The RA Summer Exhibition and AI: Submission to Display to Sale

I think I've uncovered a bit of a problem relating to the legislation and regulations which apply to all info provided to buyers in art exhibitions (who have protected rights) - from Submission to Display to Sale.

Earlier this week, I wrote about how the Royal West of England Academy allows AI into its Annual Exhibition

There have been a lot of comments on the post on Facebook as a result - which you can see here. Mainly this has been confined to whether or not AI should be eligible or only serves to undermine the original work of artists.

What I didn't realise at the time, is that the RWA were not the first.

The Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition and AI

This year's Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition indicated in its Frequently Asked Questions that it was OK to use AI as part of an artwork

Can I enter an AI work?

If your work is generated, partially or entirely, using artificial intelligence, then you must declare it on your artwork form by adding ‘AI’ to the medium field.

Extract from RA Summer Exhibition 2026 - FAQs

In other words, the RWA appears to have just copied what the RA did!

Omission of fact / poor descriptions of art for sale

So I went to look at all the artworks - to find the clearly displayed "AI" in the medium field

I found 59 entries were listed in "all the artworks" when I searched the database for "AI".

I didn't sample everyone. But of all the ones I looked at in detail, not one declared the AI as having contributed to the image or the artwork.

So the RA may know that AI contribute to the artwork - but they aren't sharing that information with the general public.

I then did another sample - of all those that were available to buy online. 

• This time I got 54 entries.
• I looked at a few more - and still could not find any exhibit which openly declared that AI was used in its creation.

AI Findings: Submission to Display to Sale

• The Royal Academy of Art required all artists to declare AI on their form If your work is generated, partially or entirely, using artificial intelligence, then you must declare it on your artwork form by adding ‘AI’ to the medium field.
• The Royal Academy of Art appears to have chosen NOT to disclose the use of AI in any of the information provided to the buying public.
• it's not listed in the catalogue under the medium
• it's not listed on the Sales website for any of the artworks which were triggered by the search term "AI"

I wonder why.

I'm also wondering if anybody asked the RA Solicitors for their advice as to what needs to be disclosed within the context of the range of legislation and regulations which are pertinent eg see "How to sell art" on my website Art Business Info for Artists

• Trading Law and Regulations - see my Trading Law & Regulations for Artists (mainly UK) page
• the various regulations relating to selling online and consumer rights - see my E-Commerce for Artists page

One of the requirements of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 is that

Every contract to supply goods by description is to be treated as including a term that the goods will match the description.

In other words, when describing the medium for an artwork, if AI was used then AI needs to be highlighted.

• I am sure this requirement is essentially what is behind the RA requirement for the artist to spell out AI in the medium box if relevant. 
• So why has that info not translated through to the description of the artwork for the purposes of sale to the public (ie the people protected by the Consumer Rights Act 2015!)?
• My conclusion is that we appear to have "a left hand and a right hand within the RA who are not talking to one another"!

Clearly, use of AI is new and mistakes may be made at the outset. 

However I personally would expect that an organisation like the Royal Academy of Art which has, over time, been absolutely exemplary in its highlighting of changes in legislation (eg re VAT registration for overseas artists; new money laundering regulations for art etc) and spelling out what that means for artists entering the Summer Exhibition SHOULD have picked this up and dealt with it better. 

I have frequently highlighted RA advice contained in its T&Cs and FAQs to other art societies as "this is the way to do it" (whatever "it" was)

I'm now expecting that all mistakes made this year will be corrected for 2027.

I also expect to see next year that the same standard of exemplary guidance produced by the RA in the past will now be also applied to EVERY ASPECT OF AI where people (i.e. ALL THE BUYERS!) have a "need to know" 

In other words - that next year all relevant legislation and regulations will be covered by all necessary parts of the T&Cs and FAQs and any other guidance the RA sees fit to issue.

Review of Portrait Award 2026 (Part 1): What's changed and what's not

This is my review of the HSFK Portrait Award 2026 Exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery - sponsored by Herbert Smith Freehill Kramer - and its Awards Ceremony. (I refer to it as The Portrait Award).

• It covers:
• how you can see The Portrait Award Exhibition - in person or online
• what's changed, what's not and what needs to!
• the importance of metrics and profile
• the hang
• discernible themes within the exhibition
• what I like - and what I'm less enthusiastic about will be mentioned in passing - with more to come in my "10 Portraits I liked the best"

At the end are notes about

• Why I write about the HSFK Portrait Award - a short note about my personal history with this exhibition (since 2007)
• followed by all the blog posts I've written about it in the last 19 years ( I haven't counted - but it's a lot!)

How to see the Portrait Award Exhibition

The Portrait Award Exhibition can be seen

• at the National Portrait Gallery in London
• in Gallery 2 (the very far end of the second floor - via the escalator near the entrance or the lifts)
• 25 June - 7 October 2026

You will be able to buy a catalogue - just not yet. The catalogue is being reprinted due to (I understand) an error in the catalogue - and yesterday they didn't yet have a date for its delivery. Although I understand they've worked out a system for you to place an order. (I used to produce publications when in charge of promoting my professional institute's qualification - and I know full well that proofreading is a task which is absolutely critical - and unfortunately always given the time and attention it needs! Let's hope this is the first and last time this happens!)

The exhibition then travels to

• Derby Museum and Art Gallery (21 November 2026 - 21 February 2027)
• The Gallery at the Arc, Winchester (5 March - 9 June 2027)

You can also see it online in the Visitor's Choice Section where you can also vote for your favourite portrait.

The Portrait Award Exhibition - the Metrics

You may wonder why I've started with this - but it's actually VERY VERY important to the future of this competition.

How the numbers have changed - a lot!

The norm for the number of pieces hung was between 50-55 for a very long time - up until 2017 - and then the numbers started to dip.

I'm pleased to say that this year we're back in the normal range again for the number of selected portraits - with 51 portraits hung this year.

Last year it was only 46 so we have a bonus 5 portraits this year! 

I'm left wondering if very clear guidelines were given to Judges that this 50-55 range is the one to aim for.

This year the 51 were selected for the exhibition were chosen from 

• 1,474 submissions entered by artists from 63 countries. 
• (Compared to 46 selected from 1,314 entries from 61 countries in 2025)

I think a chart is in order. If you look at one (below) that I did to compare the number of submissions and number of countries between 2004 and 2019, I think you'll see why. The number of submissions compares to the PRE-2007 PERIOD.

Comparison of 1474 submissions from 63 countries in 2026
with the period prior to Covid/renovation

However I think maybe a separate post to discuss why this might be a better idea.

For now, we just need to remember:

• the number of countries is OK and comparable to pre Covid/renovation
• however the number of entries has DROPPED very significantly (i.e. more than 1,000 entries lower than pre-Covid) - and that is maybe also why the number selected also dropped below 50 for a while.

In principle, the quality of the exhibition depends on the quality of the artists applying - and how many do.

I really do think NPG Management and the Press Team need to apply their efforts in a much more focused away in order to reinstate the type of profile that was being acclaimed on Tuesday night - i.e. "THE most prestigious portrait award in the world" - given the number of its international entries. 

Words are easy - delivering on them is more difficult. The numbers simple don't support the assertion.

For example, how come Alastair Sooke (Chief Art Critic, Daily Telegraph) wrote The best art exhibitions to see this June (25 June 2026) and failed to include the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award?

Yet again, I'll make the point that this annual exhibition desperately needs to be rechristened as "The Portrait Award 2026" - sponsored by Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer.  Otherwise the word "portrait" gets completely swamped in comparison to (say) the BP Portrait Award..

I am possibly the only person in the world who spans this competition for that complete period - and has the numbers - in terms of keeping an eye on performance measures for this competition re. effectiveness and prestige. I'd be happy to advise - I used to do this for a job!

The Hang

The Hang grew on me. It's actually very intelligent in terms of how it draws together themes without shoving them in your face.

Royal West of England Academy allows AI into its Annual Exhibition

The deadline for entries to the Annual Open Exhibition of the Royal West of England Academy (RWA) closed at midnight yesterday.

I'm wondering how many entries they got this year.

That's because they have this year allowed people to submit AI entries.

I gather a lot of artists have been very upset about this - as one might expect given that, by definition, AI means an artwork cannot be the original work of the artist.

Some ventured to comment on the error of the RWA's ways - and promptly got banned from commenting on their Instagram account!

I notice social media posts about the RWA Open latterly have had no scope whatsoever for comments.

I then went back though Instagram looking at other posts inviting entries for the RWA Open and not one of those I looked at had comments.

I rather think they may regret the notion of inviting AI artwork.

Should any other art society think it might be a good idea to be cutting edge and introduce AI as an option for acceptable media, I'd highly recommend you look at the RWA Exhibition when it opens

The 173rd Annual Open Exhibition at the Royal West of England Academy (RWA) in Bristol will run from 12 September 2026 to 3 January 2027. It showcases over 500 contemporary works—including painting, sculpture, and photography—across historic galleries, with all featured art available for purchase. Google AI

Plus maybe have a look at some of the other posts about this 

For any other society anticipating doing similar, consider for a moment how you can possibly have a rule which states that this is all the artist's own original artwork - AND that the society allows AI to play a part.

By definition, the latter is NOT "all the artist's own work"!

It's a complete nonsense!

What I liked at the Society of Women Artists 165th Annual Exhibition

I was mentally sending good wishes to the Society of Women Artists who had their 165th Annual Exhibition at the Mall Galleries last week. That was because last week was ridiculously hot weather wise in London (c.35°C / 95°F) for most of the week)!

Anybody who went would have actually enjoyed a very pleasant air conditioned gallery - with refreshments on tap!

However I was busy with other prebooked / prior commitments for the first half of the week. 

Then my brain started to fry because my 18" thick brick walled home had heated up! I was struggling to keep the temperature inside below 30°C - while my brain fried.... despite having all the windows closed and all the blinds down!

The incentive to go out - where it was even hotter - was minimal!

Which is by way of explanation as to why no visit on Tuesday and why no review.

I am eventually going to work out who painted this....

However, I did get there on Saturday afternoon, when it was a few degrees cooler, and managed to photograph the artwork in all the Galleries just before it closed.

Interestingly one comment I saw about the exhibition online was "better than the RA Summer Exhibition" and - having visited that particular exhibition with my sister (who was over from Australia) on Tuesday - I can confirm that comment was very far from fanciful in nature.

You can see my albums of photos of the exhibition on my Making A Mark Facebook Page

• West Gallery
• East Gallery 
• North Gallery

10 things I liked about the SWA Annual Exhibition 2026

• I thought a lot of the art was very much better than a lot of the open entries and some of the RA artwork in the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts. Below was one of the standout pieces. 
• What I noticed in particular was there was a very strong entry by the open artists. You really need to raise your game to get selected nowadays!

"Suffer the little children" by Penny Hardy
(mild steel)
who uses her sculpture to raise money for UNICEF

• The hang was excellent - and one of the best I've seen in the Mall Galleries this year so far. Parts of the hang were definitely superior. It came across as very considered. 

Mark Dalessio wins £35,000 Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2026

American/French artist Marc Dalessio has won the £35,000 Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2026. He was presented with at an Awards Ceremony at the National Portrait Gallery in London on Tuesday night.

Marc Dalassio with his award-winning portrait 

Jean-Denis, 2025 © Marc Dalessio

With a notably restrained and economical use of paint, Marc Dalessio’s Jean-Denis achieves a striking immediacy, where every mark carries weight. The judges enjoyed the subtle sliver of white from the sitter’s shirt that becomes a focal point, activating the composition. The portrait offers an empathetic depiction of its subject, conveying a timeless presence that feels both regal and understated.

The Judges Comments  

For the record, all my guesses of who would win what were CORRECT!

The two youngest award winners
- just before they announced the prizes!

Below you can see 

• photos of the artists with their portraits which were taken Tuesday evening.
• Plus a photo of them receiving their award. Apologies for the side on view. I usually pick a better spot.

[I was hoping for access to the NPG ones being taken by the photographer who was in prime position - but for some unfathomable reason, rather than being available Wednesday morning (as they always used to be) they're not likely to be available until the end of the week.
So these are the only photos of the Awards Ceremony online so far!!]

Below are the profiles of the artists and the portraits which won the prizes. 

Words about the painting and what the Judges thought are from the press release - hence quotes.

Review: New English Art Club Annual Exhibition 2026

This is a very late review of the 2026 Annual Exhibition of the New England Art Club (NEAC) - which celebrates the 140th Anniversary Exhibition, which also remembered some of its past members.

NEAC 2026: The end of the West Gallery

I particularly liked the way that they included the surnames of past members on the title page of the Catalogue and also had paintings in the show by past member Paul Nash.

Title Page of the NEAC 140th Exhibition Catalogue

The 140th Annual Exhibition has 396 artworks and is on at the Mall Galleries until 20th June.

• the catalogue is available online on Issuu
• you can also view the 396 artworks online on the Mall Galleries "Buy Art" website

For some reason I didn't have the PV in my diary last week and since then my diary has been packed with hospital appointments.

However, on Monday, after the first physio date this week, I got myself to the Mall Galleries early and managed to see the exhibition with very few other people there - which is the way I like it. I can then see the art rather than people looking at art. PVs are a dreadful time to try and take pics of an exhibition!

You can see the results in the three Facebook albums I've created on my Making A Mark Facebook Page

• NEAC West Gallery - Annual Exhibition 2026
• NEAC East Gallery - Annual Exhibition 2026
• NEAC North Gallery - Annual Exhibition 2026

First five photos in the album about the NEAC Exhibition
in the West Gallery

Observations

Overall, I thought this was an exhibition which included some really excellent artwork - but could also have looked better than it did. It impressed - in part.

This is a review which reflects my likes and dislikes. I find I'm repeating myself each year. So this year my review is shorter than usual.

David Hockney (1937-2026) - Part 1

David Hockney passed peacefully away at home yesterday (11th June 2026) - a month before his 89th birthday. His death was announced this morning

David Hockney Self Portrait, March 14 2012,

iPad drawing printed on paper Exhibition Proof 37 x 28"

© David Hockney

I'm going to write something rather more considered about him (Part 2) - probably on Sunday. But what wanted to record his passing today.

Oddly, the last time I saw him recently on film, I remember thinking I must get an obituary organised. He was looking very diminished and frail.....

I've written about David Hockney on a number of occasions on this blog. You can READ my posts BELOW. I usually organise them by years - but this time they're organised by topic

Those in 2006 and 2016 contain references to his artwork about the Yorkshire landscape. I will never ever forget his major exhibition of paintings of the Yorkshire landscape at the Royal Academy of Art called - which I will never ever forget

Below this I've also listed links to some of the tributes in the media. What you're getting today is the pre-drafted. It's probable some better tributes will emerge at the weekend

Biography

• 2009: Review: David Hockney - A Bigger Picture - about Bruno Wollheim's film David Hockney - A Bigger Picture
• 2016: A biography of Hockney on iPlayer first shown by the BBC in 2015 (and repeated in 2016)

Drawing

Review: Contemporary British Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition 2026

I had a lovely time on Friday evening at the Contemporary British Portrait Painters' Annual Exhibition - held, as usual, at Downstairs at the Department Store at 248 Ferndale Road in Brixton SW9 8FR. 

Just a 3 minute walk from the end of the Victoria Line at Brixton Tube.

It features 52 artists from the 75 members of the CBPP Collective.

a diverse showcase of some of the most distinctive and experimental portraiture being made in the UK today (Sarah Jane Moon Chair of CBPP)

"My neighbour Marisa" by Peter James Field
Cover of the CBPP 2026 Exhibition Catalogue

This post aims to do two things:

• point people to where they can see pics of all of the portraits and some of the artists in this collective - because I know not all of you can get to see the exhibition. (This is also not a group of London artists. Members live all over the UK)
• read a review of the exhibition if they cannot visit.

However you have until 14th June to get over to Brixton to see the show - admission is free. The exhibition is open from 10am until 5pm every day.

If you cannot get there, you can see my photographs online on my Facebook Page

• my album of photos "Contemporary British Portrait Painters: Annual Exhibition 2026 - which includes pics of some of the artists, all of which I know
• my post of pics of all the photos - on the walls of the exhibition.

Contemporary British Portrait Painters

This collective describes themselves as

a friendly, inclusive community actively supporting artists working in the field of portraiture. CBPP - About Us

The CBPP are

• intentionally run as a non-profit collective (you are expected to contribute) and
• take NO COMMISSION from the sales by individual artists at their exhibitions.
• everybody has to apply - there are no invitations.

Artists are encouraged to be searching for something new in their work, to find their own voice and transmit honesty and technical ability in their submissions......we would love to see work which exemplifies your own personal areas of interest and exploration in portraiture.

I think this is maybe because the age profile is maybe a tad younger than some societies. Which is not to say people are inexperienced. Far from it. 

These are the names of the exhibiting artists in 2026. They include 

• current and past exhibitors and prizewinners (including 5 previous winners) at The Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery
• members of and award winners at the Royal Society of Portrait Painters
• 4 past winners of the Portrait Artist of the Year competition on Sky Arts
• As well as people who have won top prizes for portraiture internationally

This is very definitely an exhibition of diverse contemporary portraiture which is worth visiting by 

• all those who are serious portrait artists - and 
• by all those who aspire to become better at portraiture.

Want to watch Landscape Artist of the Year 2027 being filmed?

Are you interested in watching Series 12 of Landscape Artist of the Year being filmed? This is the series which will be broadcast in early 2027.

This post is about:

• where 5 of the locations are and the day they are being filmed
• useful info about how to get there

You will recall from earlier posts that this series has 

• The ten artists for this new series have been selected (see Call for Entries: Landscape Artist of the Year (Series 12). This new format means they all travel the length and breadth of the country visiting different locations - with one artist dropping out after every heat.
• a new judge Landscape Artist of the Year: A Celebrity Twist!

Series 12: An invitation to watch

Every year, SKY Arts and Storyvault Films allow people to watch various of the heats of Landscape Artist of the Year as they are filmed. 

They are welcoming people to come and watch SOME of the heats on specific dates this summer. 

BUT only some as they cannot accommodate audiences at the remaining heats and the final this year, due to the lack of parking and facilities. (I also suspect that some of those turning up to the Final last year were a few too many / maybe blabbed online before the episode aired?)

They're calling them Episodes, I'm calling them Heats as the Heats often change order when they work out how to air them. As in they usually want a really good one up front to hook viewers - and yoiu don't know what that is until after it's been filmed!

On the Day

The competition will start at approximately 9:30am and finish around 6pm. You do not need to contact us to reserve a place, but please note that some locations may charge a fee for parking. We hope to see you there!

Please note that posting of photos or videos of any artists or artwork will NOT be permitted until after the show has broadcast. This is to help us avoid spoilers ahead of the show's transmission. (They also keep their eyes peeled for such posting in advance of the broadcast!) 

Series 12 LAOTY Locations

HEAT 1: Richmond Riverside, London – Monday 15th June 

Richmond Riverside in background

Richmond boathouse and boats in middle ground

Richmond Bridge on right

Credit: Jim Linwood (Wikimedia Commons)

Richmond Riverside is not a generic term, it's a very specific place/development in Richmond in South West London near to Richmond Bridge. It also offers 

• a large flat space where they can erect the pods so that the artists can paint the oft painted view of the bridge and/or Corporation Island.
• Plus lots of services nearby. 
• Accessible by public transport (eg Richmond Station is a 9 minute short walk). Limited parking (you're competing with the workers and shoppers of this very popular place)

Richmond Riverside: the Red pin is located near the large flat terraces

There is very likely to be a second heat close by on the following day or more likely Wednesday - depending on the time needed to strike the set and set up again.

Selected Artists (Part 2: I - Y) for The Portrait Award 2026 at the National Portrait Gallery

This is Part 2 of my post about the artists selected for the Annual Exhibition of the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2026.

It's rather longer this year as most of the artists have been sending me their portraits - see below!

You can also read my previous post Selected Artists (Part 1: A-H) for The Portrait Award 2026 at the National Portrait Gallery

NOTE: If you can't see the portraits which are pics embedded from Instagram, this is probably because you're not logged into Instagram. 

Artists Selected for The Portrait Award 2026

There's a lot of artists selected for the first time in this half of the 52 artists selected for this year's exhibition.

The Portrait Award too is an amazing event. It’s like the Oscars of the Portrait Painters world (for those who don’t know or might be unfamiliar with the name of the current sponsor)....I am… utterly gobsmacked. And won’t probably really truly believe it until I’m standing there next to my painting in June. Ros Koch

Selected artists who want to see my photos of past exhibitors - taken on the Artists Press View morning - should take a look at my reference where they all my "Artists with their Paintings" posts are listed.

Selected Artist Statistics

I'm proposing to do a statistical analysis of the artists ( re. male/female; country; first/previous exhibitor) as the National Portrait Gallery has not published one this year. I publish this in another post.

PART TWO

This covers the artists whose surnames start with "I" through to those who start with "Y".

Links to their websites are embedded in their names - and Instagram accounts indicated if they have one (that can be found easily!)

I've also indicated which artists are prior exhibitors - and the years in which they exhibited. All other artists are First Time Exhibitors.

• Shinji Ihara (Instagram) - (Prior Exhibitor - 2024, 2025) - a painter and contemporary artist based in Hiroshima, Japan. Born in Fukuoka Prefecture in 1987, he received his MFA in Oil Painting from the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts. He is the Founder of HDL+ (formerly Hiroshima Drawing Lab), an artist-run space in Hiroshima. He has had multiple solo exhibitions in Tokyo and participated in numerous group exhibitions in Japan and internationally, including Asia and Europe. Previously selected for the Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery in 2024 and 2025. I predicted he would be back again and I believe him to be a future prizewinner. 

Working primarily through painting, Ihara explores memory, relationships, and the position of the individual within society. Portraiture has been central to his practice, through which he examines the dynamics between seeing and being seen, presence and distance

After the rain, we remain by Shinji Ihara
oil on canvas, h72.7 × w91 cm
© Shinji Ihara

J

• Martin Jessup - a portrait painter living in Kent, working in traditional oils, specialising in highly detailed portraits for private clients and institutions and accepting a limited number of commissions each year.

Diane M Benoit 
oil on stretched canvas, 60 X 40 inches

K

• Ros Koch (Instagram) - Contemporary South African painter. Born in the UK and she has lived in South Africa since 1998. Paints landscapes and portraits. Ros is a self-taught artist, who - thanks to traditional parents and schooling - took a long time to allow herself to transition from ‘art as hobby’ to ‘art as a career’

The Age of Adolescence (2024) by Ros Koch

Oil on board, framed in Kiaat; 250 x 250mm 

© Ros Koch

The fact that THIS painting - my first ever submission to the HSFK Portrait award - has been accepted to hang in the NPG is a beautiful full circle moment for me. It’s a coming of age (both in its title and artistic affirmation) and homecoming of sorts. Like many other artists, I used to go to the NPG as a child, always drawn to the people and their lives. And it is truly serendipitous that this one has been selected as its subject matter is so immensely meaningful and deeply personal to me, representing the intersection of things things I feel most passionate about.

Selected Artists (Part 1: A-H) for The Portrait Award 2026 at the National Portrait Gallery

Every year I highlight ALL the arrtists selected for the Annual Exhibition of the  Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2026

The 2026 Exhibition will be held at the:

• National Portrait Gallery (25 June to 7 October 2026)
• Derby Museum and Art Gallery (21 November 2026 – 21 February 2027) and
• The Gallery at The Arc, Winchester (5 March – 9 June 2027)

This year, word got around and I've had lots of emails - hence many more pics than usual! 

So this year I'm splitting this selected artists post into roughly two halves by surname

• Part 1: starting with A through G
• Part 2: from H through Y

In this post, my aim is to provide a profile of the artist. A later post will focus on "Artists with their Paintings (and/or the review) will focus on the stories behind the portraits.

There is, from my perspective, a very clear underlying theme to the selection this year. I'm not going to comment on it in this post but rather save it for the review.

However, you might want to see if you can work it out....

Artists Selected for The Portrait Award 2026

I know a number of the selected artists well either from this exhibition - and their repeat selection - or that of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters or ROI. Hence some entries are longer than others.

Repeat selection is often an indicator of somebody who might be a prizewinner in due course. Although Ben Sullivan (First Prize Winner 2017) pointed out getting selected for the Portrait Award is the best method of generating commissions so repeat selections are always very welcome!. He managed 11 selections before he finally won!

I have developed over time (ie the last 19 years!) the ability to spot a prospective repeat exhibitor - and you will see comments to this effect. I'm rarely surprised by those I see again

Every artist gets a mini bio, largely dictated by space and the need for brevity but also what I can find out about them online. Some, as requested, have written to me and filled in some of the gaps and sent me an image.

Everybody is a first time exhibitor unless otherwise indicated.

PART ONE

A

• Adebanji Alade - Current President of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters. Professional artist, teacher, author and television presenter (BBC One Show). He has a studio on Lots Road in Chelsea, London. I first met Adebanji years and years ago. I think I've known him almost as long as I've had this blog! I've also seen this portrait before - and I think it's wonderful. It was exhibited at the Annual Exhibition of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters last November and it just blew me away. His family have always been very much part of who Adebanji is and this is a great record of his two kids painting with him at home. This is the first time he's been selected for this exhibition.

Copycats (2025) by Adebanji Alade

Oil on canvas, 101cm x 76cm, 2025




• Zena Assi - Born in Lebanon, in 1974, Zena Assi lives and works in London. She graduated with honors from l’Academie Libanaise des Beaux Arts (ALBA), worked in advertising and taught in different universities. Many of her pieces are repeatedly shown in different international auction houses and are part of various public as well as private collections.
• Paul Aston - see his painting of The Costumer below. He is a figurative painter working in Cambridge in the United Kingdom. His subject matter varies from portraiture to landscape and still life. In 2023 he was a contestant in heat 2 of Portrait Artist of the Year.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Paul Aston (@paulastonpainter)

B

• Liam Barden - Painter and Teacher living in Folkestone. Co-Owner of @bardenartschool

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Liam Barden (@colourfulgoo)



• Frances Bell - born in 1983 and raised in Suffolk, UK. Multi-award winning portrait painter. Classically trained in Florence, Frances works in a traditional way with a contemporary style. Her portrait is of her daughter. Frances is a member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters (ROI), the Royal Society of Portrait Painters (RP) and The Contemporary British Portrait Painters (CBPP). I confidently predict Frances will win this Award one day.

Frances has been a full time professional painter since 2004, taking commissions all over the world for individuals, family’s and institutions. Frances has won over 25 Awards for her work and has participated in many exhibitions in the UK and internationally.

• Paul Benney - Currently holds the mantle of "most selected artist never to have won". Previous exhibitor nine times: 1994,1996 (Winner – BP Visitors’ Choice),1997 (Winner – BP Visitors’ Choice), 1998, 1999, 2000, 2008, 2010, 2014. He has worked as an artist and musician in both the U.S. and U.K. He has painted many prominent political and cultural figures. His work is represented in public collections world wide including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The National Gallery of Australia, The National Portrait Gallery, The Royal Collection, and a plethora of other prominent private and corporate collections. 
• He is the artist who was chosen to paint the State Portrait of HRH Queen Camilla.  (see my blog post The Coronation Portraits and The King's Tour Artists - at Buckingham Palace
• the link in the title of the portrait below explains the background to the portrait. 

Benney has twice won the public choice award in the BP Portrait Awards and has been short listed on two occasions. 

Fiona by Paul Benney
© Paul Benney

Only 10 paintings sold?

The 159th Annual International Exhibition of the American Watercolor Society has finished at the Salmagundi Club. Some statistics - one jumped out to me (in red):

• 3,300 visitors 
• during the exhibition which ran for 3.5 weeks from April 7 – May 1
• $54,000 in awards, and 
• ONLY 10 PAINTINGS SOLD! 
• That means 
• only 0.3% of the visitors wanted to buy a painting!
• only c.6% of artists sold a painting

Facebook Post by AWS

You can find the names of the exhibited artists here (both AWS members and those selected from the open entry.)

These are the Award Winners. Paintings selected for awards can be viewed here.

Thirty-nine awards totaling over $54,000 were selected this year by the 159th Exhibiton Jury of Awards.

The only images online are those of award winners. They do not contain any details about size, materials or price.

Critique 

When art societies were first formed, the major reason was to share the costs of exhibitions of artwork so that artists could get their artwork in front of more people and stand a better chance of selling it.

It wasn't about showing off. It was about financing the artist to make money to enable them to continue being an artist. That's still - or should be - one of the primary reasons why artists exhibit today.

If an annual international exhibition by the one of the oldest and most prestigious watercolour societies in America can only sell 10 paintings then something they are doing is wrong!

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Context

First, by way of comparison I'm going to highlight the number and percentage of sales of artwork exhibited at the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours last three annual exhibitions at the Mall Galleries (a large gallery supporting national societies of artists in the centre of London - accessible to fans, tourists and people walking up the Mall to/from Buckingham Palace)

As you can see, the RI have significantly more sales both in terms of actual paintings and percentage sold.

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2026: SHORTLIST Announced

This is about the four artists shortlisted for the 44th edition of its prestigious Annual Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery in London. The Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2026 was  formerly known as the BP Portrait Award and before that the John Player Portrait Award - which is what it was called when I first started visiting.)

Some background

The Portrait Award has earned a reputation as one of the most important platforms for portrait painters. The highly competitive Award encourages artists over the age of 18 to focus upon, and develop, the theme of portraiture in their work. Since its inception, the competition has attracted over 50,000 entries from more than 100 countries and the exhibition has been seen by over 6 million people.

I'm pleased to see the NPG appears to have adopted my name for the competition ie The Portrait Award - as per my comment in this post last year!

Here's where I stand on the sponsor name. It's ludicrous. It's not a name which rolls off the tongue. People can never ever remember it and now they've added another name in!

Which is precisely why I will continue to refer to it as The Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery, sponsored by Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Shortlist for the £66K HSFK Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery

Selection for the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2026 

This post provides you with information about the four shortlisted artists, named today by the NPG,  and shows you images of their portraits.

Some facts:

• The Call for Entries produced 1,474 entries from Artists from across the world who uploaded a photograph of their finished painting to the National Portrait Gallery’s Competitions Portal for the initial judging of digital images
• Specifically, entries were received from 63 countries. 
• All entries were judged anonymously - which means it'll be interesting to see how many artists previously selected are selected again.
• The Selection Panel is an ALL FEMALE jury and appears to be "contemporary" in nature. Its members are: 
• Melissa Blanchflower - Senior Curator at the Turner Contemporary
• Es Devlin - digital artist and set designer, ;
• Amy Emmerson Martin - Contemporary Curator at the National Portrait Gallery (previously Assistant Curator of Contemporary British Art at Tate)
• Mary Evans - artist and Director of the Slade.
• Artists who made it through the digital judging round were invited to hand-deliver or courier their work to a venue in London for a second, physical round of judging
• A total of 52 portraits have been chosen for the exhibition which opens from 25 June to 7 October 2026 at the National Portrait Gallery
• The portraits by the four artists were chosen from the 52 portraits selected for final display. 
• Prizes comprise:
• first prize of £35,000 - one of the largest awards for any global art competition. 
• second prize of £12,000 
• third prize winner will receive £10,000
• young artist (aged between 18 and 30) prize- £9,000. This prize aims to profile talent and help support the career development of a young artist - one of the original priorities of The Portrait Award. 

The Shortlisted Portraits

Only one artist has previously been selected for this award/exhibition. Which means three appear to be total newcomers - although they may have previously submitted paintings but not got selected.

Three of the four paintings are concerned with portraits of individuals with a black heritage.

The italicised quotes are from the NPG Press Release and I assume are words constructed from what the artists have said about the sitter and their process.

Note: Having researched the artists I am beginning to wonder the extent to which the Judges (and all the shortlisted artists) read the Herbert Smith Freehills Portrait Award 2026 Rules. Specifically 2.2

2.2 The work entered should be a painting based on a sitting or study from life and the human figure must predominate.