THE SMALL PAINTINGS GROUP

Some twenty one years ago, in a conversation at the Chelsea Arts Club, with Sandra Pepys

(then chairman of the Society of Landscape Painters) and Dennis Gilbert (NEAC) and others

it was mentioned that many of them often painted small scale works and that it would be

good idea if there were a forum for exhibiting such works.

The potential membership was discussed with a shortlist of names agreed on and the Small

Paintings Society - subsequently renamed the Small Paintings Group -was founded.

It was agreed to approach Duncan Miller at his then gallery in Hampstead and he welcomed

the idea to include only very small paintings. The inaugural exhibition of the Small Paintings

Group at Duncan Miller in Flask Walk in December 1991.

Membership consists of a maximum of 35 distinguished and eclectic artists, many of whom

also belong to other exhibiting societies - NEAC, RWS, RBA and others - and of course paint

on a much larger scale as well. The paintings to be exhibited are limited to 12" by 12" or 144

sq ins and may be in any medium. These are 'cabinet' sized and intimate paintings and thus

easy to place and affordable.

There is a long tradition of collecting small scale paintings in Britain. Many of the Grand Tour

travellers in the eighteenth century purchased such works from the Bamboccianti or

Bentvoeghels in Rome (the Bamboccianti were a loose and convivial group of northern,

mainly Dutch and Flemish, artists working in and around Rome who produced works the size

of a 'palma di mano' - a man's hand - convenient for Milord to take back home. They are the

small jewels of many major collections - Dulwich, the Wallace, Kenwood and the National

Gallery as well as numerous stately homes.

The Small Paintings Group has exhibited annually since 1997 at the Piers Feetham Gallery,

475 Fulham Road and at least twice each year at other prestigious galleries in London and

elsewhere in Southern England. Exhibitions have also been held in Jersey.

Small Paintings Exhibition at The Piers Feetham Gallery 475 Fulham Road, London SW6

1HL

Exhibition Dates: 1st -23rd February 2013

Gallery Open: Tuesday - Friday 10-6; Saturday 10-1

Enquiries: 0207 381 3031 / piersfeethamgallery@hotmail.com

Images - www.piersfeethamgallery. Click Artists>Small Paintings Group

The exhibition will include work by the following group members

Julian Barrow Ken Howard RA NEAC RWS Roy Pettit

Cinzia Bonada RBA Mary Jackson NEAC RWS Richard Pikesley NEAC RWS

Bob Brown NEAC Peter Kelly NEAC RBA Mike Pope

Jane Corsellis NEAC RWA RWS Caroline McAdam Clark RWS Sallian Puttman NEAC RWS

David Eustace RBA Christopher Miers RBA Barbara Richardson RBA

Judith Gardner NEAC RBA Ronald Morgan RBA ROI Jacqueline Rizvi NEAC RBA

Dennis Gilbert NEAC William Packer NEAC RWS

Christopher Hall RBA David Parfitt NEAC Diana Schofield

Charlotte Halliday NEAC RWS James Parfitt Richard Sorrell NEAC RWS RBA

Charles Hardaker NEAC RBA John Paul Linda Sutton

Ann Heat RBA Sandra Pepys Charles Williams NEAC RWS

Julia Heseltine Melvyn Pettersen NEAC RE Anne Wright RBA