The Pilot by Norman Wilkinson. Oil on Canvas. Ferens Art Gallery, Hull

Interior With Japanese Print by Samuel John Peploe 1915

Somnia by Kaja Norum. The Royal Society of Portrait Painters Drawing Prize 2026 Revealing the Human.1st Prize winner. Charcoal and pencil on toned paper.

On 17 October we took a Skills coach to the city of Hull. First we visited the Ferens Art Gallery with its permanent collection including majestic paintings of marine scenes, reflecting the city’s past. It was also the beginning of the 2026 Open Art Exhibition and Young Artist Open Exhibition. 

We then moved on to Hull University and the Brynmor Jones Library. Home of an impressive permanent collection, featuring several works by the Bloomsbury group. As if this wasn’t enough, the Royal Society of Portrait Painters annual exhibition was on display ‘Revealing the Human’. The standard of these portraits was truly astonishing. A real shot of inspiration…