TOP TIPS from RHS Gold Medal Winners 2018

Today I have some of the Tips I received from my interviews with the RHS Gold Medal Winners at last month's RHS Botanical Art Show.

AND

Later this week you will also have tips from the RHS Gold Medal Winners in 2017 too! This is because although I drafted most of it last year for some reason I didn't finish the post and publish it!

This is a LONG POST with lots of content - so you might want to get a hot drink and a notebook before you start to read!

It's been my habit, for some years, to ask each of the Gold Medal Winners who speaks reasonable English to tell me what would be the three tips they'd like to pass on to people aspiring to exhibit at the RHS Botanical Art Show. Some include ones I've heard before - but good tips are always worth repeating.

I have however omitted

• tips relating to painting and art materials as these tend to become repetitive and have been covered in previous tips posts (see end for reference)
• tips related to the actual transport of material and how to get your exhibit to stick to the display boards - see my two previous posts last month (listed at the end).​

TIP: Focus on what you are passionate about

AGM Dryopteris: species and cultivars of Dryopteris ferns with an Award of Garden Merit ​- Laura Silburn GM (2013, 2014) ​

​Recommended by Laura Silburn and various artists. More than one artist told me this - in various ways. Variations include:

• ​Be yourself 
• Know your subject really well
• Love your subject
• Choose something that inspires you

It is so much easier to complete a major project - such as a portfolio for an RHS Botanical Art Show if you are in love with your subject matter.
​

TIP:  Being a grower helps a lot!

Simon Williams - Nepenthes

​Recommended by Simon Williams  Nepenthes ​
Simon Williams told me he has been growing carniverous plants since he was 16 - and loves them. He's invested in heated greenhouses. The advantages of being a grower are that you get to see your plants through a complete life cycle and can watch them through every season.
​

TIP:  Keep a sketchbook

Seeing Plants: A Year in Virginia (March, April May, September, October, November) by Lara Gastinger

Seeing Plants: A Year in Virginia (June, July, August, December, January, February) by Lara Gastinger

​Recommended by Lara Gastinger (GM 2007, 2018) Seeing Plants; a year in Virginia

Lara Gastinger told me that her amazing 12 paintings which made up her exhibit were created after keeping 17 years worth of sketchbooks. She had plenty of data on what to look for in each month in terms of the what she had sketched previously. All the plant material is drawn and painted to scale (ie as in life)

The format for her paintings was influenced by Ernst Haeckel, the German biologist and artist. However because she was used to filling pages of her sketchbook with sketches of different plant material she was able to build up the composition as each month progressed. She sometimes mapped out a rough sketch for the composition in terms of axes for arrangements but she sometimes allowed the plant material to dictate how it progressed

You can see her sketches on her instagram account.

Lara also recommends that you should never be scared to try new ways of working.
Her paintings could have easily been examples for the next tip too....
​

TIP:  Make the ordinary and commonplace exceptional

Half of Bridget Gillespie's "A year in the Yorkshire Hedgerow" exhibit

The other half of Bridget Gillespie's "A year in the Yorkshire Hedgerow" exhibit

Recommended by Bridget Gillespie (GM 2017, 2018) A year in the Yorkshire Hedgerow

Experience of understanding what makes a composition work - and reviewing different options for how you can present a plant on the page - helps a botanical artist to create something that makes people look at plants with new eyes.

Bridget recommends making the ordinary and commonplace exceptional - and she practices what she preaches! Last time Bridget did it with ordinary garden vegetables (and won Best Painting in Show) and this year she took on hedgerows - and all those plants, leaves, flowers and trees. On both occasions, she made me wonder how everything can look so natural and yet be carefully organised to show off the features of the plant and appeal to the eye. Lined up in an exhibit I certainly thought there was a very strong sense of a hedgerow!

The Judges apparently loved the complexity of each paintings and the feeling of it being a real scene and that they could almost walk into the painting. 

Bridget also paints from life and each painting takes about a month - although the elapsed time might be longer.

(Note: I gather the Judges were not fans of the muted gold slip insert on her mount - but I liked it!)

Angela Petrini - Gold Medal for "Rice of Italy - Cultivars Old and New" AND Shirley Sherwood purchased two of her paintings (rice grains on the left and the black rice in the centre)

Recommended by Angela Petrini (GM 2018) Rice of Italy - Cultivars Old and New 

A variation on this theme is choose your composition very carefully.

• make sure you clearly show the habit of the plant
• make many sketches to find the best way to represent the plant
• think about alternative ways in which the design and composition can support shape, line, colour and other plant features and characteristics

Recommended by Hye Woo Shin Plants in Dokdo Island​ (Special Judges Award)
​
Hye Woo Shin has won a Gold Medal and Best Exhibit on the two previous occasions she has exhibited at the RHS Show. Exhibiting a third time this year meant she experienced the additional pressure of trying to find a way of maintaining her standards and if possible doing even better - of making her work exceptional!

Her philosophy was to make the painting exact in every way to show the beauty of the plant. As a botanical illustrator, she's very influenced by the work of Franz Bauer and his careful and well thought out compositions which includes dissections. ​

​Below you can see four of her six very carefully designed paintings from her exhibit of Plants in Dokdo Island which won a Special Judges Award. All were wholly unique in design and incorporated:

• the plant as a whole,
• dissections of key features and identifying characteristics of the plant, flowers, seeds
• PLUS diagram of island where it grows 
• PLUS a portrayal of the habitat / how it grows in situ.

I gather she was shown the marking sheets of the Judges which indicated top marks across the entire panel. Hence the Judges Special Award - created specifically for this exhibit.  Hye Woo Shin's self-imposed pressure to make her work exceptional got a result!

Plants in Dokdo Island​ by Hye Woo Shin - Winner of the Special Judges Award (and previous winner of two Best Exhibit awards)

Two more paintings from Hye Woo Shin's exhibit of Plants in Dokdo Island

Recommended by Laura Silburn (2013, 2014, 2018) - AGM Dryopteris: species and cultivars of Dryopteris ferns with an Award of Garden Merit ​

Laura suggests that the emphasis of any exhibit should be on

• what the overall exhibit looks like - first and foremost
• then what the individual paintings look like

In taking this approach you can create an exhibit which looks exceptional - as she emphatically did this year.  It stopped people in their tracks as they walked into the exhibition.  It actually made me feel as if I had stepped into a Fernery!

In the photo below the top row is the actual exhibit. The bottom row is a print of the painting which has been transposed so that it is in reverse. When placed below the original painting it creates  a complete picture of the actual size of the fern and the way it grows. It had been designed as a whole exhibit before the painting started. 

Laura also reiterated advice given in previous years to never ever forget that the RHS is a HORTICULTURAL society and that plants which are the best they can be also matters to them. Which is why she always choose plants which have received an Award of Garden Merit - which is the medal system for individual plants.

Laura Silburn's third Gold Medal winning exhibit of AGM plants. The top row is the exhibit.

TIP: Be careful.....

Recommended by Angela Petrini (GM 2018) Rice of Italy - Cultivars Old and New ​

One of the things which characterises Gold Medal work is the quality of the finish within the artwork.  Be careful is something that might be said about various aspects of the process use by Gold Medal winning artists

• They speak of people who think before they paint.
• They don't rush to finish things
• They review and refine

​Angela wanted to emphasise the importance of getting both the colour and the tones right.

​TIP:  Preparation is critical for an excellent exhibit

Half of ​'Native Food Plants of Australia' by Angela Lober ​

Recommended by ​​Angela Lober ​(GM 2018) - Native Food Plants of Australia 
and Laura Silburn GM (2013, 2014, 2018) Dryopteris: species and cultivars of Dryopteris ferns with an Award of Garden Merit ​

It's particularly important to be well organised and prepared if you want your exhibit to be excellent.

Preparation includes:

• working out the dates of the flowering and fruiting cycles for a mixed exhibit so you know precisely what needs to be painted when. Picking something with a long flowering period makes life a bit easier for a botanical painter
• making sure you have access to good samples of your plant material is critical. Angela lives in the middle of Sydney and all her plants could be found within 1 kilometre from her house.
• Laura Silburn also recommended giving yourself plenty of time to be able to revisit paintings already 'completed'. She reviews her paintings as they progress, considers them within the context of the entire exhibit and picks out the weakest and reworks it to bring it up to the standard of the others.

​

TIP: Keep your exhibit safe and secure

The other half of ​'Native Food Plants of Australia' - painted on vellum - by Angela Lober ​

Recommended by ​Angela Lober (GM 2018) Native Food Plants of Australia 

Careful preparation is particularly important if you are travelling to London from the other side of the world and have a long journey to the exhibition. (see also my blog post How to get your art exhibit there and back - safe and secure)

Your priority is to make sure that your exhibit arrives in good condition and looks good throughout the show​. Specific tips include:

• identify the maximum dimensions of hand luggage for different airlines BEFORE you start to paint. That way you get to keep your exhibit with you at all times and it won't enjoy a side-trip to some distant location!
• use corrugated plastic as protection for the exhibit to ensure you can comply with weight restrictions.
• make sure your exhibit won't be harmed during travel or in the venue due to water and/or humidity.

People coming from other climates to London need to be aware that the differences in season, temperature and humidity can have a really adverse impact on paper. Typically this does not happen straight away (ie when the exhibits are being judged) but more than one exhibit this year had paper which cockled due to the weather.

Ways to tackle the awful cockling problem (which I see EVERY SINGLE YEAR) include:

• make sure your cellophane (or whatever) is properly applied so the exhibit looks good (no waves or wrinkles) AND the exhibit is sealed completely to avoid the impact of high humidity levels (behind the top mat) - and so avoid waves and wrinkles occurring on Day 2!
• use vellum instead of paper - recommended by Angela Lober

Material for covering artwork: Laura Silburn told me she would NOT be using archival sleeves again next time she exhibits. She thought they gave a less than optimal result and dulled colours more than she would have liked. Somebody else told me they wouldn't be using acetate again. This echoes comments in previous years about regrets about the material used to protect artwork. It's VERY difficult to assess the impact of materials used cover your artwork until in good overhead light (as in the RHS Lindley Hall). You need to try and have a good look at it in natural light well before the show so you have time to look for an alternative if not happy.

I promise at some point to do a blog post about recommended materials for covering artwork at RHS Shows - and what to avoid!

​TIP:  Think business! Think Income! Think expenses!

Note the Art Cards right underneath Best Botanical Painting - sold by Laura Silburn GM for £2.50 each and £12 for a set of six.

Recommended by various artists

A number of those who have exhibited at previous RHS Botanical Art Show will smile at this one. Over the years, I've lost count of the number of artists who very quickly ran out of absolutely EVERYTHING they brought with them to hand out and/or to sell - and so lose out on quite a bit of income.

Income generated from sales helps offset the cost of exhibiting which is always going to be significant for the majority of exhibitors (in terms of travel and accommodation in London). That just doesn't make good business sense - or even common sense!

In short - don't be caught short! You need:

• MORE business cards (re. subsequent commissions - which do happen)
• MORE art cards and/or prints - get the price point right and you could easily sell a lot and/or sell out - and make a lot of people very happy!
• More sticky stuff for keeping your card holders secure on the display board!
• Place the card holders so that it/they can be seen easily AND you can keep an eye on people taking cards - so you can take the money too.
• ​Get your pricing right and make sure it is clear so there is no misunderstanding and don't forget to price for a set as well as singletons (see caption to above pic)

A couple of examples to give you an idea:

• Laura Silburn brought more/bigger cards this time; used perspex holders  and sold 400 art cards. People were buying them instead of taking business cards.  Laura (who has now won three Gold Medals) strongly recommends that you (1) ALWAYS choose a plant for the RHS exhibit first rather than for reproduction and (2) never ever choose a plant in terms of what makes for a 'good' reproduction - and then take them to the RHS Show. 
• Below you can see a very impressive presentation of business cards, art cards and prints by Jenny Haslimeier - Native Tree Flowers of New Zealand - who won a Silver Gilt Medal.  Plus a sign which says Visa is acceptable.....

Impressive presentation of ancillary material by Jenny Haslimeier - Native Tree Flowers of New Zealand

Finally, one tip to help reduce expenses that I got (from a trade exhibitor) was to remember that a summer exhibition in London means that university rooms are available for rent. These are generally very much cheaper than a hotel room or an AirBnB rental. This is one website which enables you to rent University Rooms in London.
​

TIP:  It's never too late to start

"The Classical Chrysanthemums in Japan" BY Hideo Horikoshi GM (2018, 2015 - Best Painting in Show 2015)

The Classical Chrysanthemums in Japan by ​Hideo Horikoshi GM (2015 - Best Painting in Show 2015)

Recommended by ​​Hideo Horikoshi GM (2015 - Best Painting in Show 2015; 2018) 
- The Classical Chrysanthemums in Japan (2018)

Hideo's wife got him to start painting after he retired. He's now been painting for 20 years and painting full time for the last 4 years. He's now 82 years old and has just won his second Gold Medal.

One of the things he liked best is that by winning the Best Painting in 2015 he found he has inspired other people from Japan to come to the RHS Botanical Art Show.

​This year 5 of the 7 Japanese Exhibitors won a Gold Medal....and so it goes on....

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My next blog post about this year's show will focus on

• the exhibition as a whole - and include a slideshow 
• the themes I picked up on while viewing the exhibition and from talks with various of the exhibitors.

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​Previous Top Tips from RHS Gold Medal Winners
​

You can see my previous posts about tips from the Gold Medal winning Botanical Artists in:

• Ten Top Tips for winning an RHS Gold Medal for Botanical Art (April 2013)
• More Top Tips for winning an RHS Gold Medal for Botanical Art (April 2014)
• Tips from 2016 RHS Gold Medal Winners - Botanical Art (February 2016)

Plus posts about specific aspects: 

• 15 Top Tips for presenting work at an RHS Botanical Art (April 2014) - about presentation and mounting an exhibit
• How to get your art exhibit there and back - safe and secure (July 2018)
• How to get the exhibit to stick to the display panel - without falling off! (July 2018)

​More about the RHS Show

More about the RHS Show

​For those interested in exhibiting at the RHS Botanical Art Show, there are THREE sources of information (by the RHS and on this website):

• This is the Botanical Illustration Exhibitor Factsheet (557kB pdf) issued by the RHS on their webpage dedicated to the show
• EXHIBITIONS: RHS Botanical Art Shows - how to exhibit
• EDUCATION: Tips from RHS Gold Medal Winners

In addition I recently wrote about the process in three posts (based on a statement agreed by the Picture Panel) which are:

• RHS Botanical Art Show #1 Approval to Submit
• RHS Botanical Art Show #2: The Judges and Judging Process
• RHS Botanical Art Show #3: Medals Awards and Feedback