Success for Studio Fridays artists during the first half of 2024 has been coming in thick and fast! Only last week, Hilary Vernon-Smith, Sara Gregory and Simon Gazzard were taking part in their first ever Royal Academy Summer Exhibition Varnishing Day. Vernon-Smith and Gregory’s’s work was selected by Veronica Ryan, and Gazzard’s by Hurvin Anderson. Gregory featured in Time Out’s ‘Ten things we loved at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2024‘. Gregory’s success came just after her successful talk at Burgh House for Women in Art and appearing in ‘Artists Responding to..’ Magazine (Issue 9), and for Gazzard, after his hugely successful sell out solo show at Burgh House and involvement in Crouch End Open Studios.

This week, Raina Goran will be exhibiting at the Mall Galleries with the New English Art Club and with the Chelsea Art Society where she has been announced as a prize winner. This success is following on from exhibiting with the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours, and in anticipation of exhibiting soon, along with Victoria Perloff and Gregory, with the Society of Women Artists. Huge congratulations to Perloff, who has now been elected a full member of the society. Goran also had success earlier in the year at the Royal Watercolour Society’s open exhibition and, along with Alice Gavin Atashkar, at the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea with the Bakery Gallery.

Also at the Mall Galleries, earlier in the year, Diana Sandetskaya was selected for the Royal Society of British Artists exhibition and Dawn Limbert and Caroline Mathews both exhibited with the Pastel Society and the Society of Graphic Fine Arts. Matthews was also part of the very successful exhibition: ‘Rooted Memories -Lasting Connections’, at Lauderdale House with Michelle Werner. Sandetskaya will soon be exhibiting with the Pensychnant Open 2024, at Pensychnant Conservation Centre and Nature Reserve in Wales

Elise Mendelle has not only been showing work around London, including as part of ‘Murmuration’ with J/M Gallery in Notting Hill, but also at Oreofe Art Gallery in Paris recently where she was a part of a very successful group show. Margaret Crutchley and Helen Robinson continue there successful relationship with Wychwood Art, the Hertford Open and Ayot St Lawrence. The nice trip out to Ayot St Lawrence will also be made by a number of other Studio Fridays artists too. Crutchley, along with Sandetskaya and Ayse McGowan have also been involved in a group show at Linden Hall in Deal, Crutchley and Sandetskaya at the Guildford House Open, whilst Robinson recently has started showing at Mardleybury Gallery near Knebworth and now has even more work showing in the collection of the Royal Free Hospital.

Finally, many congratulations to Melissa Harris, who is currently having an exhibition of her ‘Mid-Century Circles’ prints at Cass Art in Hampstead, and to Neeta Popat Kataria who took part in Harrow Art Society’s exhibition and took part in Hertfordshire Open Studios.

Bring on the second half of the year!

Sara Gregory, Hilary Vernon-Smith and Simon Gazzard at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition

Elise Mendelle

Raina Goran at the Chelsea Art Society and the New English Art Club

Sara Gregory

Helen Robinson

Melissa Harris

Margaret Crutchley and Caroline Matthews (with Michelle Werner)