Ten Summit Tips For Winning An Rhs Gilt Medal For Botanical Art
Wednesday, 26 February 2020
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Would you lot similar to win a Gold Medal for your Botanical Art?
I paid 2 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 viii ladies who had all won RHS Gold Medals - you lot tin consider images of some of them in addition to their function below. In this in addition to my adjacent post service I'm going to last sharing what I learned - starting with...
This is a tip arising from diverse comments. Feedback to artists past times the RHS suggests that the lineament of function at nowadays beingness submitted to the RHS Botanical Art Exhibition is such that the selectors are at nowadays getting really choosy.
I gather that if you lot are to stand upward whatever variety of direct chances of beingness invited to submit function to the exhibition you lot must autumn into 1 of 2 categories:
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 you lot 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 showtime entry is absolutely essential if you lot desire to exhibit to a greater extent than than once!
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, nonetheless I could directly consider that supplying plants to an creative individual who wins a RHS Gold Medal could function 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!
TIP #2: Locate a friendly Grower for your topic plants in addition to secure their back upward earlier you lot acquire started
Note: You tin read my interview alongside Annie inward 2011 in RHS Botanical Art Show & Five Gold Medal Winners
First fourth dimension exhibitor Laura Silburn of Cornwall came upward alongside this splendid tip! In deciding what topic to select for her work, she decided it was in all likelihood a really goodness thought to yell back that the RHS is a horticultural social club which is bully to position in addition to promote the best inward plants.
Her collection of Hardy Geraniums were non only ones which grew inward her garden, they are also ones which have received the RHS Award of Garden Merit
TIP #3: Consider the relevance of the RHS Award of Garden Merit for all cultivated plants suitable for gardens
Gülnar Ekşi from Turkey recommends studying phytology to brand certain you lot 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 really interesting that a meaning 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
TIP #4: Study Botany or seek assistance from an proficient botanist
TIP #5: Never last afraid to halt function in addition to start in 1 trial to a greater extent than if you lot desire to laissez passer in addition to submit summit lineament work
One of the criteria for your exhibit is that it must create total but non swamp the exhibition space.
This tip comes from Julia Trickey (4 Gold Medals 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013).
Julia also works out the blueprint of the function thence she knows to a greater extent than or less how each volition await relative to the others earlier she starts or revises her blueprint to check a conception for the overall exhibiti rather than working on the blueprint of an private slice inward isolation.
TIP #6: Start past times working out the concept, blueprint in addition to layout for your goal display. From that calculate the maximum size of each artwork - allowing for adequate spacing in addition to the mat
(Note: Julia also produces some really useful leaflets providing tips in addition to techniques for botanical artists)
This tip comes from Margaret de Villiers of Hermanus inward South Africa. Margaret is a showtime fourth dimension exhibitor in addition to won a Gold Medal for her display of Cape Ericas. She also won Best Painting inward Show.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 telephone substitution consideration for function for the RHS Botanical Art exhibition is that
Consequently Margaret asked somebody who was an proficient on the Cape Ericas to attain 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 purpose for the dissection data which runs along the bottom margin of each image. In other words she assembled an proficient squad to back upward her alongside the function she knew needed doing.
TIP #7: Achieve your goal of winning a Gold Medal past times assembling an proficient back upward team
(Note: An proficient back upward squad may include 1 or to a greater extent than of a grower, a botanist, a photographer, a graphic creative individual in addition to a framer)
Sandra Sanger of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia recommends paying attending to presentation of the display. One of the criteria for assessment is that....
Sandra's preference is for a double mountain which she feels sets off the function better. She also lays emphasis on the graphical lineament of the labelling for both topic in addition to the private works.
TIP #8: Think almost the lineament of the mats in addition to labels every bit good every bit the artwork!
This is my recommendation - in addition to it's 1 which is ever reinforced past times listening to the stories of how a portfolio of function was seat together.
To submit to this exhibition at that spot is a really defined in addition to lengthy timescale. It's a goodness thought to acquire to grips alongside this early on. See
However you lot also select to apply for a infinite to exhibit - in addition to you lot tin solely attain that in 1 trial you lot select been approved. You demand to last really certain you lot volition last able to deliver when booking your infinite every bit cancellations count against getting a house in 1 trial to a greater extent than inward the future.
TIP #9: Make a projection conception - 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
All but the previous GM winners had run out of line concern cards in addition to images of their artwork on their showtime day! I'd approximate most GM winning artists volition acquire through at to the lowest degree 200-250 line concern cards in addition to volition also sell a lot of cards of their work. It seems empty-headed non to convey enough!
Remember this is marketing! If the carte du jour is attractive people volition continue it in addition to may contact you lot in 1 trial to a greater extent than inward the hereafter alongside a commission.
TIP #10: Triple the seat out of cards you lot showtime thought of!
I'm at nowadays minded to review How to go into the RHS Botanical Art Show which I wrote 2 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 affair which has changed is that you lot at nowadays solely demand to submit 6 works rather than the ix which used to last required.
Links to previous posts almost RHS Botanical Art:
If you'd similar to know to a greater extent than almost botanical art delight banking concern check out my data websites:
- Have you lot ever wondered whether your artwork is goodness plenty to submit to the RHS Botanical Art Exhibition
- Have you lot got the phase where you've started to wonder almost the logistics of what's involved inward submitting an entry?
I paid 2 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 viii ladies who had all won RHS Gold Medals - you lot tin consider images of some of them in addition to their function 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 summit notch work
This is a tip arising from diverse comments. Feedback to artists past times the RHS suggests that the lineament of function at nowadays beingness submitted to the RHS Botanical Art Exhibition is such that the selectors are at nowadays getting really choosy.
I gather that if you lot are to stand upward whatever variety of direct chances of beingness invited to submit function to the exhibition you lot must autumn into 1 of 2 categories:
- EITHER an creative individual 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 you lot 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 showtime entry is absolutely essential if you lot 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, nonetheless I could directly consider that supplying plants to an creative individual who wins a RHS Gold Medal could function 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!
 |
| Citrus GOLD MEDAL 2013 awarded to Annie Hughes GM copyright: images - Annie Hughes; photograph - Katherine Tyrrell |
TIP #2: Locate a friendly Grower for your topic plants in addition to secure their back upward earlier you lot acquire started
Note: You tin 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 topic to select for her work, she decided it was in all likelihood a really goodness thought to yell back that the RHS is a horticultural social club which is bully to position in addition to promote the best inward plants.
Her collection of Hardy Geraniums were non only ones which grew inward her garden, they are also ones which have received the RHS Award of Garden Merit
 |
| 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 |
4. Get the Botany correct - know what to demo in addition to highlight
Gülnar Ekşi from Turkey recommends studying phytology to brand certain you lot 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 really interesting that a meaning 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
 |
| 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 |
5. Practice to laissez passer summit quality
A really high criterion of function 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 laissez passer splendid quality. So if a slice isn't working, start in 1 trial to a greater extent than in addition to acquire inward your best function rather than trying to function circular whatever errors made!
TIP #5: Never last afraid to halt function in addition to start in 1 trial to a greater extent than if you lot desire to laissez passer in addition to submit summit lineament work
6. Size your function to check the Panels
One of the criteria for your exhibit is that it must create total but non swamp the exhibition space.
the infinite allocated inward which to hang the pictures is well-filled without beingness overcrowdedMy thought is that the RHS are looking to vantage botanical artists who know how to exhibit their function 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 |
Display boards are low-cal grayness inward colour, 2m long x 1.3m, in addition to arranged inward a zigzag fashion.Julia starts past times working out a conception 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 almost yourself in addition to to provide infinite betwixt each artwork. A minimum of 6 works on 2 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 only about almost 45cm which agency that the effective working width of the artwork is only about almost 40cm.
Julia also works out the blueprint of the function thence she knows to a greater extent than or less how each volition await relative to the others earlier she starts or revises her blueprint to check a conception for the overall exhibiti rather than working on the blueprint of an private slice inward isolation.
TIP #6: Start past times working out the concept, blueprint in addition to layout for your goal display. From that calculate the maximum size of each artwork - allowing for adequate spacing in addition to the mat
(Note: Julia also produces some really 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 showtime fourth dimension exhibitor in addition to won a Gold Medal for her display of Cape Ericas. She also won Best Painting inward Show.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 telephone substitution consideration for function 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 especial topic or flora family.Margaret doesn't pretend to last an proficient botanist, nor is she somebody who is a technical geek. There is aught inward the regulations which says that the creative individual has to last responsible for all the dissection or recording it for reference material.
Consequently Margaret asked somebody who was an proficient on the Cape Ericas to attain 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 purpose for the dissection data which runs along the bottom margin of each image. In other words she assembled an proficient squad to back upward her alongside the function 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 goal of winning a Gold Medal past times assembling an proficient back upward team
(Note: An proficient back upward squad may include 1 or to a greater extent than of a grower, a botanist, a photographer, a graphic creative individual in addition to a framer)
8. Take aid 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 blueprint of the display enhances the appearance of the drawings or paintingsand
Whether the function is shown framed or unframed is in 1 trial 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 business office of the overall presentation of the exhibit in addition to volition last judged accordingly.Thus at that spot is no requirement to acquaint the function inward frames. Artists from abroad typically attain non frame their function to relieve on weight.
Sandra's preference is for a double mountain which she feels sets off the function better. She also lays emphasis on the graphical lineament of the labelling for both topic 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 |
9. Start really early!
This is my recommendation - in addition to it's 1 which is ever reinforced past times listening to the stories of how a portfolio of function was seat together.
To submit to this exhibition at that spot is a really defined in addition to lengthy timescale. It's a goodness thought to acquire to grips alongside this early on. See
- Details of guidelines for exhibiting botanical fine art at the RHS
- Regulations for botanical artwork
Please banking concern annotation at that spot 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 choice coming together is 10 July, 2013.Once approved you lot in addition to thence select five years to submit your work. The lengthy timetable recognises the fact that botanical accuracy which displays a life bike requires at to the lowest degree 1 twelvemonth only to collect the information
However you lot also select to apply for a infinite to exhibit - in addition to you lot tin solely attain that in 1 trial you lot select been approved. You demand to last really certain you lot volition last able to deliver when booking your infinite every bit cancellations count against getting a house in 1 trial to a greater extent than inward the future.
TIP #9: Make a projection conception - 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 line concern cards than you lot think possible!
All but the previous GM winners had run out of line concern cards in addition to images of their artwork on their showtime day! I'd approximate most GM winning artists volition acquire through at to the lowest degree 200-250 line concern cards in addition to volition also sell a lot of cards of their work. It seems empty-headed non to convey enough!
Remember this is marketing! If the carte du jour is attractive people volition continue it in addition to may contact you lot in 1 trial to a greater extent than inward the hereafter alongside a commission.
TIP #10: Triple the seat out of cards you lot showtime thought of!
I'm at nowadays minded to review How to go into the RHS Botanical Art Show which I wrote 2 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 affair which has changed is that you lot at nowadays solely demand to submit 6 works rather than the ix which used to last required.
Links to previous posts almost RHS Botanical Art:
- RHS Botanical Art Show 2013 - Selected Artists 09 Mar 2013
- 7 Gold Medal Winners at RHS Botanical Art 2012 17 Mar 2012
- RHS Gold Medal winning Botanical Photography 27 October 2012
- How to go into the RHS Botanical Art Show 22 Mar 2011
- RHS Botanical Art Show & Five Gold Medal Winners - Making a Mark 21 Mar 2011
- RHS Gold Medal Botanical Art 23 February 2007
If you'd similar to know to a greater extent than almost botanical art delight banking concern check out my data websites:
[August 2016 - updated]
- See my website Botanical Art in addition to Artists - for everything from Herbals to RHS Botanical Art Shows to Botanical Latin for Artists
- Find out to a greater extent than almost books almost botanical fine art in
- Regular posts almost botanical fine art at nowadays appear oft on my novel blog News almost Botanical Art in addition to for Botanical Artists
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