sold a  picture on the first day" face on.

Adebanji Alade (on the right) talking art.

Can you tell what it is yet? Rolf by June Mendoza

For a detailed look at the exhibition go to the ROI Blog:

Steve Hall's Teaching Programme for 2011

Steve Hall is one of our busiest teaching artists and he has just finalised his programme for 2011. There are a wide range of workshops from intensive weekly sessions in his own studio to courses on the North Norfolk coast and even Tuscany. He has published all his courses in a free brochure. Contact Steve for a copy

The brochure also contains detiuals of his new signature mop brush which he has had specially made to his own specifications by a top Spanish brush making company. It really is a beauty and can be obtianed from Steve on his web site: http://www.stevehallartist.co.uk/

Gastronomic Legend to Open ROI Exhibition

His food may be a work of art but Antonio Carluccio, the godfather of Italian cuisine in London is also passionate about painting and has just been appointed a patron of one of Britain’s oldest art societies -  The Royal Institute of Oil Painters. Antonio who has been awarded the Commendatore OMRI by the President of Italy for services to Italian gastronomy, the equivalent of a British knighthood. was awarded also an honorary OBE in the UK. On Tuesday December 7 He will officially open the ROI’s annual exhibition at London’s  Mall Galleries.  Antonio, himself  a keen painter,  last year had his portrait painted by more than 50 artists simultaneously  at the ROI’s Art Event evening.

Antonio with ROI Preoisdent Peter Wileman

ROI President Peter Wileman commented: “Food and painting have always gone together. A good meal stimulates the visual senses as well as the taste buds and that’s why I’m not surprised that Antonio is no mean artist himself. We are delighted to welcome him as a patron”. Carluccio joins former government minster Michael Portillo and actress Maureen Lipman as patrons of the ROI. The ROI’s 123^rd annual exhibition featuring more than 260 paintings is open to the public from December 8 -19. At the Mall Galleries, The Mall near Trafalgar Square. The ROI is the only major art society dedicated to oil painting. The Royal Institute of Oil Painters, was founded in 1882, and was granted royal status by King Edward VII in 1909.

Famous artists of the past who have shown their work in ROI exhibitions in the past include  such as Alma Tadema, Macwhirter, Walter  Sickert, Dame Laura Knight, Fantin Latour, Adrian Hill, Ann Redpath and even Rodin.

We have made films with several ROI members including Peter Wileman, June Mendoza, Brian Ryder and Adebanji Alade.

See our web site for trailers.