Hermes scarf designed by Alice Shirley celebrates 150 years of Canadian independence

'Into the Canadian Wild' by Alice Shirley

Since graduating from the Royal Drawing School, Alice Shirley (DY 2009) has had an on-going collaboration with the fashion house Hermès Paris to create silk scarves, enamel jewellery, beach and homeware. Her first scarf Zebra Pegasus went on sale in 2014 and is their best-selling scarf; her most recent design Into the Canadian Wild, was commissioned by Hermès to celebrate 150 years of Canadian independence. Part of the Autumn/Winter 2017 collection, it was released this month. You can see more of Alice's work on her website here.

Exhibitions by RDS Faculty this Summer

'Chelsea Physic Garden' by Eileen Hogan

A new series of drawings and paintings by Prof. Eileen Hogan (RDS Academic Board) are currently on view at the Garden Museum. Hogan was appointed the Garden Museum’s artist-in-residence just as the Museum closed for a major Heritage Lottery funded Redevelopment Project. Her response to the challenge of being an artist ‘not-in-residence’ was to ask ninety people to nominate a green space in London along with a description of why it was significant to them. The enquiry revealed the range of Londoners’ attraction and attachment to these spaces which, she says, include ‘horticulture, history, personal psychology, private myth, romance, and eccentricity’.  From this large and varied selection, Hogan has developed a series of large-scale oil paintings, one for each month of the year. The exhibition of Hogan’s works coincides with the launch of the newly redeveloped and extended Museum. Details here.

Claudia Carr (RDS Senior Faculty) has work in an exhibition titled 'Make a Mark', which opens at Arthouse1 in Bermondsey on Sunday 9 July 6-8 pm. More info here.

Daniel Preece (DY 2007, RDS Faculty) will be giving a talk at One Paved Court (Richmond, TW9 1LZ) about his current exhibition Paintings about Everything and Nothing at 12 Noon on 15 July. The exhibition is open until 22 July.

Gallery Artists at Browse & Darby, 20 July - 28 September / Includes work by Academic Board member Prof Eileen Hogan and RDS Senior Faculty members Robert Dukes, Andy Pankhurst and Susan Wilson, whose painting 'Fig Tree in W10' is shown above. It was inspired by a Leonardo ceiling in the Sforza Castle in Milan, painted in 1498.

Alumni exhibitions in July

Hannah Murgatroyd (DY 2006)'s forthcoming solo show, Landscape As A Peopled World', opens at Exeter Phoenix on 13 July and runs until 2 September. Details here. The image shown above is titled 'Hand to Mouth' (2017).

Salma Ali (DY 2014) will be in a group exhibition that opens at Truman Brewery on 6 July 6-10pm. Click here to view the poster and images of work in the show. 

Oliver McConnie (DY 2014)'s hand-coloured etching 'Dance of Death' (shown above) will be on display in the exhibition Mostyn Open 20 in Llandudno, Wales. PV 7 July. The show runs from 8 July to 5 November 2017. Oliver will also be taking part in Open Studios at Bow Arts, Essex House, Saturday 22 July 12 - 6pm. Details here. 

As part of her current residency at City and Guilds Art School, Jessie Makinson (DY 2012) is having an Open Studio this week, alongside the BA degree show. Open until Sunday 2 July. Address: 124 Kennington Park Road, London, SE11 4DJ. Click here to view the opening times.

Chris Wallbank (DY 2016)'s drawing Loomery Scroll is currently on show in the Wellcome Collection's summer exhibition A Museum of Modern Nature: a new display of objects and stories collected from across a range of disciplines to demonstrate how we relate to nature today. Open until 8 October.

A short film animated by Alex Chilvers (DY 2013) has been nominated for the McLauren Award for Best British Animation at Edinburgh Festival. Directed by Jack Newman, with sound by Steven Dove, the short is titled 'Escape from Syria - Faiza's story'. Click here to watch it. Alex also recently collaborated with musician Helena Gee (aka Vanishing Animals) to make the music video 'From this World to the Next'. Watch it here.

Douglas Farthing (DY 2015) has two paintings on display in the National Army Museum's exhibition War Paint: Brushes with Conflict (open until 19 November). Admission is free. On 19 July Doug will be giving a guided tour of the exhibition at 6,30pm, discussing what it’s like to be a war artist. Douglas is a former sergeant major in The Parachute Regiment, serving in Afghanistan as part of Operation Veritas (2001-14). Details of the event can be found here.

Shown above is an EP album cover for emerging indie/alternative rock band Mellah, recently designed by Emily Morey (DY 2006). She says 'the artwork was made listening to the album music whilst they were rehearsing'. 'The imagery refers to the lyrics and narrative explored by the musician in his music, as well as my own interpretation/ experience of it'.

Emily also has an exhibition at the end of July in Wandsworth, South West London and would like to invite alumni and tutors at The Royal Drawing School. 'Making the Unfamiliar Familiar' will be open 25 July - 5 August. PV 26 July. Some of the artwork was made at Dumfries House, some refers to the Book of Revelations from the Bible. Click here to see the poster for the show.

Katie Brookes (DY 2006) and Jenny Smith (DY 2006), who have been studying on the Turps Studio Programme for the last two years, are exhibiting as part of the TURPS 2015-17 exhibition which opens at Art Bermondsay Project Space this week. Private View 13 July, 6-9pm, continues 14-22 July. Details here.

Elenor Bedlow (DY 2008), Rebecca Harper (DY 2013) and Hannah Turner-Duffin (DY 2009) would like to invite alumni to the Turps Summer Party and Open Studios on 22 July 12-8pm (Bar open from 5pm). They will be exhibiting work made during the past year. Address: Turps Art School,  SE17 2UQ. Details here.

Salma Ali (DY 2014) is in a group show titled 'Roots and Wings' which opens on 21 July in Middlesbrough. More info here.

British artist Rachel Heller (DY 2003) has a solo exhibition of new works at Doswell Gallery in Ireland. 'Pastels and other works' will be on show from 12 August to 6 September. More info here.