Lynn Painter-Stainer Prize 2015: Selected Artists & Events

The list of artists - with links to their websites - selected for the 2015 Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize 10th anniversary exhibition at the Mall Galleries, The Mall, London SW1 from 16 to 21 February 2015 can be found below

Together with links to where you can:

• see images of the artwork selected for the exhibition
• find out about the events to be held during the course of the exhibition

Selected Artists

The selected artists are as follows.  Links to their websites are embedded in their names.

A

• Colin Allbrook
• Louis Appleby
• Peter Archer
• Roger Aslin
• Mary Anne Aytoun-Ellis

B

• Louise Balaam NEAC RWA
• Alberta Bamonte
• Paul Banning RI RSMA
• Jeanette Barnes
• John Bartlett 
• Edward Beale
• Sharon Beavan 
• Guy Beggs
• Sarah Jane Bellwood
• Antonia Black
• Alexandra Blum
• Alison Boult
• Abigail Box
• Holly Brodie
• Rupert W Brooks
• Pandora Butterfield
• Henry Byrne

How to draw and sketch in an art gallery or museum #1

This is the first in a series of posts about drawing and sketching in art galleries and museums.

There are rules which are generally applicable for what you can and cannot do when wanting to draw or sketch and, below, I highlight what these are.

I've also reviewed all the public (ie on the website) statements about rules relating to drawing and sketching in the major art galleries and other museums in London.

These have enabled me to highlight a number of interesting conclusions - not least that a number of them have no public statement about what's allowed re. drawing and sketching inside the gallery or museum.  Lots about copyright, lots about photography and zilch about sketching!

Drawing and Sketching in Art Galleries and Museums

Below are the general principles observed by most art galleries and museums.
So if you want a quick checklist of what rules are most likely to be applicable read on!

They're interspersed by sketches I've done in London.

The PLUS Points

• In general, art activities are encouraged and supported by art galleries and museums.
• It's a traditional activity of students wanting to learn.
• Many art galleries and museums encourage people to draw from paintings
• However that support for drawing and sketching is expressed in different ways
• Many art galleries and museums provide free sketching stools. These aren't always obvious and sometimes you have to ask where they are. At weekends and other busy times it's not unusual for them to go very fast!

Wallace Collection - Judy and the horses
11.5" x 17", pen and sepia ink in Daler Rowney Sketchbook

The MAJOR Concerns

• Artworks MUST be protected. Hence here are some of the usual rules:
• Dry media only - pencils and coloured pencils are fine (but charcoals and pastels can be messy and some galleries don't like then)
• Liquid/wet media is very often banned. Hence paints, marker pens and bottles of ink are very often not allowed in museums - mainly because these have more scope to cause permanent damage very fast if used/thrown on a painting or sculpture
• Do not lean on the artwork
• Some museums won't allow backpacks
• Health and safety of ALL visitors is very important
• It's essential to be considerate of others and advisable to be polite to the security people
• Keep the floors clear of obstructions which people might fall over
• If you're in a high traffic area (such as a popular temporary exhibition) you might well be prohibited from sketching or get moved on

TIPS for safe sketching

I've been sketching in art galleries and museums for years and years. I've learned a few things in that time about how to sketch effectively and without comment and not get thrown out!

RHS Botanical Art Show 2015 - Selected Artists

One of the exhibitions I cover extensively every year is the RHS Botanical Art Show.

• This post lists the botanical artists selected for the 2015 Exhibition 
• Please note the exhibition's dates have changed this year and it's much earlier on 27-28 February 2015 at RHS Lindley Hall in Westminster.

Part of the 2014 RHS Botanical art Exhibition

Selected Artists 2015

These are the artists who have been selected by the RHS to exhibit at this show (which is not the only RHS Show at which botanical art is exhibited - but it is the main one). 

We seem to have more artists overall but fewer artists from the USA, Australia, South Africa and Korea.

Note: Any international artists planning to sell their artwork at the exhibition need to be aware of the new EU rules about VAT which started on 1 January 2015 (of which more anon - but the bottom line is you need to be registered for VAT in the UK)

Australia

• Deirdre Bean GM (2012) - Australia's mangroves: living on the edge The mangroves are the subject of Deirdre's post graduate studies in Natural History Illustration. Deirdre has paintings in public collections at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, the Hunt Institute of Botanical Documentation, Pittsburgh, USA, and in the Florilegium collection at the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney.

France

• Vanda Adamson - French hedgerow flowers and fruit

Italy

• Lucilla Carcano GM - Autumn Walks: the patterns of leaf colour during the season Lucilla has been painting botanical art since 1994. In 2006 she won both an RHS Gold Medal and the Best in Show Award at the exhibition in Birmingham.

Japan

Japan has a major contingent of artists exhibiting this year.

• Hideo Horikoshi - Traditional Root and Tuber Crops in Japan
• Yuko Inujima - Flower and fruit
• Mayumi Ishii - Contemporary Roses in Japan
• Kimiyo Maruyama - Trees of Pinaceae in Watercolour. Her Pinus palustris was exhibited at the Botanical Art in the 21st Century exhibition at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery in 2014 and was described as follows. My guess is we may well see this in this exhibition too.  Her work was also exhibited at Kew in The art of plant evolution at Kew Gardens' exhibition of botanical paintings

Kimiyo Maruyama’s Pinus palustris is a feat of attention to detail; a painstakingly painted watercolour which leaves you enraptured at her patience and skill.

• Ikuko Matsui - Study of Flower Ikuko is a member of the Japanese Association of Botanical Illustration
• Masako Mori - Persimmon Masako has exhibited at the 14th International Exhibition, The Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation
• Keiko Sekiya - Pumpkins and Squashes Keiko exhibited at the 13th International Exhibition, The Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation
• Kumiko Takano - Climbing Plants

Thailand

• Sansanee Deekrajang - Tropical Climate Plants  Sansanee was born in Thailand but now lives in West Lothian. She won a Silver Gilt at BISCOT 2014.  She has also exhibited at the Margaret Flockton Award in Australia in 2013.
• Waree Sawangarom - The Magnificent Garden Tree Waree is from Amphoe Muang Nonthaburi, Thailand. You can also find her work on Etsy.

Turkey

Gulnar Eksi at the RHS Botanical Art Exhibition 2013

• Gulnur Eksi - Plants from the Woods and Forests of Chile. This is a project currently being undertaken at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh chileanplants.rbge.org.uk - the book of all the botanical art completed to date goes on sale in 2015. You can read my interview with Gulnar in 2012 in this post - Interviews with RHS Botanical Art Gold Medal Winners

UK

• Kate Barling - Six varieties of apples, grown in a Devon garden
• Pearl Bostock - Bedgebury National Pinetum Signatory trees Pearl is the founder member and Chairman of the Florilegium Society at Bedgebury National Pinetum, Goudhurst, Kent which has the most complete collection of temperate conifers. I was wondering when I was going to see some botanical artwork connected to Bedgebury!  She's also a member of the group of botanical artists called Amicus Botanicus who invite me to their exhibitions.
• Jessie Carr - In Depth Seed Studies  According to her Facebook Page, Jessie's exhibit is now titled 'Exposing the Nature of Nurture'. She lives in Cornwall.
• Guy William Eves - The Black and White of Colour. Guy is a fellow of The Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society and has had work exhibited at The Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation in Pittsburgh, USA
• Leigh Ann Gale - The Diversity of Clematis Leigh Ann completed her completed her diploma in botanical illustration at the English Gardening School, Chelsea Physic Garden and is a member of the Hampton Court Palace Florilegium Society
• Nicola Macartney - All Glory is Fleeting - Papaver Flowering Nicola is a graduate of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh's Diploma in Botanical Illustration - a course that has a lot of RHS Gold Medals associated with it. She started her studies in 2008 and completed the Diploma - with Distinction - in 2012.
• Jill Mayhew - Inside the Fruit Cage - a Collection of Soft Fruits Jill is a member of the Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society and has a painting included in the Highgrove Florilegium.
• Claire McDermott - Michaelmas Claire studied RHS Horticulture - Plant Morphology /microscopic work at Harrow College and then Botanical Illustration at The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
• Francesca Ross - Crab Apple Varieties from RHS Garden Hyde Hall.   Born in Devon and currently lives in Essex - hence the Hyde Hall connection.
• Fran Thomas - Plants of the Coast and Islands of the Firth of Forth - Fran is from Scotland and did her Diploma at RGBG. She won a Silvery Gilt at this show in 2014
• Kathy Pickles GM - Fritillaria and Helleborus. Kathy has exhibited five times and an RHS Gold Medal on each occasion. She won her first Gold Medal in 1991. Her artwork has been acquired by and is in the collections of The Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew and Edinburgh, the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation in Pittsburgh and the Shirley Sherwood Collection.
• Peta Stockton GM - Acacia Plants – Bark and Thorns. Peta won her RHS Gold Medal in 2006. Originally from South Africa, Peta now lives in Sevenoaks in Kent.  She has work in the collections of Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, the Lindley Library of the Royal Horticultural Society in London, the Hunt Institute of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, and the Shirley Sherwood Collection.
• Margaret Walty - Orchid Hybrids Maraget lives in the south of Scotland and is a professional painter
• Jenny Webster - Going to Seed - Jenny was awarded a Diploma with distinction from the Society of Botanical Artists in 2009 and won an RHS Silver Gilt medal in 2012. She's a member of the London Chelsea Physic Garden group of painters. She's a member of the Leicestershire Society of Botanical Illustrators.
• Amanda Willoughby - Heavy metal-tolerant plants of abandoned lead mines in the North Pennines and the Peak District.  Amanda has won two previous RHS Medals for "Rare and Endangered Cornfield Flowers" and "Plants of the Urban Wasteland"

More Exhibits and Demonstrations

In addition the show will include exhibits and demonstrations from the following artists and societies

Artists

• Susan Christopher-Coulson - Susan is the Vice President of the Society of Botanical Artists and has won many awards. She works in coloured pencils and will be demonstrating techniques for drawing suitable objects for botanical art and how to create special effects.
• Hannah McVicar - Hannah is an illustrator and printmaker. She is bringing her Portable Artist Printmaking Studio to the show to demonstrate how she works. 
• Julia Trickey - I normally see Julia at these shows winning Gold Medals for her artwork (see this post and this post). This time she be a range of botanical art techniques in her capacity as a botanical art tutor. Her instructional DVDs and other merchandise will be available to purchase. 

Florilegium Societies

Two of the Florilegium Societies in the South East are exhibiting paintings in their collection together with information and advice from artist members

• Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society - 2015 marks the 20th Anniversary of the Society and their exhibit will include paintings from the Chelsea Physic Garden collection, information about their upcoming book and a chance to purchase prints, cards and post cards of their work.  
• Hampton Court Palace Florilegium Society - The Society’s aim is to record plants grown in the gardens at Hampton Court Palace, with particular emphasis on the Palace’s unique plant collections such as the Queen Mary Exoticks. A selection of original pieces will be shown, plus artists will demonstrate the skills required to paint for the Florilegium. 

Note: If you're not familiar with florilegium you might find this post interesting as it defines what is a florilegium and describes their history - Volume 1 of The Highgrove Florilegium is published

Plagiarism on Facebook

This is about people who claim other people's artwork as their own - and highlights a case study of an example on Facebook.

A couple of days ago I was sent this message.

This is probably a strange/annoying message, but anyway here goes. I have a friend on Facebook who has set up an artists page, no harm there, however, I have a really good visual memory and I noticed that some of the images she was claiming as her work were from other artists. I reverse searched some more of her images and it turns out loads of them are lifted from other places. It seems an odd thing to do, and I should probably unfriend her, have you come across this kind of thing?

I've heard about this before but not actually seen it so I asked for more details and was sent some links to several examples of the copying

Here's just one of the posts by the "Facebook friend" (whose name I have removed) who's purporting to be 'playing about with watercolour in the garden'

A post by a plagiarist on Facebook

However she is actually "busted" because.....

.....here's the original watercolour painted by Paul Wang, in Singapore, and posted to Flickr. I was pretty sure it was one of Paul's before I found his page as he has a very distinctive and attractive style of painting in watercolour.

Paul Wang - Sketching Georgetown Penang
2nd sketch for the day. So glad to be attending this sketching event organized by the USK Penang sketchers
Copyright Paul Wang - all rights reserved

One of the problems with Flickr is it makes your images available to others unless you adjust your settings. On the whole, if you're minded to be sociable with your images - and share them - the chances are that they may well be stolen.

Although not everybody who steals claims to have painted them!

I also found the image again on Tumblr and on what I think is a spanish site (twice) with different "motivational" messages  in Spanish - one translates as

spotted with colors and scratches, what our mind is without color and shape

Why do people copy other people's images?

I have no idea what makes people claim other people's art as their own and think they can get away with it.

I can only guess the inclination to steal and dissemble is related to:

Top tips for art competitions - a precis

My article 8 Tips for Entering Art Competitions is featured in Ann Kullberg's Colored Pencil Magazine for February 2015.

You can buy a digital version via

• Ann Kullberg's website - which also gives you access to back copies of her popular magazine
• or MagCloud - I'm very impressed with MagCloud in terms of accessibility.

So that means:

• last month I was in a top UK art magazine (see My Favourite Things)
• this month I've got an article in a popular USA art magazine; and 
• later this month I'm meeting up with the Editor of a top art magazine in the UK to discuss options around writing articles in the future for that magazine.  

I like writing! :)

Top tips for art competitions

I've written many blog posts about art competitions over the years. Here are links to some of them.

What's your top tip for entering art competitions or open exhibitions of art societies?

For art competition organisers

• To all organisers of art competitions and open exhibitions - this focuses on aspects of running art competitions which are vital to get right or have an unhappy habit of going wrong. In particular it highlights aspects of marketing and publicity which not everybody gets right!

International entries

• VAT for non-UK artists and UK exhibition organisers - this relates to the changes in the VAT rules for artists wanting to enter UK art competitions but living outside the UK

For art competition novices

• How to calculate the cost of entering a juried art exhibition - it's so exciting creating work for an art competition and hitting all your deadlines. So much so that artists often forget to look at the options and costs of getting their artwork to a competition - and back again if unsold.  You can download my free spreadsheet if you need a checklist of what to think about and how to cost out how much an entry actually costs - see A Making A Mark Guide: Analysing the cost of entering a juried art exhibition
• Juried art competitions - does size matter? - For those concerned about what size to paint
• 20 tips for entering art competitions - What do you need to know when thinking about entering an art competition? These are my twenty tips - what's yours?

You've passed the first hurdle - what next?

• Pre-selected, selected, long listed, shortlisted, prizewinner - what's in a phrase? - I regularly come across artists who use the wrong terminology to describe the stage they've reached - so here's a short explanation.

RHS Botanical Art Exhibitions - for those wanting a Gold Medal

• Ten Top Tips for winning an RHS Gold Medal for Botanical Art - this is very popular with botanical artists around the world who want to win one of the coveted Gold Medals from the Royal Hortucultural Society at the exhibition which is the equivalent of the Chelsea Show for botanical artists!
• More Top Tips for winning an RHS Gold Medal for Botanical Art - more top tips for the gold medal winners
• 15 Top Tips for presenting work at an RHS Botanical Art Exhibition - because it's not just about the calibre of the work, it's also about how you present your exhibit