NEWS about Botanical Art and for Botanical Artists

Botanical Images Scotia 2017 - Call for Entries

8/1/2017

Botanical Scotia (BISCOT) 2017 is an international juried exhibition of botanical art in Scotland which runs every year in June. The Call for Entries has been published and the closing date for applications for space to exhibit is 14 February 2017

BISCOT is both an organisation and an exhibition (Botanical Images SCOTland). The exhibition is organised in collaboration with the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

This year the organising committee have endeavoured to make the application process more accessible and easier for artists

BISCOT at the Gardening Scotland Show in June 2016

BISCOT Exhibition 2017

The exhibition takes place between Thursday 1 June – 22 June 2017 and can be seen at two locations:

Gardening Scotland Show (2nd -4th June) at The Royal Highland Showground Ingliston. Works must be hung by 2pm on 1st June in time for judging.
The Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh (7th - 22nd June)

There is also an exhibition preview at the RBGE on Tuesday 6 June at 5pm to which all exhibiting artists are invited.

Eligbility to Exhibit

A list is maintained by the BISCOT Panel of who has been approved to exhibit.

Those approved to exhibit (i.e. automatic eligible) are:

Artists who have exhibited work at the RHS and gained Gold, Silver-Gilt or Silver awards (NEW: The Silver Award is a change for 2017)
Graduates (with distinction) of the R.B.G.E. Botanical Illustration Diploma Course
Artists assessed as eligible to exhibit via a review of their portfolio in Summer 2016.
Artists previously assessed as eligible - eligibility lasts for seven years after which artists need to reapply.

Exhibitors must give at least 28 days notice, prior to the start of the exhibition, to the BISCOT committee if they are unable to show work. Artists who fail to comply with this requirement may not be considered for space the following year.
Exhibitors who have gained entry, but withdraw within 28 days before the exhibition will forfeit their entry fee.

BISCOT at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in June 2016

Eligible artwork

The number of new works which can be exhibited has been changed for 2017.

At least six pieces of original work - all in the same media - must be displayed to be considered for an award.
NEW: At least two of these works must be new i.e. not have been previously exhibited in a competitive exhibition. (This has been reduced from three works in previous years)

Work MUST be:

original botanical artwork in two dimensions only.
in an approved medium: watercolour is preferred. However coloured pencil, gouache, acrylic, graphite or ink, are also acceptable media.
at least life size unless this is impractical. A scale must be included if the subject is not life size.
mounted and not exceed 76 x 91.5cm. (30” wide by 36” high) when mounted
include an accurate label of the plant name which is considered an integral element of the work.

Awards

Awards take the form of Gold, Silver-gilt, Silver and Bronze certificates. The MARY MENDUM MEDAL may be awarded to an exhibit of exceptional quality.

How to apply for exhibition space

You can download the application form (pdf file) for space at Botanical Scotia 2017 below. If you print it off you can then handwrite your entry.

call_for_entry_2017form.pdf
File Size:	248 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

All applications for entry need to be received by 14 February 2017.

I'm going to have a word with the organisers and will suggest that they do two things:

make the form available in Word format so that people can complete it in Word and email it
make the bank account details available to all those approved to exhibit so that people can pay the £30 fee direct VIA BACS and/or faster payments

That then means there is no need for postage - or associated delays or scope for the form to go missing. It's also very helpful for international candidates. (The latter do have scope to pay the £30 fee when they arrive in Edinburgh.)

In the meantime please note that you will need to post both form - completed in handwriting - and a cheque for the fee.

Further Information: Including more details which need to be observed by those applying for space to exhibit can be found on the BISCOT website - see BISCOT - Botanical illustration International competition | Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society

0 Comments

Botanical Art at Bloom in the Park 2016 - in Dublin

2/6/2016

0 Comments

The 4th Annual Botanical & Floral Art Exhibition opens at Bloom in the Park today (Thursday 2nd June 2016).

The exhibition includes 56 botanical artworks in watercolour, gouache, ink, drawing or fine art print by artists from all over Ireland. This year it has gone international and includes entries from botanical artists from Korea.

Location: The Gallery at the Phoenix Park Visitors’ Centre
during the Bloom in the Park Festival in Phoenix Park, Dublin
Dates: 2nd - 6th June 2016
Times: 9am - 6pm
Talks: Talk (2-2.45pm) on topics related to botanical art

Friday 3rd June - 'An Introduction to the History of Botanical Art' by Elizabeth Prendergast
Saturday 4th June - 'Plants, Pollinators and the role of the Botanical Artist' by Shevaun Doherty
Sunday 5th June - 'The Painted Garden: Irish Botanical Artists, Past and Present' by Jane Stark

The exhibition was hung in The Gallery at the Phoenix Park Visitors Centre by Yanny Petters, Holly Somerville, Lynn Stringer and Siobhan Larkin on Monday.

Awards and medals for the artwork will be announced later today following the judging. I'll be doing a blog post later this week about who won the awards and this will include photos of what the exhibition looks like.
(These were the award winners in 2015 - pdf file)

All artwork is for sale and you also get to meet and talk with some of the artists - and maybe buy a beautiful painting for your home or office!

Note about Bloom in the Park
Bloom in the Park is based on the success of similar successful formats such as the RHS Chelsea Flower Shows and RHS Hampton Court Palace shows. It is sponsored by Bord Bia - the Irish government agency charged with the promotion, trade development and marketing of the Irish food, drink and horticulture industry.

0 Comments

Botanical Art at Bloom in the Park 2016 - call for entries

6/3/2016

0 Comments

A Call for Entries for Botanical Art at Bloom in the Park 2016 in Dublin, Ireland was published recently. The deadline for entries from botanical and floral artists for this prestigious Irish exhibition is the 31st March 2016.

4th Annual Botanical and Floral Art in Bloom

Below is a summary of information about the exhibition

Venue: Visitor Centre at Phoenix Park, Dublin
Dates: Thursday, 2nd June to Monday, 6th June
Nature of exhibition: Open exhibition with juried entry and medals awarded
Number of artworks: c.40 artworks in total will be exhibited
Two categories: Botanical art and floral art are judged separately.

Call for Entries - information

Here's a summary of the Call for Entries:

Who can enter?

no constraints

What can be entered?

botanical and floral artworks works for sale (20% commission will be deducted from all sales)
acceptable media: watercolour, gouache, ink, acrylic, oil, pencil, fine art prints (e.g. line-engraving (colour), etching, lithograph, wood-cut and other fine art print techniques). Note: Giclée prints are NOT eligible for entry.
framed works only
maximum size: no more than 70 cm. in any measurement including frame
minimum size: no smaller than 25 cm in any measurement including frame.
must not have been exhibited at the Visitor Centre prior to Bloom 2016

In the Botanical Art category, the judging panel will look for three-dimensional drawings of appropriate subject matter where colour, tone and composition result in a pleasing and balanced portrait. Most important are botanical accuracy and the application of technique. Presentation and labelling are also considered.

How many works can be entered?

Three

What does it cost to enter?

a non-refundable submission charge of €10 per painting reduced fee of €25 for three paintings
Fees can be paid by Bank Transfer or Cheque

How to enter

Entry is digital. Good quality images should be submitted as a 300dpi jpeg not less than 20cm and not more than 40cm in any dimension.
Use the application form in this pdf document which also states the full statement of criteria for submitting
Submissions with completed application form, jpeg images and payment should be sent to [email protected] by Thursday 31st March 2016.

More information on the Bloom website here: http://bloominthepark.com/exhibit/#call-for-entries

Has anybody tried using this form?

I'm curious about the entry form. It's not generally possible to enter data into a pdf form - I tried by downloading the form and then tried to complete it. I would normally expect the submission form to be:

completely separate from the conditions of entry document
either an online form as part of a competition entry system
or a separate document and formatted in Word for ease of completion.

Note: I'll be sending a link to this blog post to the entries email address.

0 Comments

Forward>>