"Flowers - Flora in Contemporary Art & Culture" at the Saatchi Gallery - extended!

I'm never very sure why some art society selection panels have been somewhat sniffy about paintings of flowers. I've certainly encountered that view in the past (I think they ranked just above paintings of cats!). I guess this was associated with times when those running societies were somewhat sniffy about the participation of women...

However, anybody doubting the popularity of flowers should have been in Chelsea recently. Absolutely HORDES of people have been to see Flowers - Flora in Contemporary Art and Culture at the Saatchi Gallery (£20 entry or £12 if you like me are pensioner age)

Due to the popularity of this exhibition, pre-booking is strongly advised. Visitors are welcome to turn-up on the day, but may be turned away once the capacity for each ticket session is reached.

I've been meaning to go and see it but wanted to avoid the hordes at the beginning and weekends and holidays - and then forgot that it was supposed to finish on 5th May! 

So I scooted along yesterday morning before the hordes wanting to see it before it "finishes" on Bank Holiday Monday.

EXCEPT it's so VERY popular that the exhibition is reopening from 30th May to 31st August 2025.

We’ve been overwhelmed by the incredible response to Flowers. Visitor numbers and feedback have been exceptional, with audiences of all ages sharing feelings of joy, nostalgia, and wonder. We look forward to welcoming new audiences over the summer period, and those returning to enjoy the exhibition again.”

Which means it's on at the same time as the RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show for those who really like flower paintings!

About the Exhibition

It's very much a mulit-media exhibition - examining all the different ways flowers have been presented in visual culture and artefacts.

FLOWERS spans a wide array of media – including large-scale installations, fine art, photography, sculpture, fashion, film, literature, and music – offering a multifaceted exploration of the flower as artistic and cultural muse. The exhibition invites visitors of all ages to engage, learn and reflect on their personal response to flowers, with each section of the exhibition revealing different instance of flora through art, culture and our everyday lives.

It's a very curious exhibition. I'd love to be certain about the business model behind it - which I think I've worked out. Let's just say there's an element of commercial which is not very evident unless you observe and take a little time to think - and read a few exhibit labels.

Anyway, back to the exhibition.

I was glad I went. I saw some things I've never ever seen before. 

Going for Gold

I have an article in the June edition of Leisure Painters and The Artist Magazine. It's called "Going for Gold" - which is much shorter, snappier and better than my title which was "How to exhibit botanical art and win a medal"!

"Going for Gold" in the June Edition of The Artist Magazine

Essentially it's a synopsis of what you need to do:

• to be approved to exhibit at the RHS Botanical Art Show
• how to choose and develop an exhibit of 6 botanical artworks which might help win you a Gold Medal
• how to get a space at one of the shows - and what you have to do then in terms of delivery what is required

It also contains LOTS of tips - most of which came from RHS Gold Medal Winners who I've been interviewing for years!

You can order a copy of the magazine online

I was very chuffed to find that my credit for the article, rather than being just a small paragraph in italics at the end which explained who the author was, that I actually got a photo and links to my websites!! (see pic on right)

The RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show 2025

One of my major recommendations is that you should always try and visit the show before trying to get accepted.

You can learn such a lot about how to approach a major project from observation of the exhibitions which made it all the way through to the actual show. It's a bit like going to watch the Olympics if you are an athlete!

Which leads me to highlight that the RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show will be at the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea between 13th June and 27th July 2025 - and will be open from 10am to 6pm each day. 

This year entrance is FREE for the first time and pre-booking is not required!
There is a suggested donation of £5.

British Art Fair: how to check out a lot of art galleries in one place

Art Fairs essentially benefit serious art collectors. They offer a very easy way to look at a lot of art - across all price ranges - offered by different art galleries and dealers in one place - with nice food and drink.

After the pandemic decimated art fairs, there's a lot of effort going into making sure those being held in 2022 are a great experience for buyers. Indeed, the British Art Fair is under new ownership for this year's Fair. 

Art Fairs with reputable art galleries also offer a benefit for artists. If you're keen to become a gallery artist and want to check out a number of galleries, then this could also be the place for you! 

You can check out:

• the art by other artists represented by that gallery - and how it is presented
• the people representing the gallery
• what sort of art these art galleries think is worth paying a major fee to show to people with lots of money
• the general "vibe" you get from the stand. Does it make you feel that this could be an art gallery you'd like to approach at some point in the future.

HOWEVER - and this is VERY IMPORTANT - an artist visiting an art fair is market research activity ONLY!

• The art galleries are there to sell art to wealthy individuals. Period.
• They are really NOT interested in talking to artists. 
• The very last thing you should do is announce you're an artist looking for a gallery to represent them
• If you pull out an iPad and start pitching your art, you'll get blacklisted and your name will be mud.

copyright making a mark publications

British Art Fair (BAF) 2022

View of the British Art Fair Homepage Cover Image:
Displays by Alon Zakaim Fine Art, The Nine British Art and Alan Wheatley Art at BAF 2019.
Image credit: Piers Allardyce

The 31st British Art Fair is being staged on all three floors of the Saatchi Gallery between 29th September and 2nd October 2022.