CALL FOR ENTRIES: Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2026

The Call for Entries for the HSFK Portrait Award 2026 has been published.

Artists aged 18 and over are invited to submit entries of painted portraits to this prestigious annual competition and exhibition which is run by and held at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

The deadline for entries is 22.00 (GMT) on Tuesday 6th January 2026

Those which are shortlisted will be displayed in the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery held between 25 June and 7 October 2026. 

Very many artists who have succeeded in being selected for this exhibition in the last two decades started out by reviewing my summary of the call for entries! I know because they told me when I met them at the Awards Ceremonies and the press views (2008-2025).

The highly successful competition aims to encourage 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 40,000 entries from more than 100 countries, and the exhibition has been seen by over 6 million people.  

Summary of Key Information about the Call for Entries

Note: Anybody who thinks I'm going to repeat four totally unmemorable names every time I write about this competition is mistaken. There was a reason the BP was called the BP!!  Hence I refer to this competition as The Portrait Award or The HSFK Portrait Award. 

I am going to start as I did last year - by highlighting the many good reasons why all aspiring portrait artists should enter this competition.

This post, written in 2023, tells you why you should enter WHY enter The Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery (London)

Why enter The Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery?

Just getting selected - of itself a very valuable addition to any portrait painter's CV - means 

• your portrait painting will hang in an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London from 25 June - 7 October 2026
• you are also eligible to win one of the prizes! You could also win one of the valuable prizes
• first prize is £35,000
• second prize is £12,000
• third prize is £10,000
• the Young Artist's Prize (for artists aged between 18 and 30) £9,000
• i.e. no increase from last year.

All selected artists aged between 18 and 30 will automatically be considered for both the Young Artist Award and the Portrait Award, but an individual cannot win both. 

The aim of the Young Artist Award is to profile their talent and support the development of their practice. I met a number of young artists at the exhibition last year.

Rachit Khandelwal (b.2004) with Finlay Trevor (b.2003) both exhibited in 2025 

and were both art students in Scotland 

(at the Glasgow School of Art and Edinburgh School of Art respectively)

The portrait is Finlay's Quest for The Mackintosh Man (2024)

Note that those shortlisted for prizes MUST attend the Awards Ceremony on the evening of Tuesday 23 June 2026.

PLUS, there is the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Artist Commission worth £14,000 

• ALL ARTISTS chosen to exhibit in 2026 and 2027’s Portrait Award exhibitions will be considered for the bi-annual Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Artist Commission, which has a value of £14,000. 
• This will be announced in 2027.

Now you have a better appreciation of the incentives - on to the practical matters......

So how much is the Duty on Art again?

Royal Mail introduced its new "Postal Delivery Duties Paid" service today for those wanting to send art to buyers in the USA

There's just one problem. It doesn't tell you what the duty will be until you've paid the postage! 

So how does the artist add any duty payable into the invoice he or she sends to the artist - given artists want paying before they ship?

I posted this comment on the Royal Mail Facebook Page

WHY are you only telling people what the duty is AFTER they have paid the postage.
For people to make an informed decision about whether or not to send a package they need to know ALL THE COSTS before they pay anything.
What provision have you made for people wanting their money back if they decide not to send after finding out about the cost of the duty?
HOW do you ensure that people are using the correct tariff code so they can continue to enjoy EXEMPTION from Duty by using eg the correct code for sending original fine art - as per the Harmonised Tariff Schedule agreements?

There's NO SCOPE to 

• identify what your package is about and to.......
• identify the correct tariff COMMODITY CODE - remembering of course that 
• IN THEORY some items - like original fine art paintings, drawings and prints are EXEMPT from paying any duty 
• but others, like reproduction prints or hand-painted or hand-decorated manufactured articles; collages, mosaics are NOT EXEMPT
• identify the applicable duty rate so you can make provision for this in the price you charge / quote to your buyer if overseas (as in "price before all applicable tax, duty and shipping")

9701 21 0000 is the tariff code applies to fine art paintings, drawing and print which are exempt - and below is the US version of the Harmonised Tariff Schedule which says this.

What is not clear is whether the new duty Trump seeks to levy is in addition to any status identified in the Harmonised Tariff Commody Code Schedule

This is the USA version of the Harmonised Tariff Schedule

Plus to quote the UK Integrated Online Tariff 

Heading 9701 does not apply to mosaics that are mass-produced reproductions, casts or works of conventional craftsmanship of a commercial character, even if these articles are de-signed or created by artists.

For the purposes of heading 9702, the expression ‘original engravings, prints and lithographs’ means impressions produced directly, in black and white or in colour, of one or of several plates wholly executed by hand by the artist, irrespective of the process or of the material employed by him, but not including any mechanical or photomechanical process.

Heading 9703 does not apply to mass-produced reproductions or works of conventional craftsmanship of a commercial character, even if these articles are designed or created by artists. 

I've done some more reading today. 

I continue to be absolutely horrified by the way in which the US side of the documentation continues to be POOR - particularly the website relating to Customs and Border Protection which is shambolic and really out of date in relation to Trade

This is what I got when looking at Importing in the US. Note the date on the document

THE BOTTOM LINE

My take on it is I don't care if people say "they've worked it out" - this is a government and an administration which is comprehensively and seriously failing to provide proper, comprehensive, articulate and up to date guidance to people engaged in trade!!

If I was an artist exporting to the USA I wouldn't.

If I was an artist wanting to enter an open exhibition or art competition in the UK - and then re-export to the USA - I wouldn't.

That's about as plain as I can make it

Postal Services to the USA cancelled across the world! What does this mean for artists?

At midnight on Sunday, I spotted a post on social media which indicated there was going to be a major issue for ALL ARTISTS - anywhere in the world - who sell artwork to buyers in the USA.

MOST POSTAL SERVICES AROUND THE WORLD 

HAVE CANCELLED DELIVERY TO THE USA

+ 

ART SALES TO THE USA ARE GOING TO CRASH

I spent most of yesterday and this morning working on a new page for my website - called Shipping Art to the USA i.e. https://www.artbusinessinfo.com/shipping-art-to-usa.html 

Today, being a bank holiday is not the best day to announce it's now public - however the proverbial will be hitting the fan today and tomorrow.....

My new web page for all those caught out by the change in tariffs / border control
and the comprehensive suspension of postal services
Link is https://www.artbusinessinfo.com/shipping-art-to-usa.html

I know a lot of artists - across the world - who regularly sell art to Americans are very worried about what this means for their business.

My new website includes sections about

• three key drivers around the problem for artists
• what has been happening in the last month
• what it means in practical terms for artists
• what it means in different continents and countries around the world.
• plus lots and lots of references

The irony in the title is that the AIRLINES are the current driver leading to the comprehensive suspension of aircraft for carrying post to the USA.

"No longer shipping" courtesy of Astral Synergy Productions

Bottom line, yet again, the change in policy at motormouth speed is way in advance of the systems developments required to deliver what the USA wants which is

• cancellation of the exemption from tariffs for all post and parcels with a value of between $800 and $100 
• all post/parcels for imports MUST arrive in the USA marked up "Delivery Duty Paid" (this is Trump's notion of how to get the other countries to pay him money)
• On top of this there's an argument going between lawyers as to whether Trump can cancel the almost universal exemption of certain classes of art from any form of tariff duty payable.

The airlines have seen the writing on the wall and they are NOT HAPPY! (I'm assuming they worked out the reality, i.e. masses of small packages not going anywhere fast and stuck on planes because space has run out in normal storage areas before packages are processed). 

So they pulled the plug! Well done the airlines is what I think!

So given the complete carcrash of a mess which is currently exploding around the world, I thought I better get on with my new page!!!

So what I've published is my "best effort to date" BUT it is neither comprehensive nor do I guarantee everything on it is correct. However I've included a lot of references to people writing about this issue in other places and will continue to review and update in the coming days.

This is the short section providing headlines about implications for artists

Implications for Artists
- as producers and exporters of art to buyers in the USA

I'll be writing more about this - but right now I'd like to have lunch and get out in the sunshine and "have some time off"!

Review: The 7th Derwent Art Prize (2024) Exhibition

This is a summary of my thoughts about the Derwent Art Prize Exhibition at gallery@OXO. This is in addition to:

• my review of the prizewinners - see Derwent Art Prize Exhibition 2024 - Prizewinners
• my Making A Mark Facebook Page Album of views of the exhibition - The Derwent Art Prize 2024

The aim of the Derwent Art Prize Exhibition is to 

• reward excellence by showcasing the very best artworks made in pencil by artists from around the world.
• showcase c.80 artworks in an exhibition.

The Prize invites artists to submit the very best 2D and 3D artworks created in any pencil, including colour, water soluble, pastel, graphite and charcoal pencils.

This year, the Judges shortlisted just 68 artworks, however 2 artworks did not make it on to the walls because they got stuck in Customs! See the end for tips for getting your work through Customs

I'm writing this post essentially for all those who might like to submit artwork to the next Derwent Art Prize because, although you can see the images online, you cannot see how they are presented. 

That said, judgement is always on the basis of the digital image of the art.

Artwork at the entrance
varying sizes, subjects and presentation

My perspective on the Derwent Art Prize Exhibition 2024

First off, the main point I want to emphasise is that there is a lot of exceptionally good artwork in this exhibition. I'm guessing that the reputation of the Prize - and the fact it's still going - means that this prize attracts many more professional artists these days as well as young / aspiring / emerging artists.

For me, the appeal of the exhibition is that:

• it often presents novel perspectives on the very ordinary 
• as well as extraordinary insights into the very unusual. 
• ALL delivered while demonstrating an exceptional degree of technical accomplishment.

Essentially, it's NOT artwork which is technically good but actually dull - as much hyperealistic artwork can be.

Nor is it exciting concepts which are then delivered by people lacking in skills associated with creating art - which is the sort of art I hate.

To get selected, the artwork has to move mind or spirit AND also be executed by somebody who demonstrates they're very good at wielding the media used for pencil art.

For me, it has come on a lot since the very first exhibition - which I remember really well because it demonstrated news of thinking and recording in pencil media.

I'd just like to see some 3D artwork next time!

PS There are emphatically no cats, dogs or horses or any other sort of animal mammal in this exhibition! There is one very dead bird.... (Just saying....)

The exhibition demonstrates a wide diversity in terms of

• styles
• subject matter
• size
• age of the artist
• country where the artist lives

It is truly international - with over 6,000 entries by 2,324 artists from 77 countries. 

That means it's getting an entry way bigger than most of the prominent open art exhibitions of national art societies!  One might be tempted to ask what is this art competition offering that other open exhibitions are not. My answer would be "big cash prizes". Any time you have an art competition with very significant cash prizes you get a lot of entries.

Pricing "Winners"

Today I'm commenting on the prices of artworks sold during the first 2-3 days of the "Winners | Award Winning Artists 2020-2022" Exhibition at the Mall Galleries. (Note: I'm going to be writing a long post about pricing in the context of the current economic climate in the near future.)

This follows my two previous posts

• REVIEW: "Winners" Exhibition at the Mall Galleries (Part 1)
• REVIEW (Part 2): "Winners" Exhibition at the Mall Galleries

This post includes 

• a chart of all sales (to date) analysed by the size of the artwork and the price category of the sold artwork.
• commentary on my conclusions about the chances of artwork selling - by size and price categories

Winners Exhibition - View of West Gallery last Friday

As most of you know, most sales in an exhibition occur during pretty early in an exhibition. Notably 

• when it goes online and 
• at the Private View before it opens to the public, 
• then in the first few days after that. 

I'm not going to Private Views routinely at the moment - and indeed I'm still walking round with a mask on given the fact Covid infection rates are rampant in London - and I've still not had it....

However I did visit last Friday - after the PV on Tuesday evening (and the rail strike on Wednesday) and the last thing I did before I left the gallery was to walk round and photograph every artwork which had sold.

I've also checked what sales have since occurred online and it's pretty much the same.

So today is an analysis along the lines of those done in previous reviews of exhibitions in these galleries. I've crunched the numbers and created an excel file with a data sheet and a chart. All sold artworks are categorised according to

• price categories are those which I observe most sales in this location
• sizes are new - and includes small, small medium, large medium and large - scaled according to the size of the artwork and NOT the framed size.

General observations on pricing

First of all though I'm going to make some general observations

Do you use eco-friendly packaging for transporting / shipping your art?

Have you thought about how sustainable the packaging is that you use for packing your artwork for transporting to exhibitions or shipping to clients?

Have you heard about the Plastic Packaging Tax - which will start being levied in the UK as from April 2022 - with the aim of reducing the use of single use plastic?

This post looks at:

• the background to the drive for more sustainable packaging
• the Plastic Packaging Tax
• what is packaging - from the perspective of a self-employed small business owner
• your obligations on under the waste duty of care rules?
• how to review your use of sustainable green eco-friendly packaging for your artwork
• PLUS CHECKLIST of questions to ask when thinking how to be more friendly to the planet - and marketing your art!

Background

Very many people are concerned about:

• the impact of climate change
• the extent to which single use plastic packaging is becoming a curse for the planet and its oceans 

In March 2018, the government launched a call for evidence on using the tax system or charges to tackle single-use plastic waste. This received a record 162,000 responses, highlighting the strong public interest in action in this area.

Using new plastic typically has greater environmental impact: it requires unnecessary resource extraction and processing, with higher energy use and emissions than using recycled material. It also results in significant amounts of additional plastic waste on the market, which is generally sent to landfill or incinerated. 

Plastic Packaging Tax | HM Treasury Overview

Many people who buy products are very concerned that packaging should reflect their values and avoid the destruction of the environment. 

These include people who buy art.

What is the Plastic Packaging Tax and who will be impacted?

The UK government wants to promote 

a clear economic incentive for businesses to use recycled material in the production of plastic packaging, which will create greater demand for this material and in turn stimulate increased levels of recycling and collection of plastic waste, diverting it away from landfill or incineration.

To do this it's introducing a Plastic Packaging Tax as from April 2022

Those affected by this tax will be:

• UK producers of plastic packaging,
• importers of plastic packaging,
• business customers of producers and importers of plastic packaging, and
• consumers who buy goods in plastic packaging in the UK.

Bottom line - if you are currently using plastic materials for your packaging, you will probably find it increases in cost next year.

Now is the time to get your packaging standards reviewed and revised!

What is packaging?

Just in case you think this is nothing to do with you as an artist.....

‘Packaging’ is any material used to hold, protect, handle, deliver and present goods. This includes packaging for raw materials right through to finished goods to be sold or being sold. For example, pallets, boxes, bags, tape for wrapping, rolls, tubes and clothes hangers sold as part of the clothing item.

GOV UK Guidance - Packaging waste: producer responsibilities

So unless you place your framed artwork in the hands of your buyer yourself - with no packaging -  you are a packaging producer!

Also, did you know that your art business (in the UK) MUST follow the waste duty of care rules?

How to Ship Art - for online art sellers / post Brexit

How best to pack, mail and ship art art has been a VERY popular topic since lockdown as more and more people make sales online. 

It's got even more popular since 1st January in terms of making sense of Brexit. EORI numbers and export commodity codes anybody? Do you know about the Rules of Origin?

HOW TO PACK, MAIL & SHIP ART: A Compendium of Information & Advice about Packing & Transporting Art provides access to the many pages of information I provide in the Shipping Art section on my Art Business Info. for Artists website

It's currently the most popular page on my Art Business Info for Artists website - I guess because

• most sales of art are now taking place online
• artists running an art business - where they export art internationally - are puzzling out the changes 

Below is a screenshot of its contents

contents of how to pack, mail and ship art

I've just begun to realise I need to write a new section about "Rules of Origin" given some of what is happening at the ports.

The reality is that if you are trading - and particularly if you are exporting - there is a LOT of law and regulations that you need to know about - as well as which are the best ways to pack, post and ship art!

However I also have to emphasise what this page is NOT! I answer questions when I'm satisfied that people have read what is available on these pages and are not just using me as a sidestep to doing the reading. 

Artists and the Brexit Transition

Are you an artist with a current, ongoing or prospective business relationship with the European Union?

What will 2021 mean for you?

If you are are, you need to be aware that the UK government put its foot on the accelerator this week in terms of publishing details of transition arrangements.

The UK is leaving the EU single market and customs union, and the end of the transition period will affect citizens, businesses, as well as travel to and from the EU.

I've written a blog post on Art Business Info for Artists: News - about Brexit Transition Info. for Artists which is relevant to all artists who want to:

• stay living in the UK if you are an EU Citizen
• continue living and working in the EU if you are a UK citizen
• travel within the EU in relation to art business matters (eg. exhibitions, teaching on art holidays etc)
• send (or receive) artwork across borders with the EU

It provides you with the links to where you will find the relevant information - plus how to sign up for tailored updates for your needs.

Here's a taster in the official Cabinet Office Video



[NOTE: All my posts about the Brexit Transition are STRICTLY informative and apolitical - I just tell you what exists which might help.]

UPDATE: Fine Art Transport Services and Couriers in the UK in 2020

I've spent some time today updating the UK Art Movers & Couriers & Fine Art Transport Services on my Art Business Info for Artists website (Ship Art section).

As part of my review of matters relating to the Recession, I wanted to check the current status of current providers of transport services for fine art.
Changes made include:

• CHECKING on current information provided and revising as required. (I've not quite finished)
• ADDING IN new providers - some new sole traders and private limited companies offering to pack/move art around the UK
• ADDING CAUTION NOTES - in relation to their current trading status and/or compliance with UK ecommerce regulations

I'm also looking for some help in keeping this page updated throughout the year - in order to avoid artists getting caught out by a business in the process of going under.  (please see the end).

Basic data checks and compliance checks re. regulations

I now check each service against a set of criteria - and a number of the services have noticed and have started to address their shortcomings!

How to pack, mail and ship art - domestically and internationally

How to pack, mail and ship art - to buyers, exhibitions, other countries - is one of those critical "NEED TO KNOW" topics for ALL those selling art online

Since the Pandemic started a lot of artists are now selling more art online - either compared to pre-pandemic or for the first time.

This post is for all those who

• EITHER "don't know what they need to know" 
• OR need a refresher 
• OR need to check on what has changed

REFERENCE / BOOKMARK: If you think you might want to reference this page again, why not

• bookmark it digitally and/or 
• print it off (click the title to get a seperate complete page for this blog post)

A Compendium of Information & Advice about Packing & Transporting Art

Most of the information and advice I provide about packing, mailing and shipping fine art is now provided in the "Ship Art" section of my website Art Business Information for Artists.

I'm assured by very many artists that there is nothing else like this section on the Internet!

I've certainly not found anything which merits the subtitle I've given it i.e.
A Compendium of Information & Advice about Packing & Transporting Art

Here's the reason why I started to develop and then record information about packaging. My first exhibition was in the USA!

Is your knowledge about packaging and shipping art "a big black hole"?

Starting out, I found packaging and shipping artwork one of the most challenging aspects of selling art - particularly when it needs to be sent to another country.
I worked hard to find out more about the best ways to pack and ship art - and started making notes! Fine Art Transport

Outline of contents

Fine Art Transport Home Page

This is a major section of my website - providing a lot of detailed information and advice

This contains

• Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about packaging, posting and shipping art - which shows you where you can find the answer
• ​10 Top Tips for Packaging and Shipping Artwork

​Packing Fine Art

How to wrap and pack artwork for shipping 

How to weigh, measure, wrap, pack and label artwork which needs to be transported. This page covers:

• SUMMARY TIPS: How to create a package for artwork
• HOW TO label a package
• HOW TO measure dimensions, volume and weight
• HOW TO: wrap and pack framed and/or glazed works
• ​HOW TO: package and ship giclee prints / drawings / works on paper
• HOW TO: wrap and pack unframed and framed pastel paintings
• HOW TO: package and ship 3D - sculpture and ceramics

Packaging Material for Shipping Art 

Packaging materials for wrapping, packing and shipping art

This page includes the pros and cons of different types of packaging - for different purposes.

It looks at ​

• TWO types of packaging for packaging art for shipping ​INTERNAL and EXTERNAL.
• Internal Packaging: This helps to make it look good and keeps it dry . Plus it protects the work should your package get opened by customs.
• External Packaging: During transit - or while in storage - external packaging helps to protect and keep the artwork safe from harm
• PLUS NEW: where to source green / more environmentally friendly packaging materials - which has become of increasing concern for many artists since I first started developing this resource.

Couriers, Movers and Shippers

How to Mail Art

How to mail art - using General Mail and Parcel Services 

This post covers general mail and parcel services for mailing paintings, drawings and prints in the UK and USA

There's a general consensus that

• the local mail service is fine for sending smaller packages
• however big parcels need a professional courier service

The next question is "Do you need a general mail / parcel / courier service OR a specialised service used to dealing with fine art?"

This page provides an overview of the generic (i.e. non-specialist) post / parcel / courier services on offer in the UK and USA

UK Art Movers and Carriers

UK Art Movers, Couriers & Fine Art Transport Services 

What you need to know; what your courier needs to know & which couriers move artwork

Shipping artwork internationally - how to send art to overseas exhibitions and clients

Many artists sell art across borders to other countries these days - but there's not a lot of help out there in terms of:

• what you have to do to move art through Customs
• what's the best way to pack and label art and ship it internationally

a new resource for artists - all about how to master customs tariffs, documentation
and services to get artwork from your studio to its final destination in another country

My very first serious exhibition 20 years ago was in the USA. I had to learn pretty fast about how to pack art so it arrives safe and sound and which service works best for getting the artwork there by the due date - and the customs documentation and tariff codes required and how to display it so that the package actually got out of Customs and arrived at the Gallery!

Everything went fine - but it was a long wait until I got the confirmation everything had arrived safely!

Since that date I've heard of numerous artists who have messed up on sending their artwork to other countries. It's hugely disappointing to the artists who have invariably made their best efforts - but just didn't get everything right because they'd never ever done it before.

• The artwork often remains in Customs while the exhibition goes ahead without them!  
• Or the artwork arrives damaged because allowances were not made to what can happen to artwork moving overseas. 
• Or it just disappears......

Which is how come I've remained interested in the topic and developed a site to share the information with those for whom sending art overseas is a new and mysterious challenge!

I've now transferred that information to my art business website.

Guide to how to send art to other countries

This is my new page about How to ship art internationally on my Art Business Info. for Artists website

Information is divided into two sections.

The paperwork for Customs

• How to produce an export invoice
• UK Trade Tariff - export commodity codes
• HOW TO: Complete Customs documentation in the UK
• ​HOW TO: Complete Customs documentation in the USA
• The ATA Carnet​

What else you need to know

• Size, Weight and Content Restrictions and Prohibitions (International)
• ​HOW TO: write an international address correctly​

The page is part of a major section on my website which is all about....

How to pack, post and ship art

This is what my section on How to pack, post and ship art covers:

Packing your art

• How to pack, post and ship art (Section HOME Page) including 10 Top Tips for Packaging and Shipping Artwork
• How to pack artwork for shipping Overview: Generic advice about packing and shipping
• Tips from artists, photographers, galleries, curators, museums, conservators, art societies, art collectors, shippers and more
• How to create an internal package which protect and cushions artwork
• How to create an external package for artwork which survives transit.
• How to pack framed works
• How to pack fine art prints and works on paper
• How to pack pastel paintings​​
• Packaging Materials for shipping artwork
• The pros and cons of different types of packaging for the external and internal packages
• ​warnings about how packaging can damage your art
• how to be sustainable and reuse materials when shipping​

Special Shipping Challenges for Art

CN 23 Customs Declaration form for artwork valued in excess of £270

• How to ship art to exhibitions Exhibitions bring a particular challenge when artwork needs to be submitted minus packaging!
• How to ship internationally​ Information about all the documentation required for international shipping
• How to produce an export invoice
• All about export commodity codes
• How to complete customs documentation 
• How to write an international address correctly

Postal, Parcel, Courier and Shipping Services for Art

Royal Mail Services

• How to post art - Post and Parcel Services in the UK and USA
• ​List of UK Art Shippers, Movers and Couriers​ national and regional + websites and contact details including carriers listed by art competition organisers​
• List of USA Art Shippers, Movers and Couriers recommendations welcome

Feedback please

I'd love to get any feedback

• either in terms of practices or services you have found helpful 
• or about queries you have which are not answered by this page or this section on moving art from studio to exhibition, gallery or art collector

Thanks in anticipation....

All the mistakes you can make when submitting work to an art exhibition

Who hasn't had an awful experience when preparing for an exhibition?

16 things that can go wrong when submitting art to an exhibition

Here's a list of things that can go wrong. If you leave a comment and come up with a good one I'll add it to the list. A lot of what's on there comes from stories people have told me. I swear I haven't made all the mistakes myself - just some of them!

1.  Don't read the call for entries and rules properly 

One loses count of the stories heard of people not realising that the media used or the subject of their artwork or their country or their status doesn't allow them to enter!

2.  Get the submission date / deadline wrong 

I think probably most of us have done that one. Ranks alongside forgetting the date of your examinations. The effect on your insides is about the same. If you're really, really lucky you don't paint in oils and realise you've got the date wrong with at least a couple of days to spare.....

3. Realise far too late that the custom built frame makes your artwork too big to enter 

I think there are three strategies on this one but I'd be interested to hear more

• EITHER Say absolutely nothing and cross your fingers that the organisers won't reach for their tape measures. This is the only one that works - sometimes. Some have done this and got their work accepted; 
• OR ring up and ask the organiser whether it would still be OK to enter it. You know what they're going to say so basically you've just spent money on a wasted phone call; 
• OR put the very considerable expense down to a learning curve. One you won't be repeating....

4. Realise far too late that your cheap bargain frame makes your artwork look cheap too. 

There's absolutely nothing wrong with a cheap robust frame; the trick comes in making them look simple but expensive! I believe in bone coloured paint!

5. Fail to complete your artwork on time 

This goes without saying. Who hasn't been there? There's the artwork you submit and then there's the artwork you meant to submit.  Then there's the first two versions in which you tried to get it right and the one you submitted because you have now given up the will to live!

6. Fail to get the artwork to dry on time

The same as above but only for those working in media which takes forever to dry!  This one tends to go with resolutions to "never ever use xyz again!" because you've been caught out by changing your normal media.

7. Find out that the varnish destroys the finish

You're using new media - and forgot to test it with the varnish before you started to use it!  Often comes about (but not always) as a result of not reading the tiny tiny print on the side of the container.

8. Find out that the fixative makes your media run

Not every fixative likes every dry media. On one memorable occasion I recall a friend telling me a very sad story about working on a commission and then watching her coloured pencil media drip off the support after she applied fixative. It literally became liquid and slid off the support!

9. Forget to take a proper professional image/scan/photo of the artwork before it is framed. 

We all live in hope that this is the last time we'll see the artwork if it is for sale so we need a good image of it . However does this mean we remember something we need to do every single time when we submit work to an art exhibition. Of course we don't!!!

There's a variation on this one which is that you don't look at the pics you took until after you have submitted the work.

Which explains this really dreadful group shot of my artwork for Florum! I eliminated the reflections on the glass - and the definition in the photo....

(Top row) Massonia bifolia
(Middle row): Crassula Buddha's Temple; Cardiocrinum giganteum Seeds pods study
(bottom row) Astrophytum and Haworthia - Spots and Stripes

10. Neglect to book the framer in time 

This one comes with a variety of options:

• you didn't know your old framer has died/disappeared to beat the creditors/packed up and not told you
• how were you supposed to know that your framer likes three week holidays just before the busy season for submissions?
• your framer is so good he's now booked solid for the next six months
• your framer is good but can't help you and he's not telling you about anybody else who is as good as him!

This is when you learn to frame for yourself!

Or alternatively inspect my List of Recommended Framers 
(New names always welcome - just post something public that I can reference about your framer and why you like him or her - and then complete the form at the bottom of the page)

11. Break the glass in your frame

You can do this any number of ways but my favourite - and the one that gives me collywobbles every single time is taking it out of the frame so as to clean both sides. Especially when you nearly drop it as the sharp edge cuts your finger and very nearly drops on to the artwork which is nearby.... (Been there, done that!)

12. Scratch the frame badly during transport 

You've probably just ruled your work out of being hung and all for the sake of proper packing materials.

However if you notice in good time you can sometimes work magic with sandpaper and paint. (Guess who's done this one?)

13. Send the artwork via a man with a van - who can't find the destination on time

It happens and has happened. It pays to use those who have developed a good reputation.

(see Fine Art Transport - For those who 'need to know'​ how to pack, mail and ship art)

14.  Fail to build in contingency time for getting to the hand-in on time. 

So yesterday my partner stopped me from banging on my horn and screeching at the delivery driver who was blocking the exit from my cul de sac to "*&^%$£ get out of the way" on the basis that this would only make him slow down. I can also do getting out of the car, saying nothing and reaching for my iPhone and taking a photo of the illegally parked vehicle. But I save that one for when I'm getting desperate!

15. Arrive at the hand-in only to find that the artwork has dropped down behind the mat 

This only happens to people who mat their artwork and do NOT use the proper method for hinging artwork to a mat (or use a framer who hasn't got a clue!)

16. Procrastination 

It goes without saying that this underpins that old adage "By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail". Of course for the next exhibition or next year you'll do better....

You may have realised by now that I've been preparing for an exhibition. The problem with knowing what can go wrong is I still get the heebie jeebies even if almost everything goes OK.

So what's been the big mistake you made - or only just avoided?

Please leave a comment or send me an email with your BIG MISTAKE or NEAR ESCAPE!

Florum

The annual Florum exhibition was started with the aim of creating a colourful and inspiring mix of works celebrating plant life. 

I've got artwork in the Florum exhibition which opens to the public at Kent Wildlife Trust's Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve on Saturday.

• Venue: Jeffrey Harrison Visitor Centre at Kent Wildlife Trust - Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve, Bradbourne Vale Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 3DH (click the link to see this on Google Maps and get directions from your location)
• Dates: Saturday 10th - Saturday 17th September 2016
• Hours: 10am - 5pm each day
• Admission: Free

I'm stewarding all day next Friday if you'd like to come and meet me as well as see the exhibition.
I'll be doing a review of the exhibition on this blog at the weekend.