Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Art by Lorraine Ross

 Summer Exhibition

The Royal Academy of Art, located in Piccadilly, in the heart of London, has championed art and artists for the past 250 years. It has been and remains to be a home of world class exhibits from around the world.

Since 1767, the Academy has hosted an annual summer exhibition, the world's largest open submission exhibitions. The Summer Exhibition represents what is happening in the art world right now. It features work created by well known artists to emerging artists, including "wannabe" artists like myself.

This year the theme was Climate. I began to think of all the devestating climate effects and changes that are being reported around the world. In Western Canada we have been plagued by forest fires which have been exceptionally destructive. Towns have been razed and mountain sides have been stripped of vegetation. The secondary effects are that areas directly hit by the fires have then been subjected to flooding and mudslides. The winds have carried smoke and toxic pollutants from constructions in an easterly direction, resulting in air pollution and health concerns.

When the call was posted, I had a canvas dropcloth on my table that showed me a smokey sky with clear patches. Perfect start! I bumped up the blues and added a base colour of orange and red at the bottom for the fires. The fire was completed with stacked sorbello stitch.

I received notification that my piece Forest Fire was accepted into the short round ( 4000 pieces) and I hand delivered it in May. In June I was notified that it was selected as a final piece for hanging (1500 pieces). 

I am still in shock and disbelief that I have a piece hanging in this exhibition and that it will be viewed by thousands of people.  It is such an honour and I am truly humbled by this opportunity. 

The Summer Exhibition can be viewed online.   se.royalacademy.org.uk.

Please check it out, there is much to see.

Lorraine Ross