Congratulations Adam Ralston

Gallery Artist Adam Ralston has become an Associate Member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters.

Adam has exhibited with the ROI for the past 6 years. He lives in Blackpool and is interested in pleinair and still life painting. He prefers to paint from direct observation. Adam is a member of the ‘Manchester Academy Of Fine Arts’, the ‘British Plein Air Painters’. and the outdoor painting group the ‘Northern Boys’.
‘It’s very exciting to be made an associate member of the ROI. I always thought my painting style and subject matter might’ve been a bit too quirky, and not traditional enough to be accepted. It’s reassuring to know, and great to see all the different ways it’s members use oil paint. I remember the first time I entered work for their annual exhibition in 2015, and they all got rejected. Annoying as it was at the time, it fired me up and I was determined to try again.
I entered the following year and was fortunate to get 3 accepted and won an award! I’d say my enthusiasm for oil paint and painting from life comes from my foundation years at Blackpool art college. A memorable place and a great time for me, learning how to see and paint. I very much lost my way after that doing bar work, labouring and gardening jobs whilst spending too much time playing guitar!

So it wasn’t a straight forward journey on the way to being an artist, but I couldn’t stop thinking about wanting to paint again. That opportunity came about 10 years ago when I slowly dropped everything, and got back into it. I’ve now been a full time painter since 2014. I look forward to being involved in the society, and continuing to learn from it’s varied and highly talented members.’ @adamralstonartist