Brand New!! X Summit Tips For Winning An Rhs Aureate Medal For Botanical Art

Would y'all similar to win a Gold Medal for your Botanical Art?
  • Have y'all ever wondered whether your artwork is goodness plenty to submit to the RHS Botanical Art Exhibition
  • Have y'all got the phase where you've started to wonder virtually the logistics of what's involved inward submitting an entry?
If the response to whatsoever of these is 'Yes" read ON - in addition to you'll larn a matter or ii - or ten!

I paid ii visits on Fri in addition to Sabbatum to the RHS Botanical Art Exhibition at the RHS Lindley Hall on Fri in addition to Saturday.

I met 8 ladies who had all won RHS Gold Medals - y'all tin sack consider images of some of them in addition to their piece of job below.  In this in addition to my adjacent post service I'm going to last sharing what I learned - starting with...

10 Top Tips for Winning an RHS Gold Medal for Botanical Art



1. Only submit pinnacle notch work


This is a tip arising from diverse comments.  Feedback to artists past times the RHS suggests that the character of piece of job at nowadays beingness submitted to the RHS Botanical Art Exhibition is such that the selectors are at nowadays getting real choosy.

I gather that if y'all are to stand upward whatsoever variety of direct chances of beingness invited to submit piece of job to the exhibition y'all must autumn into 1 of ii categories:
  • EITHER an creative someone who is novel to the RHS Botanical Art Exhibition
  • OR a previous medal winner

This twelvemonth they awarded 8 Gold Medals in addition to no Bronzes.  Realistically, you'd select to last a previous winner of a Gold or Silver Gilt to stand upward a direct chances of beingness selected.  That agency if y'all desire to exhibit to a greater extent than than once, you're going to select to win a Silver Gilt or Gold Medal at your FIRST attempt.

TIP #1: Aiming for a Gold Medal Standard for your outset entry is absolutely essential if y'all desire to exhibit to a greater extent than than once!


2.  Find a Helpful Grower


Annie Hughes (Gold Medals 2011, 2012, 2013) from NSW, Commonwealth of Australia recommends finding a Grower who is both interested inward your project, prepared to lend plants in addition to is also flexible.  It had never occurred to me that growers would lend plants, all the same I could forthwith consider that supplying plants to an creative someone who wins a RHS Gold Medal could piece of job good for a horticultural business.

So here's a call-out for Mark Engall of Engall's Nurseries inward Sydney who supplied Annie's Citrus plants!

Would y'all similar to win a Gold Medal for your Botanical Art Brand New!! Ten Top Tips for winning an RHS Gold Medal for Botanical Art
Citrus
GOLD MEDAL 2013 awarded to Annie Hughes GM
copyright: images - Annie Hughes; photograph - Katherine Tyrrell

TIP #2: Locate a friendly Grower for your subject plants in addition to secure their back upward earlier y'all acquire started

Note: You tin sack read my interview alongside Annie inward 2011 in RHS Botanical Art Show & Five Gold Medal Winners

3.  Never ever forget that the RHS is a Horticultural Society


First fourth dimension exhibitor  Laura Silburn of Cornwall came upward alongside this splendid tip!  In deciding what subject to select for her work, she decided it was belike a real goodness thought to recall that the RHS is a horticultural gild which is slap-up to position in addition to promote the best inward plants.

Her collection of Hardy Geraniums were non but ones which grew inward her garden, they are also ones which have received the RHS Award of Garden Merit

Would y'all similar to win a Gold Medal for your Botanical Art Brand New!! Ten Top Tips for winning an RHS Gold Medal for Botanical Art
Varieties of Hardy Geranium that select received the RHS Award of Garden Merit
GOLD MEDAL 2013 awarded to Laura Silburn
copyright: images - Laura Silburn; photograph - Katherine Tyrrell
TIP #3: Consider the relevance of the RHS Award of Garden Merit for all cultivated plants suitable for gardens

4. Get the Botany correct - know what to exhibit in addition to highlight


Gülnar Ekşi from Turkey recommends studying phytology to brand certain y'all sympathize the plant, its flora morphology in addition to its unique or very special features which should last clearly featured inward RHS artwork - which must last botanically accurate.

In fact it's real interesting that a pregnant proportion of the Gold Medal Winners select studied the flora extensively.  Two of them - Gülnar Ekşi in addition to Hye Woo Shin are both inward the procedure of completing a  PhD inward Botany

Would y'all similar to win a Gold Medal for your Botanical Art Brand New!! Ten Top Tips for winning an RHS Gold Medal for Botanical Art
Plants from the forests in addition to woods of Chile 
GOLD MEDAL 2013 awarded to Gülnar Ekşi GM
copyright: images - Gülnar Ekşi; photograph - Katherine Tyrrell
TIP #4:  Study Botany or seek assistance from an practiced botanist

5. Practice to accomplish pinnacle quality

A real high measure of piece of job is required inward the exhibition of botanical illustration. Emphasis is placed primarily on botanical accuracy alongside aesthetic appeal.
Another tip from Gülnar Ekşi from Turkey.  She recommends lots of practise to accomplish splendid quality.  So if a slice isn't working, start 1 time to a greater extent than in addition to arrive your best piece of job rather than trying to piece of job circular whatsoever errors made!

TIP #5: Never last afraid to halt piece of job in addition to start 1 time to a greater extent than if y'all desire to accomplish in addition to submit pinnacle character work

6.  Size your piece of job to gibe the Panels


One of the criteria for your exhibit is that it must fill upward but non swamp the exhibition space.
the infinite allocated inward which to hang the pictures is well-filled without beingness overcrowded
My stance is that the RHS are looking to vantage botanical artists who know how to exhibit their piece of job to a professional person size in addition to display standard.

Nature inward Waiting - Gold Medal 2013
by Julia Trickey GM, Assoc SBA

copyright: images - Julia Trickey; photograph - Katherine Tyrrell
This tip comes from Julia Trickey (4 Gold Medals 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013).
Display boards are lite grayness inward colour, 2m long x 1.3m, in addition to arranged inward a zigzag fashion.
Julia starts past times working out a innovation for her display.  She knows that each display board is 2 metres wide.  She allows herself a MAXIMUM of 1.8 metres per display board for the artwork every bit infinite is also required to tell people virtually yourself in addition to to provide infinite betwixt each artwork.  A minimum of vi works on ii boards gives a width allowance of no to a greater extent than than 60cm.  Thus the maximum width of the artwork which has a decent margin of mat is closed to virtually 45cm which agency that the effective working width of the artwork is closed to virtually 40cm.

Julia also works out the pattern of the piece of job thence she knows to a greater extent than or less how each volition await relative to the others earlier she starts or revises her pattern to gibe a innovation for the overall exhibiti rather than working on the pattern of an private slice inward isolation.

TIP #6:  Start past times working out the concept, pattern in addition to layout for your halt display. From that calculate the maximum size of each artwork - allowing for adequate spacing in addition to the mat

(Note:  Julia also produces some real useful leaflets providing tips in addition to techniques for botanical artists)

7.  Have a goodness squad behind you


This tip comes from Margaret de Villiers of Hermanus inward South Africa.  Margaret is a outset fourth dimension exhibitor in addition to won a Gold Medal for her display of Cape Ericas.  She also won Best Painting inward Show.

H5N1 cardinal consideration for piece of job for the RHS Botanical Art exhibition is that
Particular credit is given for botanical accuracy, exact color reproduction in addition to attending to detail. Higher awards tend to last given to exhibits illustrating a exceptional subject or flora family.
Margaret doesn't pretend to last an practiced botanist, nor is she somebody who is a technical geek.   There is nix inward the regulations which says that the creative someone has to last responsible for all the dissection or recording it for reference material.

Consequently Margaret asked somebody who was an practiced on the Cape Ericas to do the botanical dissection for her thence that she had all the data which was relevant to each flora - in addition to was advised in addition to understood what was important.  The dissections were in addition to thence photographed (think magnification in addition to high resolution!) in addition to transferred to a CD.  A Photographer friend in addition to thence printed all the photos out for her in addition to from these, she decided which images to utilisation for the dissection data which runs along the bottom margin of each image.  In other words she assembled an practiced squad to back upward her alongside the piece of job she knew needed doing.

Cape Ericas (Heathers)
GOLD MEDAL 2013 awarded to 
Margaret de Villiers
copyright: images - Margaret de Villiers; photograph - Katherine Tyrrell

TIP #7:  Achieve your finish of winning a Gold Medal past times assembling an practiced back upward team

(Note: An practiced back upward squad may include 1 or to a greater extent than of a grower, a botanist, a photographer, a graphic creative someone in addition to a framer)

8.  Take attention alongside your presentation


Sandra Sanger of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia recommends paying attending to presentation of the display.  One of the criteria for assessment is that....
the pattern of the display enhances the appearance of the drawings or paintings
and
Whether the piece of job is shown framed or unframed is 1 time to a greater extent than upward to the exhibitor but the exhibit must non last a mixture of both. Work should preferably last presented inward off-white unmarried mounts and, if framed, inward elementary light-coloured wooden frames.
and
Signage is considered every bit go of the overall presentation of the exhibit in addition to volition last judged accordingly.
Thus in that location is no requirement to introduce the piece of job inward frames.  Artists from abroad typically do non frame their piece of job to salve on weight.

Sandra's preference is for a double mountain which she feels sets off the piece of job better.  She also lays emphasis on the graphical character of the labelling for both subject in addition to the private works.

Orchids - Slipper in addition to Australian Natives
GOLD MEDAL 2013 awarded to Sandra Sanger
copyright: images - Sandra Sanger; photograph - Katherine Tyrrell
TIP #8:  Think virtually the character of the mats in addition to labels every bit good every bit the artwork!

9. Start real early!


This is my recommendation - in addition to it's 1 which is e'er reinforced past times listening to the stories of how a portfolio of piece of job was pose together.

To submit to this exhibition in that location is a real defined in addition to lengthy timescale.  It's a goodness thought to acquire to grips alongside this early on.  See
You demand to outset exhibit a sample of master piece of job (four pieces) to the Picture Advisory Committee.  The deadline for consideration for exhibition inward 2014 in addition to subsequent years is 26 June 2013.
Please authorities notation in that location is an annual submission coming together to assess artists for exhibiting inward RHS shows. The deadline for submissions for consideration at this coming together is Wed 26 June 2013.The appointment of the adjacent alternative coming together is 10 July, 2013.
Once approved y'all in addition to thence select five years to submit your work. The lengthy timetable recognises the fact that botanical accuracy which displays a life cycle requires at to the lowest degree 1 twelvemonth but to collect the information

However y'all also select to apply for a infinite to exhibit - in addition to y'all tin sack solely do that 1 time y'all select been approved.  You demand to last real certain y'all volition last able to deliver when booking your infinite every bit cancellations count against getting a house 1 time to a greater extent than inward the future.

TIP #9:  Make a projection innovation - alongside critical events in addition to timelines - for completing in addition to submitting a portfolio to last "approved" through to getting your artwork completed in addition to travelling to your target exhibition

10.  You demand many to a greater extent than concern cards than y'all think possible!


All but the previous GM winners had run out of concern cards in addition to images of their artwork on their outset day!  I'd gauge most GM winning artists volition acquire through at to the lowest degree 200-250 concern cards in addition to volition also sell a lot of cards of their work.  It seems giddy non to convey enough!

Remember this is marketing!  If the carte du jour is attractive people volition tumble out it in addition to may contact y'all 1 time to a greater extent than inward the hereafter alongside a commission.

TIP #10:  Triple the publish of cards y'all outset thought of!


I'm at nowadays minded to review How to motion into the RHS Botanical Art Show which I wrote ii years agone to consider if it needs updating although I suspect most of it is pretty much the same rules in addition to guidelines.  The solely matter which has changed is that y'all at nowadays solely demand to submit vi works rather than the nine which used to last required.


Links to previous posts virtually RHS Botanical Art:

If you'd similar to know to a greater extent than virtually botanical art delight banking concern check out my data websites:

[August 2016 - updated]

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