Review: Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibition 2026

Last year I was rather tough on the Annual Exhibition 2026 of the Royal Society of British Artists. Principally because I thought they had hung far too many artworks and consequently it was difficult to "see" the art.

As a result I sent a four page critique of the exhibition to the President highlighting various aspects of the exhibition I thought needed addressing and suggestions as to how. I gathered from last week that he had used it as a checklist to review all the aspects I suggested could do with attention.

This year I'm very pleased to say that this year we have a much improved exhibition to view with fewer artworks hung. Plus a much nicer experience at the TWO PVs. The "payoff" seems to be that more artwork is selling.

The West Gallery on Monday

I've now visited it three times:

• at the NEW Private View for Art Collectors - which was very pleasant. We could all see the art properly and the red spots started appearing!
• at the Artists' Private View last Thursday evening when I got to meet a brand new first time exhibitor who I first met 11 years ago. She was so very pleased that her abstracted artwork had sold before the exhibition had even opened!
• Monday afternoon when I was able to get round the West Gallery and view all the artwork in more detail. Plus sat and chatted for ages with former President Mick Davies and printmaker Austin Cole about "exhibitions" which was again very enjoyable.

You can visit the exhibition 

• at the Mall Galleries
• until Saturday 7th March (10am to 5pm)

You can view the artworks online - and buy - via the online exhibition 

You can view the e-catalogue online 

BOTH give you an idea about media, size and price of artwork on display

RBA Annual Exhibition 2026 - view in the East Gallery

You can also see artworks hung on the walls in the three galleries in my Facebook Albums (after yesterdays' hiatus!)

• East Gallery
• North Gallery
• West Gallery 

Facts about the Exhibition

Artwork comprises paintings, fine art prints, drawings, sculpture, ceramics and other 3D work in all kinds of media and but mainly (but not exclusively) a figurative / representative style - and you can see them at the Mall Galleries until Saturday 7th March.

The Mall Wall in the East Gallery

There are 438 artworks hung in the show (compared to 554 last year) - which is still more than I would like to see (c.400 is the optimum number for me) split between:

•  244 artworks by members - nearly 60% (compared to 275 in 2025)
•  194 artworks by open entry artists - just over 40% (compared to 279 in 2025)

Consequently 

• a marginal reduction in members' artwork but a major reduction in the number of artworks selected from the open entry.
• Open artists might like to note that they had 2351 open entries so those selected represented about 8% of the open entry.  Hence you need your very best artwork to get selected!

As a result, this year it's an exhibition which is much easier to view. There is more space between artworks which enhances the individual artworks as well as preventing eye fatigue when viewing art - as happened to me last year.

As a result, they are selling more artwork. Just over half way through, they are one short of the sales for the whole exhibition last year. 

Call for Entries: Society of Wildlife Artists - Annual Exhibition 2025

If you want to enter the 62nd Annual Exhibition by the Society of Wildlife Artists the deadline for entries is 12 noon on Friday 22nd August 2025. (Apologies for this being rather later than usual)

In my opinion, one of the best annual art society exhibitions at the Mall Galleries every year is that by The Society of Wildlife Artists. 

That's because 

• it's uncompromising about favouring artwork which has been created after studying your creature from life (i.e. it is very much NOT a fan of the type of hyperrealist artwork done from a photo without ever seeing the animal or studying it in the wild)

The Society of Wildlife Artists seeks to generate appreciation and delight in the natural world through all forms of fine art inspired by the world’s wildlife.

• displays artwork in a wide range of art media (paintings, prints, drawings, sketches, sculpture, ceramics and other 3D artwork)
• highlights a wide range of styles and colour palettes
• includes artwork developed from projects undertaken by the society and its artists during the year

It is emphatically not boring!

Plus it also has that huge asset known as a solid set of followers and collectors who are both faithful to their preferred artists and are also very interested in new art by new artists.

"The Natural Eye" Annual Exhibition 2024 by the Society of Wildlife Artists
West Gallery at the Mall Galleries

Call for Entries: 'The Natural Eye'

It's worth remembering that it's not coincidental that the name of this annual exhibition is "The Natural Eye". This connects to the emphasis which the SWLA places on artwork conceived, started and sometimes developed to completion while observing wildlife "in the field / sea / air" (past CFE post on this blog)

You can find detail of the Open Call for Entries for the SWLA Exhibition on the Mall Galleries website.

Below this post covers:

• what sort of artwork the SWLA want to see submitted by open artists
• images needed
• online submission only
• who can enter
• what you can enter
• how to submit

Plus pics of the last exhibition and links (at the end) to my blog posts about previous exhibitions and the type of artwork hung.

Key Dates are as follows

• Submissions open: Friday 23 May 2025, 12 noon
• Submissions close: Friday 22 August, 12 noon
• Notification of selection: Friday 5 September, 12 noon (log in to OESS)
• Receiving Day (if selected): Saturday 4 October, 10am to 5pm
• Private View (invite only): Wednesday 15 October, 2pm to 8pm, official opening at 3pm
• Exhibition opens: Thursday 16 October, 10am to 5pm daily
• Exhibition closes: Saturday 25 October, 5pm
• Collection of unsold work: Thursday 30 October, 10am to 5pm

There are a number of awards and prizes which you can see on this page.

"The Natural Eye" Annual Exhibition 2024 by the Society of Wildlife Artists
End wall of the West Gallery at the Mall Galleries

What kind of image should you submit

The Society is seeking works that depict wildlife subjects and evoke the spirit of the natural world.

The Selection Committee welcomes:

• All forms of two and three-dimensional artwork based on representing the world’s wildlife
• Artists with fresh visions that show imagination, artistic ability, originality and creativity
• Artworks that reveal a personal experience or true understanding of the subject

READ the "Exhibit with us" page on the SWLA website which provides excellent advice

 

Who can submit

Any artist aged 18 or over may enter, from anywhere in the world.

(If you are an international artist, you need to read the section on VAT)

What type of artwork can you submit - and what will get rejected

Review: Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibition 2025

RBA Annual Exhibition 2025: East Gallery

This is one of my very analytical posts - for an important reason. The story unfolds below....

Last Tuesday I was at the extremely well attended Private View of the Royal Society of British Artists.  It was very pleasing to see a much better mix of members and open artists work aross all three galleries at the Mall Galleries. (for how to visit, see below)

This is my review of what I found. My guess is there may well be a significant post mortem after this exhibition. For a number of reasons.....

• the size of the Exhibition
• Initial Sales - a variation on "less is more"?
• Social Media Marketing
• The Private View

with another more generic post tomorrow about Private Views and another post on Wednesday about the art that I liked, where it will get highlighted more than in this already long post.

Yesterday, I went back to take more photos, as the galleries had become too crowded before I'd finished on Tuesday. A second visit after the PV also offers the chance for another and much better look at the exhibition.

 

Facts about the exhibition

There are 554 artworks hung in the show split between:

• 275 artworks by members
• 279 artworks by open entry artists

I applaud the RBA for achieving a 50:50 split in terms of artwork hung between member artists and open artists. That's a significant achievment and is also the mark of a "proper" open exhibition.

The artwork selected comes from 3,843 submitted images. To give you a sense of what that represents it's bigger than the entry for some major art competitions. There's a lot of younger people who now want to show with the Royal Society of British Artists. There's also a lot of people who would like to get their hands on some of the very significant cash prizes.

Artwork at the entry to the West Gallery

You can see the exhibition at the Mall Galleries ( in The Mall in London)

• Open every day (10am-5pm)
• Exhibition Finishes: Saturday 8th March 2025 at 5pm
• Admission £6, Free for Friends of Mall Galleries and under 25s. Concessions available. No booking required.
• Catalogue is available at the Gallery - or you can view it online
You can also see the artworks in the exhibition ONLINE via
• the Mall Galleries Shop website shop - 60 artworks to the page + you can see the media used easily
• The Royal Society of British Artists website

I will also be uploading my photos of the three galleries to my Facebook Page in three seperate albums for the West, East and North Galleries.

RBA 2025
End "Feature" Wall in the West Gallery 

The Size of the Exhibition

Mostly I found, as I usually do, a very wide range of styles and media used in paintings, drawings, printmaking and sculpture. There's probably something for everyone.

Mostly it was good work, although it certainly included artwork I personally would have edited out at the selection stage.

The thing is I'm experiencing real difficulty conjuring up the exhibition in my minds eye.

I can do it if I look at my photographs - but I normally don't need to do this

I have the sort of brain which remembers good exhibitions extremely well. I can walk around them in my head. I can remember exactly where certain paintings I like are situated - and what artwork is near it. I can remember that for a very long time afterwards. For some exhibitions I can do the walk around in my head somes months and even years after the actual exhibition. 

So to have difficulty recalling more than small sections of the exhibition causes me concern. 

I came to the conclusion that I was faced with VISUAL OVERLOAD.

About Mokuhanga - Japanese woodblock printing

Following on from Thursday's post, which highlighted two unusual media used in Heat 5 of Landscape Artist of the Year 2025, this post is about Mokuhanga - Japanese woodblock printing.

The other new media was alcohol inks which was covered in yesterday's post Alcohol Inks - information and WARNINGS about use!

Mokuhanga - Japanese woodblock printing

Image of tools used in the production of Japanese Woodblock printing
courtesy The Japanese Gallery article about woodblock printing

What's different about Mokuhanga

• best known for its use in the ukiyo-e artistic genre of single sheets
• widely used for text as well as images
• various woods can be used, but the preferred wood is cherry wood 
• uses water-based inks and Nori Starch paste, rather than oil based inks (which are typically used for woodblock printing in the West)
• inking is done with a brush rather than a roller.
• the baren used to press the ink into the paper is made from bamboo leaf and paper
• it produces more subtle prints rather than the bold coloured prints associated with oils

A team of people were usually involved in the production of japanese woodblock prints. These were:

• the publisher (who usually had overall control of the process), 
• the designer/artist, 
• the block cutter and 
• the printer.

The V&A has a section on Japanese ukiyo- prints

How does it work?

This is a very nice video of a Japanese Woodblock Printmaking Workshop - A Printer's Tools and Workspace - by a nice Japanese lady with very good English subtitles

I managed to translate one word - baren! ;)

 

Essentially, the process is....

Call for Entries: Royal Society of Marine Artists

You might think the Annual Exhibition of the Royal Society of Marine Artists is just for artists who paint boats - and hence a very niche marketplace - but you'd be wrong. 

Indeed, in my opinion, it's well worthwhile checking out what sort of artwork is acceptable in this exhibition - which attracts a lot of collectors.

The Call for Entries for the next annual exhibition closes at 12 noon on Friday 26 July - so plenty of time to check out whether any of your artwork fits with their criteria and get an online submission completed!

You can check out my review of the last annual exhibition here - Review: 78th Annual Exhibition of the Royal Society of Marine Artists. It includes links to my albums of photos of the exhibition on my Making A Mark Facebook Page

The RSMA leads the way by being:

• the OLDEST marine art society
• the BIGGEST marine art society - in terms of members
• the ONLY marine art society with an online exhibition which opens before and continues after the gallery exhibition.

This is an exhibition which generates a decent level of sponsorship of various awards valued at £10,500.  
 

What is the criteria for entries?

What's the scope of subject matter?

It's NOT just about boats!

The Royal Society of Marine Artists seeks submissions of art inspired by the sea and marine environment, including harbours and shorelines, traditional craft and contemporary shipping, creeks, beaches, wildlife - in short anything that involves tidal water.

• Subject matter MUST be: 
• essentially marine in nature, 
• relating in some way to tidal waters of the world; 
• Subject matter MAY be: topographical, historical, still life, and figure painting are all welcomed.
• Works relating to non-tidal rivers, inland lakes and waterways etc. are NOT ACCEPTED. 

The RSMA Annual Exhibition in 2023 - in the East Gallery

What can you submit?

In reality, most are paintings with some drawings and sculpture and few prints.

• Number of artworks: up to six works - but note that a maximum of four might be selected. Typically it's more often one or two for people new to the exhibition
• Size of artwork: Works should be no larger than 2.4m along the longest dimension.
• Acceptable media: 
• Paint: Oil, acrylic, watercolour, 
• Prints: original prints of any media, 
• Drawings: eg pastels, graphite, charcoal
• 3D/Sculpture
• mixed media, textiles
• Age of artwork: submit new work not previously exhibited
• Essential: All works must be an original creation by the artist
• Sales: 

• All works must be for sale. 
• There is a minimum price per work of £600 - which I said was a BIG mistake last year - and I believe sales were reduced as a result
• Prices for prints should start as 
• framed £325, 
• unframed £200.

In 2021, the vast majority of sales (80-85%?) are artworks were priced at less than £1,000. There were a LOT of buyers for small artwork priced at less than £500.

Last year, 419 artworks were listed in the catalogue. Of these 354 remain listed as unsold on the online website for online sales.

Who can submit entries?

How to apply to become an associate member of the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers

For all those printmakers who think they might be ready to move up a stage - and want to add RE after their names.

This post covers

• a very brief history of the Society
• how to apply to become an associate member (ARE) of the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers - which is the first step on the pathway to becoming a full member (RE).
• what happens if you are elected an Associate Member 

A brief history of The Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers

The Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers is a very old art society.

• formed in 1880 - as a reaction to the Royal Academy of Arts' reluctance to exhibit etchings and engravings (ironic considering the contemporary popularity of printmaking at the RA Summer Exhibition!)
• 1888: received its Royal Charter from Queen Victoria and became and became the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers
• 1911: full members began using RE after their names
• 1991 changed its name - having formerly been known as the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers - hence the RE acronym.
• It is the foremost society for all printmakers
• Printmaking methods included within the scope of the society:
• 1897: Engraving
• 1920: wood engraving
• 1987: lithography
• 1990: all forms of creative and forward-thinking original printmaking
• eminent past members have included Graham Sutherland, Stanley William Hayter, Edward Bawden, Julian Trevelyan and Michael Rothenstein.

Since its inception, every member has had one piece of work selected, providing a snapshot of the artist's portfolio at the moment of his or her election.

If elected as a full member, your name and the title of your chosen ‘RE Diploma Print’ are entered in a Roll-Book whose entries arch back to 1880.

The Society shares its home at Bankside Gallery, in London, with the Royal Watercolour Society in an association that has lasted more than a hundred years.  Each year there are various opportunities to exhibit:

• RE Members are invited to submit two works for inclusion in the Society’s major annual exhibition at Bankside Gallery 
• there are a number of opportunities to show in joint exhibitions at Bankside Gallery and elsewhere.

Demonstrations and lectures are held as part of the education programme accompanying exhibitions, fulfilling the Society’s status as an educational charity. The RE is run by its Members, all of whom are expected to take an active role in furthering the interests of the Society.

Applications for the Election of Associate Members in 2024

The Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers (RE) was formed in 1880 to seek recognition for and to promote the value of printmaking as an art in its own right. Membership is open to artist-printmakers of the highest order. To this day it continues to promote original printmaking in all its forms, widen the knowledge and understanding of printmaking as a process, whilst also providing its members with artistic opportunities.

This is the Applications Page on the RE website

This is the ONLINE FORM you need to submit to apply for election as an Associate Member

You can Download the 2024 application guidelines (PDF). Links to online guidance pages are included below 

Timeline for applications and selection:

• Deadline for receipt of applications: Monday 27 November 2023 12 noon
• Notification of Shortlisted Artists: Friday 22 December 2023
• Deadline for submission of actual prints by shortlisted artists: Saturday 3 February 2024, 11am - 6pm (see Information for Shortlisted Candidates - which also outlines the provisions for all Overseas Artists)
• Collection of prints: (see details about collection)
• Sunday 4 February, 4 - 6pm & 
• Monday 5 February 11am – 1pm 
• Results are sent by email by end of Monday 5 February.

TIP Read the Terms of Election and Guidance very carefully and always aim to create a good first impression. THINK CAREFULLY about 

• whether you are ready to apply this year 
• or whether it might be better to spend the next year gathering together all you need for a good quality application which reflects your suitability for election in 2025.

Who is eligible to apply

Call for Entries: Royal Society of Marine Artists Annual Exhibition 2023

This is about the Call for Entries for the Annual Exhibition 2023 of the Royal Society of Marine Artists. It covers:

• Exhibition Dates and Prizes
• Who can enter
• What you can enter
• How to enter

The deadline for digital entries only is 12 noon on Friday 28 July.

One of the walls in the RSMA Annual Exhibition in 2022

The RSMA seeks submissions of art inspired by the sea and marine environment, including harbours and shorelines, traditional craft and contemporary shipping, creeks, beaches, wildlife - in short anything that involves tidal water.

The Exhibition and Prizes on Offer

The RSMA Annual Exhibition 2023 - at the Mall Galleries

The Society's annual exhibition is widely recognised as a showcase for the best in contemporary marine art, with selected work from the open entry hung alongside the work of RSMA members.

The exhibition will be 

• open to the public between 21st - 30th September 2023 
• at the Mall Galleries in London.

There is an invitation only Private View on 20th September. 

If you want to know what it will look like, take a look at some of my reviews of previous exhibitions listed at the bottom of this blog post.

Prizes and Awards

This is an exhibition which generates a decent level of sponsorship of various awards. Notably, unlike most of the art societies exhibiting at the Mall Galleries, the prizes and awards in this annual exhibition are predominantly monetary in nature - with over £9,000 in cash awards and over £350 value in art materials - plus two publication awards

I've categorised them below. You can see what won last year in my post  Royal Society of Marine Artists - Prizes and Awards 2022

Call for Entries: International Original Print Exhibition 2023

The International Original Print Exhibition, established by the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers (RE), is an international open submission exhibition celebrating the best of contemporary printmaking. 

The exhibition is:

• organised by the Royal Society of Painter Printmakers (RE)
• sponsored by Jacksons Art
• held at the Bankside Gallery (next to Tate Modern) in the Autumn 2023.

The deadline for entry is 3rd July 2023

As an art organisation run by artists, the RE is constantly working to create long-term opportunities for artists and promote printmaking to a wider audience.

There are a number of prizes awarded to some of those whose work is selected for exhibition

Education / Studio Time Award

• Thames-Side Print Studio Prize - Annual membership of studio, 50 open access sessions & a place on a print course of choice worth circa £650
• Hole Editions Publishing Award, (Newcastle) - An invitation to collaborate on a lithographic project for three days. Accommodation included, but not travel
• Hot Bed Press Award - One year’s membership at Hot Bed Press, Induction and exclusive time with their technician, 100 hours workshop usage and £50 worth of materials to use at Hot Bed Press

Profile : Exhibition / Publishing Award

• Woolwich Contemporary Print Prize - work exhibited as part of Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair 2024
• GreatArt Award - Solo exhibition in Hoxton Store
• Printmaking Today Award - An editorial feature in the magazine

Art Supplies Award

• Jackson’s Art Supplies Award £250 Jackson’s voucher
• Hawthorn Printmaker Supplies Award - Materials to the value of £150
• Ironbridge Fine Arts Printmaker Prize - A spindle roller to the value of £180
• Intaglio Printmaker Prize - Materials prize of £100
• John Purcell Paper Award - Materials to the value of £150
• St Cuthberts Mill Award - 20 sheets of Somerset 250gsm paper 56 x 76cm

Membership Award

• Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers Prize - One year’s guest RE membership for an outstanding work
• Society of Wood Engravers Prize £100 plus a one-year subscription and free entry for selection process to SWE Annual Exhibition
• East London Printmakers Prize - One year's associate membership

Works from the International Original Print Exhibition 2022

Call for Entries

All the information that you need to know regarding preparing your works for the exhibition and sale of your work is available in 

• the application guidelines which are available as a PDF
• the detailed list of FAQs

Who can enter

• Artists must be 18 or over on 6 March 2023
• Artists from any country may enter - provided they are willing and able to get their work to and from the designated drop off and collection venues at their own cost 

What you can enter

• Any form of original printmaking is eligible. 
• Reproduction prints are not accepted. 
• All artwork must have been made in the past 3 years, dating from 6 March 2020 
• There are no limitations on style or subject matter 
• The work must have been made by the entrant 
• All work must be for sale 

Do you accept digital prints?
We do absolutely accept digital prints, as long as they are limited edition prints created using digital processes, not digital reproductions of another work. (FAQs)

Number of entries

• Artists may submit up to 6 recent prints - for a non-refundable fee of £16 per picture. 
• Students in full-time education (ID required) can submit up to 6 recent prints - for £10 per picture. 

(Note: Students will be required to show student ID when delivering the work to the drop-off location)

How to enter

• Take a good quality digital photograph or scan of each print. The judges will make their decision based on this photograph. 
• The print should be photographed unglazed and evenly lit, and cropped to the edge of the work. 
• View the photograph on a computer to make sure you are happy with the picture quality on a larger screen. 
• As a guide, the file size should be minimum 1MB and not exceed 3MB
• Go to https://www.re-printmakers.com/competitions/ and follow the onscreen instructions to make your entry. You will be asked to provide:
• An image of each artwork 
• Artist’s name (exactly as you wish to be known on the works list and labels)
• Contact email address for the artist (please be sure to spell this correctly!) 
• Title of the work 
• Framed dimensions in centimetres 
• Medium 
• Framed and unframed price for each print (latter only if applicable) 
• re. Pricing - Remember to take into account 
• framing and transport costs, 
• Bankside Gallery’s commission of 45% should the work sell. 
• If you are registered for VAT, please also include this in your price. 
• No changes to your price(s) will be possible after the competition deadline so please ensure they are correct. 
• Unframed price for each print (only if applicable ie. Do not fill in this field if further prints in the edition are not available or if it is a monoprint / monotype) 
• Availability of further unframed prints in the edition (if applicable)
• When submitting student work online, please also 
• scan your student ID and 
• email a copy to info@re-printmakers.com. 
• Any works found to be falsely submitted as student work will not be hung. 
• Pay the non-refundable entry fee using the secure online payment service. 
• Make sure you click the blue ‘Submit entries’ button. 
• Your entry is not complete until you complete this step. 
• Acknowledgement of your entry and payment will be sent to you

You won't be able to access your entry after the deadline has passed do be sure to make a record of the complete entry (I always print off the entry and then also save it as a pdf file in the folder for the competition on my computer)

Incomplete entries or those made without payment received by the competition deadline, will not be shown to the judges. If you encounter difficulties, you can get in touch at info@re-printmakers.com.

Works from the International Original Print Exhibition 2022

Important Dates

Call for Entries

• Monday 6 March, 12 midday | Competition opens for entries
• Monday 3 July, 11.59 PM | Entry deadline
• Thursday 27 July by 6pm | Results posted on www.re-printmakers.com/competitions and successful artists contacted via email

Delivery

• Friday 15 or Saturday 16 September, 11am-5pm | Delivery of successful entries to 23 Blue Anchor Lane, SE16 3UL

Exhibition

• Wednesday 20 September 6-8pm | Private View & Prizegiving
• Thursday 21 September – Sunday 1 October, 11am-6pm daily | Exhibition of successful entries at Bankside Gallery
• Sunday 1 October, 6 – 8pm, or Monday 2 October 11am – 6pm from Bankside Gallery | Collection of unsold work

Selection & Panel

These digital submissions are assessed by a panel of judges who can select up to a maximum of 3 artworks for any one artist. The judges’ decision is final.

The 2023 Selection Panel comprises:

• Rob Ryan (artist) 
• Dr Mark Golder (collector & academic)
• Sharon Lloyd (co-founder of FACE)
• David Ferry (RE President)
• Michelle Griffiths (RE Vice President)

A list of prints selected for the exhibition will be published on www.reprintmakers.com/competitions by 6pm on Thursday 27 July. 

Artists whose work has been selected will be sent an email confirming arrangements for the exhibition.

Preparing work for delivery and exhibition

There are detailed instructions for those who need to know in the guidelines about presentation, framing, mirror plates, labels and insurance.

Note that poorly presented prints or works that differ significantly from the photograph that was entered will not be accepted. 

Exhibition 

The exhibition of works selected will take place at the Bankside Gallery from 21st September to 1st October 2023.

Works from the International Original Print Exhibition 2022

Review: Society of Graphic Fine Art Annual Exhibition 2023

The Society of Graphic Fine Art is holding its Annual Open Exhibition in the East and North Galleries of the Mall Galleries this week (13th - 18th March 2023) - and I went to see it yesterday after it opened at midday.

View of the East Gallery of the SGFA Annual Exhibition 2023

You can view the artwork ONLINE:

• either in the SGFA Online Art Gallery where you can view:
• members artwork
• non-members artwork selected from the open call
• plus those artworks receiving 2023 Awards - which will be announced at the Prizegiving this evening.
• or in my Facebook Album
  SGFA Annual Exhibition 2023
   of my photos taken yesterday - accessible to all

There are also a number of Demonstrations in the East and North Galleries being used for the Exhibition - see details at end. 

• HOWEVER please note that there is no underground service on Wednesday and a reduced service on London Overground on Thursday and Friday although the buses will continue to run - but might well be a bit busier than usual. I'd avoid the commuter rush hours if possible. (Check status for a specific date with TFL as the situation can change)

About the SGFA

This is an exhibition by an art society which also calls itself 'The Drawing Society'. It focuses on drawing and the graphical qualities of fine art. Consequently it's an exhibition which should be of interest to anybody interested in drawing

Founded in 1919, the Society promotes fine drawing skills in both traditional and contemporary media. Today there are more than 130 elected members of the SGFA across the UK — professional artists from all areas of the art world who work in all drawing and printmaking media.

You can find out more about the activities of the SGFA and see artwork by its members in its bulletins which are available online e.g. SGFA Winter Bulletin 2022.

The Artwork

One of the interesting aspects of the exhibition is to look at the very many different ways in which drawing can be expressed across paintings, drawings and original fine art prints - from conventional graphite and charcoal - through ink in all its many forms - to coloured pencils and watercolour which are most typically used to add in colour to artwork. However there are also examples of silverpoint on gesso and needlework being a couple of examples I spotted yesterday

I found LOTS of monochromatic examples of drawings in graphite, charcoal and ink.

Monochrome artwork in the far north gallery

There are also very many drawings in coloured pencils and/or soft pastels or oil pastels in the show - and some which mix media.

More colourful artwork

In terms of paintings, there were many excellent watercolours - but I did find some paintings which puzzled me in terms of not being artwork I normally associate with SGFA.

One interesting aspect I noted this year is that more and more artwork is being produced by artists who have earned their membership of FBA art societies (the Mall Galleries is the home of the Federation of British Artists).  That's not to say that all are also members of the SGFA but rather that other FBA members (eg Ian Sidaway RI) are sending entries in via the open entry

Review: Royal Society of British Artists Bicentennial Exhibition

The Bicentennial Exhibition of the Royal Society of British Artists is currently on display at the Mall Galleries and this post comments on the exhibition and the artwork I liked.

This is a review of what I saw last week and also identifies artwork I liked.

You can read who won the prizes in this post Royal Society of British Artists 2023 | Award Winners published by the Mall Galleries.

See also my previous posts

• Call for Entries: 200th Anniversary Exhibition of the Royal Society of British Artists - the RBA invited 200 non-member artists to exhibit in the 2023 Bicentennial exhibition.
• RBA Bicentennial: Sales before opening!
• Renowned Ukrainian sculptor exhibits at RBA Bicentennial

There are 489 artworks spread across the three galleries of the Mall Galleries.  Rather a lot of them seemed to me to be smaller than usual.

One of the display walls in the centre of the west gallery.

You can see digital images of all the artwork on 

• the Mall Galleries website page for the exhibition - which includes links which enable you to buy online
• the RBA Bicentennial Exhibition Page (I'd personally prefer much bigger images of the artwork and much smaller buttons for the "find out more")

I'm also uploading my photos of the artwork in the exhibition to my Facebook Page -  - and will list the gallery albums below.

 
You can see albums of my photos of the exhibition irrespective of whether or not you are a member of Facebook or are logged in or not. I think these help you to appreciate the size of works better and what they look like on the wall with frames etc

• RBA Bicentennial Exhibition - West Gallery
• RBA Bicentennial Exhibition - East Gallery
• RBA Bicentennial Exhibition - North Gallery (includes artwork by Young Artists)

North Gallery

This is a YouTube Video of Mick Davies, President of the RBA introducing the exhibition during the hang process.

The galleries seemed a tad more crowded than usual - but that's unsurprising given the nature of the exhibition and the wish to include 200 artworks from the Open Entry to mark the Bicentennial.

Styles of artwork are as varied as ever and coupled with the fact the RBA accepts drawings, paintings, original fine art prints and 3D artwork makes for a very eclectic exhibition - but one which is rather more contemporary than exhibitions I can remember from when I first started covering this art society's exhibition. The RBA has come a long way in recent years under the Presidency of Mick Davies.

The feature wall next to the Cafe

Most of the smaller 3D art, ceramics and sculpture are in the East Gallery - with larger pieces seen elsewhere in the exhibition.

There is a very impressive Bicentennial Catalogue 1823 - 2023 which provides an excellent one page profile of each of the members in 2023. I can't find a link to where you can purchase it online but it's available at the exhibition.

I did have a niggle. I didn't think either of the normal feature walls i.e. the walls at the extreme west and east of the Mall Galleries had the impact they should have had. Nothing against the art on the walls - it just wasn't the right art for those walls i.e. artwork which makes you want to walk over and take a closer look - from 50 feet away - and didn't have a particularly coherent hang! 

RBA Bicentennial: Sales before opening!

The Royal Society of British Artists Bicentennial Exhibition (200th Anniversary) is being held at the Mall Galleries next week - opening on Thursday 2nd March.

The Royal Society of British Artists was founded by a group of painters in 1823 and in 1887 the Society was granted the ‘Royal’ prefix. The RBA has remained one of the world’s premier art societies and has attracted world-renowned artists as members for nearly 200 years.

The Society has attracted many noteworthy painters and sculptors, such as Philip de László, LS Lowry and Henry Moore.

It's become customary for the Societies who belong to the Federation of British Artists to display the selected artwork online - for sale - via the Mall Galleries website, BEFORE the exhibition opens in the Gallery. That way they start out with some red dots before the first customer walks through the door.

I've been looking at the artwork selected for the exhibition online - and noticing a few sales - 14 in total - which fall into different price bands as follows

• Under £500 x 4
• £501 - £1,000 x 4
• £1,001 - £2,500 x 3
• £2,501 - £5,000 x 2
• £5,001 x 1

This is pretty typical of previous data I've collected on sales at the Mall Galleries - and I'd again recommend people to be mindful that this is typically a gallery frequented by middle class middle England rather than by megabucks individuals!

So here's who's sold prior to the opening of the RBA Bicentennial.....

Beside the Seaside by Hun Adamoglu 

• Beside the Seaside (£400) by Hun Adamoglu (Graphite, 21 x 30 cm / 31 x 39 cm framed)

• Rihanna (£400) by Eva Brammer (Oil, 51 x 61 cm)

• The Garrick Theatre, Planes Leafing (£5,850) by Peter Brown PNEAC RP ROI PS RBA (40 x 60 cm / 64 x 84 cm framed)

• Octavia (£1,800) by Sarah Harrold (Collage, cardboard, gold leaf and inks, 80 x 80 cm / 80 x 80 cm framed)

• Almost Dark (£920) by Ann Heat Sen RBA (Oil, 25 x 24 cm / 39 x 38 cm framed)

• Weeds are Beautiful Too (£450) by Vicky Oldfield RBA ( Mixed media, 20 x 20 cm (26 x 26 cm framed)

• Royal Exchange from Queen Victoria St (£3,200) by David Sawyer RBA (Oil,  81 x 30 cm / 93 x 42 cm framed)

• Wilton Cormorant (£690) by Karina Tarin (Oil, 31 x 25 cm / 39 x 33 cm framed)

• Wilton Egret (£690) by Karina Tarin (Oil, 31 x 25 cm / 39 x 33 cm framed)

• Paris Roof Garden (£1,800) by Nicholas Verrall RBA ROI (Oil, 32 x 38 cm / 43 x 48 cm framed)

• Needles, Boats and Buoys (£1,800) by Terry Watts RBA (Acrylic, 45 x 64 cm / 69 x 87 cm framed)

• Swimbles (£3,000) by Nicola White (Acrylic, 80 x 80 cm / 86 x 86 cm framed)

• Still Life with Two Pears (£750) by Annie Williams RBA RE RWS (Watercolour, 38 x 48 cm / 58 x 63 cm framed)

• As The River Meanders Time Stands Still (£350) by Jane Wilson (Acrylic, ink, collage and dry media, 30 x 30 cm / 44 x 44 cm framed)

Art Society Exhibitions (December 2022 - March 23) - at the Mall and Bankside Galleries

Here's a list of the upcoming Art Society Exhibitions at the two main venues in London over the winter months - the Mall Galleries and the Bankside Gallery.

Click the title of the exhibition to find out more about each exhibition

DECEMBER

Royal Institute of Oil Painters | Annual Exhibition 2022

Venue: Mall Galleries

Dates: 24 November 2022 to 10 December 2022 (10am to 5pm)

Admission: £5

More info:

• ROI 2022 Annual Exhibition – Prize winners | ROI website
• Prizewinners at the Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition 2022

Mini Picture Show

Mini Picture Show 
Robin Richmond RWS, Summer Cadaques, Spain (detail),
watercolour & acrylic on handmade paper

Affordable works on a small scale by artists from the Royal Watercolour Society and the Royal Society of Painter Printmakers. Contemporary watercolours and original prints, both framed and unframed, may be taken away immediately. Prices start at £50

I'm always rather surprised more national and local art galleries don't do something similar. I've visited this show in the past and come away with what I regarded as some real bargains.

• Artworks
• Venue: Bankside Galley
• Dates: 9th December 2022 - 29th January 2023
• Admission: Free
• 
  

JANUARY

Mini Picture Show (continues)

• Artworks
• Venue: Bankside Galley
• Dates: 9th December 2022 - 29th January 2023
• Admission: Free

Mall Galleries: no exhibitions

FEBRUARY

Mall Galleries: no exhibitions

I can't remember the last time (prior to the pandemic and other than last year due to surgery) when I didn't visit the Mall Galleries in January and February - but maybe that's because there's fewer art competitions?

Personally I don't get it. Summer months provide a lot more competition for people's time. Having a nice exhibition to go to during the winter months is to my mind an excellent outing! Bottom line it all depends on what the impact is on the number of visitors to the exhibition - and the number of sales....

MARCH

RWS Open

• Venue: Bankside Galley
• Dates: 3rd - 19th March 2023
• More Info: Call for Entries: Royal Watercolour Society Open 2023

Royal Society of British Artists 

• Venue: Mall Galleries
• Dates: 3rd - 11th March 2023 (10am to 5pm daily)
• Admission: £5
• More info: Call for Entries: 200th Anniversary Exhibition of the Royal Society of British Artists

Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours - 211th Exhibition

• Venue: Mall Galleries
• Dates: Thursday 30 March - Saturday 8 April, 5pm (10am to 5pm daily)
• Admission: £5