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By Rupert Maas This is the first part of an article from the FBA archives written by Rupert Maas in 2009.The Artist Explorer was generously funded by Foyle Foundation. Jan van Eyck discovers the secret of oils Much of the early history of oil painting is about what did not happen in our isolated country. The Renaissance that transformed and humanised painting in Italy in the 1500s d …

Artist Peter Graham ROI won the Frank Herring Easel Award at the ROI Annual Exhibition 2023 for his work The Sound of Iona.A member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Graham has a unique flamboyant style. His detailed brushwork combined with looser fluid strokes creates vibrant contrasts of pure colour, line and tone.Graham has travelled the world painting 'en plein air’, capturing the essenc …

Deborah Frank is a young, emerging artist who works predominantly in oils. Her current practice is a response to her surroundings, where the presence of nature can seem overwhelming.Frank's work Pragmites Australis, or "the common reed" 'plays a physical function for things like roofing, waste filtration and in some cases food; but also becomes a symbolic image of the individual- standing, sw …

Anshul Sharma's work Nothing to Eat is painted in oil on cradled paper.'In this painting, I wanted to capture the feeling of restless searching that many of us are familiar with - the anticipation of finding something new, even when we already know it won't happen.And so, the ritual continues night after night. The painting invites viewers to reflect on the blend of routine, restlessness, and …