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RHS ​Botanical Art Shows: 
How to Exhibit
​How to Visit

Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Botanical Art & Photography Exhibitions

The RHS Botanical Art Show is the TOP juried botanical art show in the UK - and the world!

​No other show requires and displays
a minimum of six botanical artworks from
each exhibiting botanical artist/illustrator. 
The show always includes a significant number of international exhibitors 
​- mostly from from Europe, Asia, Australasia and Africa.​
READ THIS PAGE to​

​FIND OUT "HOW TO":
  • submit work to be "approved to exhibit" in future RHS Botanical Art Shows​ in London
  • exhibit in future shows​​​

LEARN ABOUT:
  • the Regulations and Guidance 
  • Judgement Criteria used for Medals/Awards

HOW TO VISIT the RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show 2025 (13th June - 27th July 2025)
  • at the Saatchi Gallery in London
Only artists who have been accepted by the Botanical Art Judging Panel are eligible to apply for space
RHS: Selection for Exhibition
Picture
Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea - home of the new longer exhibition of botanical art and photography
NOTE ABOUT IMAGES AND VIDEOS:
Most of the images on this page relate to when the RHS Botanical Art Show was held in the RHS Lindley Hall in Victoria, London.
This is because the Saatchi Gallery does not lend itself quite so much to getting a good view and sense of a number of the exhibits at once - except via video.
​
Banner Image: View of the RHS Botanical Art Show 2018 in the RHS Lindley Hall in London in July 2018. (Photo: Katherine Tyrrell)
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON OTHER PAGES OF THIS WEBSITE
​
​VIEW ​ARCHIVE:
RHS Botanical Art Shows 2007-2025

This includes:
  • images from the shows
  • notes about who won the Best Painting and the Best Exhibit at each show and the Gold Medals
  • archive files of all Exhibiting Artists and Awards
  • links to reviews of past RHS Shows in London - which include both images and interviews
VIEW Exhibit Titles at RHS Botanical Art Shows - categorises the titles of past gold medal winning exhibits. You may be surprised at the result....

​
READ Tips from RHS Gold Medal Winners in the Education section. These include:
  • an outline of the process from application to exhibit through to the exhibition
  • several articles about TIPS FROM RHS Gold Medal-winning artists about how to be successful at an RHS Botanical Art Show. Every year they come up with new tips!
  • Practical matters e.g. how to transport your artwork

RHS Botanical Art Show: How to Exhibit
​​

The RHS Exhibitions include both Botanical Illustration and Art and ​Photography (Portfolio). ​​
IF YOU WANT TO EXHIBIT - below and on other pages you will find more information about:

RHS Shows: Regulations and Guidance - This tells you "How to be approved to exhibit" and "How to Exhibit"
  • in a summary 
  • followed by more detail further down the page​​

SUMMARY: How to Exhibit at a RHS Botanical Art Show
​​

SUMMARY INFORMATION
​for Botanical Artists wanting to exhibit at RHS Botanical Art Show in 2026 and future years
​
INTRODUCTION: The RHS webpage about the Exhibition of Botanical Art aims to introduce you to everything you need to know to help you
  • get approved to exhibit,
  • get your artwork into a show and then
  • presented well for assessment.


ESSENTIAL READING: RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show Exhibitor Factsheet 
​The RHS Picture Panel leads on the Botanical Art Shows (with the RHS Show Organisers)
Address: RHS Lindley Library, 80 Vincent Square, London SW1 2PE
Telephone: 020 7821 3051​

​ANY QUERIES?
 
Charlotte Brooks is the RHS Art Curator and the Botanical Art Judging Panel Secretary and can be contacted in relation to any queries via the email identified in the factsheet.
Many people find it very difficult to find the information about the Botanical Art Exhibition on the RHS website. 
  • It's in the RHS Libraries Section as Exhibition of Botanical Art . Further information also below
  • The tab sequence on the website is Education & Learning | Libraries | Exhibitions & events | Botanical art   
MY SUMMARY of current information about exhibiting at the RHS Botanical Art Show.
​
Further information can be found further down this page and on other pages on this website.
Who can exhibit: 
  • ONLY Artists previously "approved to exhibit"
  • Artists are "approved to exhibit" at the Annual Selection Meeting of the RHS Picture Panel.
  • The Annual Selection Meeting is typically held in the year prior to the exhibition (often about 9-12 months before the next exhibition).
You need to work hard to reach the standard of artwork required by the RHS just to be selected to exhibit.
A very high standard of work (equivalent at least to a Silver RHS medal) is required to be selected to display botanical illustration, judged by the RHS. Emphasis is placed primarily on botanical accuracy in combination with aesthetic appeal. Artists should present examples of their work that is of the highest quality and has been completed recently (and at least within 5 years).
How to be "Approved to Exhibit":
  • Botanical Artists (either as an individual or as a group) who want to participate in the RHS Botanical Art Show must first be "approved to exhibit" at the Annual Selection Meeting of the RHS 
  • For new botanical artists wanting to exhibit at the RHS Botanical Art Show (in 2024 and/or future years) the Selection Meeting is on Wednesday 13 September 2023.
  • To seek approval: Artists must submit a sample of four pieces of artwork to the RHS Botanical Art Judging Panel, for assessment and approval. (i.e. artwork need not be the artwork you want to exhibit - but it all needs to be at least silver medal standard)
  • Submission of artwork for review (this does NOT need to be artwork for exhibition):
    • either postage of prints (by international artists)
    • or hand-delivery of mounted original art (UK-based artists only) to Lindley Library in London - by Tuesday 5 September 2023
  • ​Once approved you have five years to stage your exhibit​ - after which your approval lapses if you have not exhibited and you will need to apply again.​​
How to Display Your Botanical Art at
​the RHS Botanical Art Show in 2026 & Future Years
​
  • Once approved to display, your eligibility to apply to exhibit lasts for five years.  
  • The RHS will invite you, on an annual basis, to apply for space to exhibit.
  • Not everybody who is approved to exhibit can exhibit every year.
  • You do not have apply for space until your exhibit is ready - but if not completed within 5 years you will have to apply to be "approved to exhibit" again.
  • ​In 2023, priority was given to those newly approved in 2022 who had not exhibited before and those whose approval to exhibit had just one year left.​
Picture
View of the RHS Botanical Art Show in February 2017


​How to exhibit at the RHS Botanical Art Shows​
​

RHS Regulation and Guidance
​


​
The RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show exhibitor factsheet sets out all the rules and regulations and "how tos"

READ MORE BELOW about - including my commentary on:
  • the regulations and guidance on what to do below - split between the different stages
  • what exhibits look like - see my video of the 2017 show in the RHS Lindley Hall
  • a video interview with an artist explaining how she won a RHS Gold Medal ​
Botanical Illustration is a genre of art that endeavours to faithfully depict and represent the form, colour and detail of a plant, identifiable to species level.

As a technical discipline, botanical illustration emphasizes the depiction of accurate information, documenting the anatomical and functional aspect of a plant throughout its life cycle.

The best botanical illustration successfully combines scientific accuracy with visual appeal. It must portray a plant with the precision and level of detail for it to be recognised and distinguished from another species. 

​RHS Guidance to artists wanting to exhibit at RHS Botanical Art Shows​
PLUS Read more in Tips from RHS Gold Medal Winners 
​- which includes 
an outline of the different stages of the process
Picture
RHS Botanical Art Show 2018 - PREVIEW Evening (which tends to be quieter than the two full days)

Regulations and Guidance

#1.  How to be "approved to exhibit"
​

A very high standard of work (equivalent at least to a Silver RHS medal) is required to be selected to display botanical illustration at a RHS show.  
​RHS Botanical Art Show Exhibitor Factsheet 2023
BOTANICAL ART AND ARTISTS RECOMMENDS - PLAN AHEAD! ​
​
Planning to exhibit at the RHS is completely unlike any other Open Exhibition.
​You have to start preparing between 1 and 6 years before the date you want to exhibit.


Artists may submit their works to the Lindley Library by  Tuesday 16 September 2025
to be "approved to exhibit" between 2026-2030
To be able to exhibit you must first be "APPROVED TO EXHIBIT" by the RHS Picture Panel.  In other words your botanical artwork must be formally assessed to see if it meets the standard for exhibition.

Once you are "approved to exhibit" you then have five years to APPLY FOR SPACE TO EXHIBIT at a specific exhibition - otherwise you have to be assessed and approved again.

This is because the Picture Panel recognises that many botanical art projects often take two to three years to complete - and life has the habit of "intervening" too..
​
READ 
  • RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show Exhibitor Factsheet (2025)
  • RHS Botanical Art Show #1 Approval to Submit - my June 2018 blog post containing information approved by the Picture Committee for publication at that time.

​Getting approval to submit involves submitting work to the Picture Committee by the deadline for submission.
  • UK and Irish artists need to submit 4 pieces of original, recent and high quality artwork (i.e. this does not need to be the work you intend to exhibit)
  • Artists based outside the UK can submit rolled prints of the same rather than original art. These must be valued at 'no value' (£0) to enable them to get through Customs without problems. (Prints are not returned)
  • Group exhibits require one artwork from each artist

Selection of New Exhibitors for the 2026 RHS Botanical Art Show
​

THE 2025 SELECTION MEETING is being
  • held on Wednesday 1 October 2025 
  • for exhibitions between 2026-2030

​The DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION this year is Tuesday 16  September 2025

DOWNLOAD AND READ THE GUIDANCE

BELOW is the formal communication from the RHS Picture Panel which includes details about
  • how to get approved to exhibit.
  • how to apply for space at an exhibition
  • how to exhibit
  • rules of conduct
RECOMMENDED: Contact the relevant personnel listed in the Factsheet with any detailed queries - emails and telephone numbers are included. ​​The email address for both submission and show enquiries are detailed on the RHS webpage.
Quotations are from the ​RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show Exhibitor Factsheet 2023 unless otherwise indicated.

​#2 The Selection Meeting - the approval process by the RHS
​

The RHS Picture Panel meets on an annual basis
  • This meeting considers submissions from artists wanting to be "approved to exhibit" in the next five years
  • Successful applicants MAY then be able to exhibit at the exhibition in the following year
  • WHEN you can exhibit depends on:
    • the competition for space from previously approved artists 
    • how many are approved to exhibit at this meeting
    • how many artists are coming to the end of their five years
Picture
The Selection Meeting: Submissions (4 artworks per artist) laid on the long table in the RHS Council Chamber. Reviewing a submission left to right Charlotte Brooks, Helen Allen and Dr Shirley Sherwood
WHAT THE JUDGES LOOK AT
  • Four original examples of botanical illustration, mounted but not framed, should be sent to the Picture Panel Secretary before the selection meeting. The Pieces do not need to be presented on a theme.
  • Each piece should be labelled on the reverse with the artist's name and address, date produced, medium and the subject or title of the work
  • Group exhibitors should ensure that one piece from each artist is submitted.​​​
UK ARTISTS: 
  • All artworks should be individually mounted, but NOT framed.  
  • It is recommended that artists hand deliver and collect their pieces from the Lindley Library, by appointment with the Botanical Art Secretary.

ARTISTS BASED OUTSIDE THE UK: 
  • Send 4 actual-size unmounted prints of their work. DO NOT send original artwork. 
  • Each print must be labelled, as detailed above. I
  • t is recommended that prints are un-mounted, rolled in a poster tube, marked ‘£0 value.’  
  • Prints cannot be returned. 
HOW THE JUDGES DECIDE WHO SHOULD BE "APPROVED TO EXHIBIT"
Selection criteria
- Quality of botanical illustration
- Quality of the presentation
- Overall impression
Emphasis is placed primarily on botanical accuracy in combination with aesthetic appeal. Artists should present examples of their work that is of the highest quality and has been completed in recent years (and at least within 5 years) 

#3 What to exhibit
​

RHS 2025: Two Gold Medal Winning Exhibits - both focused on anatomical detail and the life cycle
RHS 2025: Two Gold Medal Winning Exhibits - both focused on anatomical detail and the life cycle of the plants. Lotuses are by Kyoko Ichiyama (Japan) and Commercially Grown Cotton Cultivars are by Susan Tomlinson (Texas, USA) with different approaches to size of artwork and how to hang
Botanical illustration emphasises the depiction of accurate botanical information with aesthetic appeal and should document the anatomical and functional aspect of a plant throughout its lifecycle. Artists are strongly advised to paint from living plant specimens and to make use of photographs for reference only.
Exhibiting at RHS Shows
Below are images of the"Best Exhibits" at four RHS Botanical Art Shows in the Lindley Hall (2015-2018)

Key points about exhibits 
​
Commonalities that I can observe are that:
  • they are ALL by Japanese Artists.
  • three of the four place considerable emphasis on the leaves
  • the whole exhibit has a distinct unity - even where the size of images of individual paintings vary
  • three of the four have informative labels that are not overly complex 
  • the names of the plants are correct and easy to see
  • they are all relatively simple - and allow the images to do the talking
IMPORTANT NOTE: 
  • During the Pandemic, the 2020 Show was cancelled,
  • The shows in 2021 and 2022 were held at the Saatchi Gallery where exhibits were framed and the amount of explanatory text was reduced to 150 words.
SEE MORE IMAGES OF PAST SHOWS

BOTANICAL ART AND ARTISTS RECOMMENDS Become very familiar with the standard of Gold Medal winning artwork.

You can see more images of exhibits in past shows in
  • ARCHIVE: RHS Botanical Art Shows 2007-2024
  • the blog posts and videos I have made about past shows - which are listed on the above page
Picture
Best Exhibit 2018: "Wild Roses in Japan" by Michie Yamada (Japan)
Picture
Best Botanical Art Exhibit 2017: Pandanus by Mariko Ikeda (Japan)
Picture
Best Exhibit 2016: Tillandsias by Mariko Aikawa (Japan) - this photo shows four of the six large paintings
BOTANICAL ART AND ARTISTS RECOMMENDS

THEME
  • Your display needs to be unified and a well chosen exhibit theme can help or hinder the unity of the whole and the impression the exhibit makes
SIZE
  • BEFORE you start to paint, determine the size you will work only after you have considered how you are going to transport your work (and protect during transportation) and then display it in the exhibition.
  • Multiple Gold Medal Winner Julia Trickey has always planned her large paintings and had her entire exhibit planned to scale on paper BEFORE she began her paintings.
DISPLAY & SIGNAGE 
  • You no longer need to exhibit and stage work as happened in the past. The exhibition is now held at the Saatchi Gallery
  • However you still need to be very precise about:
    • latin names of plants on all the labels (get this wrong and your medal may change colour!)
    • the limited amount of text
    • plus bio / contact details about the artist.
TRANSPORT
  • Make sure the size of your (protected) paintings will fit in a carrier / on a train/plane and/or in a car!!! (I do not jest!) You might very well want to price shipping before deciding on the size of your exhibit paintings.
MORE TIPS
  • You can find more practical tips in Tips from RHS Gold Medal Winners 
EXHIBIT TITLES

BOTANICAL ART AND ARTISTS RECOMMENDS - VIEW 
Exhibit Titles at RHS Botanical Art Shows


This dedicated page CATEGORISES and HIGHLIGHTS Exhibit Titles used by botanical artists who have won RHS Gold Medals in recent years

MOST Gold Medal winning exhibits fall into just two of the categories!
Picture
Best Exhibit (Feb) 2015: Climbing Plants by Kumiko Takano (Japan)

#4 Visit the Show BEFORE you decide your theme or start your project
​

Picture
RHS Botanical Art Show 2017 - Saturday 25th February
BOTANICAL ART AND ARTISTS RECOMMENDS:  I very much RECOMMEND that all those who aspire to become approved and then exhibit at an RHS Botanical Art Show should VISIT AND check out the show if at all possible

Like any other open exhibition or art competition, visiting the show to take a look at the standard of the work and how work is presented pays dividends for those who do their homework. 
WARNING!  Standards seem to rise every year. Concepts for exhibits also get every more adventurous - both literally and metaphorically.  
  • If you haven't seen a show for some time and are able to get to see one, I suggest you come and take a look. You might be surprised at how different it is. 
  • Anne Marie Evans visited the show in 2018 after a break of some years and commented that she was amazed at how the different the show is now compared to those she visited in the past..​
For those who are unable to get to the show, do
  • take a look at my blog posts (SEE ARCHIVE: RHS Botanical Art Shows 2007-2023) and also
  • view my BOTANICAL ART VIDEOS on YouTube (see examples above and below)

#5 How to apply for a space at a SPECIFIC RHS Exhibition of Botanical Art
​

Only artists who have been accepted by the Picture Panel are eligible to apply for space. 
You can only apply for space in an RHS Botanical Art Show IF:
  • you have been assessed and approved (see #1 and #2 above)
  • Artists remain eligible to apply for exhibition space for
    5 years following the date of acceptance, or the date
    of most recent exhibition. 
  • you have been sent the online application form -by the RHS Shows Department. This is ONLY emailed to those:
    • "approved to exhibit" and
    • remain within the 5 year eligible period
    • have kept their contact details up to date and notified to the RHS!
Demand for space may mean that it is not possible to accommodate all of the artists who apply for space.

If this is the case, selection criteria will be employed taking into consideration previous exhibition and medal history.  (i.e it is very helpful to get the best medal possible the first time you exhibit.

For the 2023 Exhibition, the Picture Panel gave priority to
  • those newly "approved to exhibit" in 2022; and
  • those running out of time on the five year allowance granted by their "approval to exhibit"
How to apply for "space to Exhibit"

Use the online application form emailed by the RHS Shows Department to eligible artists.
Contact details for eligible artists are automatically sent to the RHS Shows Department following acceptance by the Botanical
Art Judging Panel. It is however entirely up to artists to ensure that:
  • the Secretary is kept informed of any changes to their contact details by emailing [email protected]. uk, and that
  • only one email address is supplied for use for show correspondence.
Picture
RHS London Botanical Art Show 2016 - with the new display boards - on the Saturday

#6 How to present your botanical artwork and exhibit (2023-future)
​

All artists must display six pieces of botanical illustration presented on a coherent theme.
The choice of subject is left to the exhibitor.
RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show exhibitor factsheet 2023/4 
EXHIBIT FRAMED AND HUNG IN A GALLERY

Since the RHS Botanical Art Show moved to the Saatchi Gallery, the artwork has been hung on walls in the two ground floor Galleries used by the Show.  
  • All artworks are displayed framed
  • Neutral frames are used - supplied by Saatchi Gallery / RHS.
  • Framing is undertaken at the gallery by trained technicians.
HOW MUCH SPACE for your exhibit? 
​

The display must fit into the allotted space
  • this will be a maximum of 5 metres width of wall space.
  • Artists will be advised if this allocation of space changes significantly.
Picture
View of RHS Botanical Art Show 2023 in Gallery 1 at the Saatchi Gallery
ARTWORK FOR EXHIBITION
​

Most artwork is in colour. Most artwork is completed using either watercolour or coloured pencil. However there is no requirement as to media used although preferences as to supports are stated (see below).

Theme / Topic
​(see the separate page for Exhibit Titles at RHS Botanical Art Shows - which categorises the titles of past gold medal winning exhibits.
All artists must display six pieces of botanical illustration presented on a coherent theme.
​
The choice of subject is left to the exhibitor. 
Age
Artwork should have been produced recently and certainly within the last 5 years.
Size
Artwork should be life size if not, a scale bar must be evident on the picture.

​Miniatures are unsuitable for the Botanical Art and Photography Show 

Subject Matter 
Artists are strongly advised to paint from living plant specimens and to make use of photographs for reference only.

​Paintings directly copied from photographs are not acceptable.
Supports
Artwork should be on white or off-white material – paper or vellum only.

Manuscript vellum is recommended, rather than raw or unprepared vellum. Where non-white vellum is chosen, any natural colouration to the surface must not detract from the artwork, as visual clarity in the detail of the picture is of paramount importance.

​MOUNTED ARTWORK


​​Artwork must be supplied mounted, in accordance with dimensions agreed between the Botanical Art Secretary, Saatchi Gallery and the Artist. 
See Rules and Regulations for Exhibiting AND Layout and Images Summary
When planning a display, artists are recommended to pay attention to the window size through which the picture will be seen, as well as the external measurements.

Please supply artworks ready mounted that will fit easily into standard size frames eg 40 x 50 cm; 50 x 60 cm etc.

Mount Colour: Work should be presented in white or off-white with a simple finish – no patterns or inlays. 

Thickness: The ideal thickness of the mount board should be 2mm. Extremely large works may utilise a mount of 3mm thickness.
Heavy, deep, or coloured mounts are not appropriate. ​
ARTIST BOARD / SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The amount of text which artists can provide has been much reduced since the location of the show switched to the Saatchi Gallery. 

The emphasis is now much more on "exhibition" and  much less on "educational". The number of words to describe the exhibit is now VERY limited. As a result, we no longer see the very informative narratives about the project which accompanies many exhibits in the past

Label Text
The label text is considered as part of the overall presentation of the exhibit.

All labels will be produced by RHS / Saatchi Gallery in accordance with Saatchi Gallery protocol, using text supplied by the artist.

Artist's Board
Each exhibit will be accompanied by an ‘Artists’ Board’ detailing the following:
· Name · Location / Place of work
· Medal history · Title of the exhibit
· Extended text about working practice and theme of the display up to 100 words
· Email address / Website / Instagram
Labels for each artwork

There is NO SCOPE to highlight anything specific about each individual exhibit. To my mind this is a serious omission - but these are the rules
In addition, (the) artist must supply the wording for individual picture labels, with the correct full Latin name of the plant depicted, date of the artwork and medium. 
Naming of Plants

To reflect botanical accuracy of the exhibit, all artwork must be:
  • correctly identified and
  • labelled with the scientific Latin name of the plant.
RECOMMENDATION: READ CAREFULLY the section on "Individual work labels & plant names"
-  Genus and species should be in italics.
-  
Genus names must begin with an upper case letter.
-  
Species names must begin with a lower case letter.
-  
The cultivar name is in Roman, not italics, placed in single quotation marks. The main words begin with an upper case letter.
-  The abbreviations for subspecies, variety and forma (subsp., var., and f.) must not be italicised.
-  
Plant family names must be italicised. 
 
STAGING

​All artists need to advise the organisers of how their exhibit should be presented. (This overlaps with the above requirements)
-  The orientation of each picture (landscape/ portrait)

-  Confirmation of exterior paper and mount dimensions (see Framing and Mounting below)

-  Thumbnail images (approx. 2mb jpeg) of each picture, for layout and identification. If the artworks are not yet finished, but a ‘work in progress’ image is available, this may be sent in.

-  The order or arrangement of the pictures in the display. Artists must advise us if there is a particular order in which their display should be hung. For smaller artworks it may be preferable to offer a linear option (6 x 1 in a single row) and a grouped option (3 x 2 in two rows).

-  The artwork title and label information. Each artist is asked to provide between 100-150 words about their exhibit and working practice. This text will be edited and printed as exhibition labels by the gallery, any edits will be confirmed with the artist. (my underlining - if you don't want to be edited, work to requirements)

-  Social media, email address or website, for visitors to contact the artist directly

#6 How botanical artwork is judged at the RHS Show
​

Gold medals are only awarded to displays of outstanding and consistent excellence.
There are four types of Royal Horticultural Society Medal available for awards to exhibits. These are:
  • Gold
  • Silver-Gilt
  • Silver
  • Bronze
It's not unknown for no award to be made.

In addition, THREE additional awards have been made in recent years if an exhibit merits them:
  • Best Botanical Painting
  • Best Exhibit in Show
  • Judges Special Award - introduced in 2018
​
​See ARCHIVE: RHS Botanical Art Shows 2007-2023 for posts which highlight these medals and awards and the artists who won them.
The Judging Panel currently includes experienced practising botanical artists and teachers, botanists, an art collector, horticultural experts and garden writing editors.
The aim is to achieve the right combination of skills.  
  • Gillian Barlow has been the Chair of the Panel for over 10 years and continues to be a respected botanical artist. She brings a wealth of experience as a practicing artist, a previous gold medal winner and a judge. (She won three Gold Medals in the 1990s and has also been awarded the Veitch Gold Medal)​
  • Along with other members of the judging panel, Gillian is supported by 
    • ​Deborah Lambkin (the RHS Orchid Artist and past winner of the Jill Smythies Award)
    • Helen Allen former Head of the Chelsea School of Botanical Art
    • Dr Andrew Brown (four Gold Medals) and Masumi Yamanaka who both illustrate for Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
  • Horticulturalists and Botanists (may vary)
  • An RHS Moderator - a very experienced individual who moderates other RHS decisions about the award of Medals (e.g, for gardens and plants) to ensure consistency with standards and criteria
Judging Criteria for RHS Botanical Art Medals

This section comes in two parts - in terms of:
  • official guidance issued re 2020 Show - which summarises the Judging Criteria to date.
  • official guidance issued for 2022 Selection Meeting - where the NEW JUDGING CRITERIA are spelt out
Whether or not you get the plant name correct - and write the Latin correctly - actually matters a lot!
Judging Criteria (2020)
The headings for the Judging Criteria for Shows in the Lindley Hall were described as follows in the 2020 Factsheet as follows:

Quality of Botanical Illustration
  • Horticultural Content
  • Draughtsmanship/painterly skills
  • Composition
Quality of Presentation
  • Balance of exhibit
  • Unity of exhibit
  • Design enhances pictures
  • New ideas
  • Good frames, mounts etc.
  • Written information
Overall Impression
  • Artistic effect 
Picture
Panel explaining the assessment criteria at the RHS London Botanical Art Show 2017
You can also read how botanical art is judged and what colour of medal is awarded in two of my blog posts published in 2018
  • RHS Botanical Art Show #2: The Judges and Judging Process
  • RHS Botanical Art Show #3: Medals Awards and Feedback
Picture
RHS Botanical Art Show 2015 (27th - 28th February 2015) . This was the first ever show in the Lindley Hall completely dedicated to Botanical Art - however exhibition has now moved to the Saatchi Gallery and the artwork is framed for a three week exhibition
BOTANICAL ART AND ARTISTS RECOMMENDS:  Those aspiring to exhibit at RHS Botanical Art Shows should
  • pay particular attention to the Judging Criteria
  • BEFORE making a choice as to the plants / theme for their exhibit and designing and creating it.​​
As from 2022, The Selection Meeting Factsheet provided much clearer guidance on the Judging Criteria as follows.

This is the 
RHS Botanical Art& Photography Show exhibitor Factsheet 2023
The subtitles in capitals are mine.

BOTANICAL ARTWORK

1. Drawing skills 
  • How well observed is the plant and is the drawing accurate Are the forms well modelled
  • Is the perspective true?
  • Is there clear delineation of botanical elements?
2. Technical skill: draughtsmanship 
  • Pen and ink, pencil, coloured pencil, graphite etc How well has the medium been used?
  • Clarity of draughtsmanship and delineation of form?
  • For monochrome, is the shading appropriate (stippling etc)?
3. Paint and colour handling 
  • Is the colouring accurate and sufficiently varied?
  • How well has the colour been applied?
  • For colour, is the shading appropriate?
  • Where appropriate, have washes been used to good effect and a breadth of tonal ranges achieved?
5. Composition and arrangement on the page 
  • Is the composition well arranged?
  • Is the artistic impression aesthetically pleasing?
  • How much white space is there on the page; is it appropriate
  • How easy is it to make sense of the picture; does it ‘read well’ ?
PLANTS

5. Botanical details 
  • Do the dissections and magnifications, if used, reveal additional information about the plant
  • Scale bars or indications of magnifications must be present
  • Are the points of attachment (of buds, leaves, flowers etc) accurately observed
Horticultural / Ecological / local environment content 
  • Is the subject a wild plant or a garden plant?
  • If appropriate, is the character and habit of the plant described in the picture ie. Is it a climber, clump forming, does it exhibit colour change through its life cycle?
  • If appropriate, is the habitat or local ecology illustrated, or described in the written information?​

EXHIBIT OVERALL / PRESENTATION

Balance of exhibit 
  • Do the pictures hang well together as a set
  • Are the pictures of a consistent size and presentation
  • Is the theme coherent
  • Do the pictures meet the artists own brief
​New ideas / Scale of endeavour 
  • Do the pictures offer new ways of interpreting the subject
  • What is the scale and scope of the project ​​
JUDGES FEEDBACK TO ARTISTS


Picture

#7 How to win an RHS Gold Medal
​

Tips from RHS Gold Medal winners
​

My dedicated TIPS page Tips from RHS Gold Medal Winners also provides a wealth of useful information - including tips from artists like Annie Hughes, Işık Güner, Julia Trickey, and Esmee Winkel - who have won multiple Gold Medals. 

Tips cover:
  • sourcing plants
  • recording plant data prior to painting
  • art materials
  • planning the display
  • signage and presentation
  • transporting artwork (across the world)
Mayumi Hashi receiving her award for Best Botanical Exhibit at the RHS 2025 show - from Charlotte Brooks the RHS Art Curator
Mayumi Hashi receiving her award for Best Botanical Exhibit at the RHS 2025 show - from Charlotte Brooks the RHS Art Curator and Secretary to the Judging Panel. She also won her third Gold Medal.
BELOW is a Video Interview by Katherine Tyrrell - interviewing Denise Ramsay after winning an RHS Gold Medal for her botanical art exhibit of "A Brilliant Life - Papaver Orientale" at the RHS Show in the Lindley Hall, London on 22nd October 2014. 
The complete suite of works exhibited are now owned by Dr Shirley Sherwood - and have subsequently been exhibited at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery at Kew
Below is the book written by Charlotte Brooks, the Secretary to the RHS Picture Panel and the Curator of Art at the RHS Lindley Library.
Botanical Illustration from the Royal Horticultural Society: The Gold Medal Winners
Botanical Illustration from the Royal Horticultural Society: The Gold Medal Winners
RHS Botanical Illustration: The Gold Medal Winners
Contents include:
  • a diverse set of botanical illustrations by a cross-section of 60 Gold Medal winning botanical artists and illustrators from across the world
  • Each image is accompanied by a short biography of the gold medal winning artist and discussion of their winning composition
  • Images are of illustrations added to the RHS Lindley Collection
  • an essay looking at the relationship between botanical artists and the RHS over time
​Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: ACC Art Books
Publication date: 26 Jun. 2019

ORDER THIS BOOK
Botanical Illustration from the Royal Horticultural Society: The Gold Medal Winners from Amazon UK
Botanical Illustration from the Royal Horticultural Society: The Gold Medal Winners from Amazon.com

HOW TO VISIT:
​The RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show 2025
​

Below there are notes about how visit current or future shows
and notes about past shows and where these were held
​​
The RHS Botanical Art & Botanical Photography Show 2025 will be held at the Saatchi Gallery over a period of c. 6 weeks in 2024. 
Opens: 13th June 2025
Closes: 27 July 2025


It now is much more of a formal exhibition and much less like the extremely popular and busy event at which botanical artists from all over the world gathered together for two days to meet one another. ​​​​
  • ​​Dates: 13th June - 27th July 2025
  • Open: 10am - 6pm) each day
  • Entry: FREE in 2005 - with a recommended donation 
  • FREE Entry for Members of RHS and Saatchi Gallery (on production of their membership card)
Picture
RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show Poster - outside the Saatchi Gallery. I sat next to this when I wrote my first social media posts saying who got what!
POSTS ABOUT THE RHS BOTANICAL ART & PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW 2025
  • Introducing the Botanical Artists in the RHS Botanical Art Show 2025
  • RHS Botanical Art Show 2025: Awards and Gold Medals
  • Silver Gilt and Silver Medals  - TO BE PUBLISHED
  • How to win an RHS Gold Medal - TO BE PUBLISHED
  • Key Themes of the 2025 Show - TO BE PUBLISHED
Botanical illustration emphasises the depiction of accurate botanical information with aesthetic appeal and should document the anatomical and functional aspect of a plant through its lifecycle. Artists are strongly advised to paint from living plant specimens and to make use of photographs for reference only.

History of Venues and Timing
​

In the past, The RHS Botanical Art Shows have been held in:
  • London at 
    • The Horticultural Halls in Victoria, London - initially the Lawrence Hall but latterly mainly in the RHS Lindley Hall (until 2019 - as seen in the VIDEO BELOW).  ​The main Botanical Art Show used to be held on two days generally between February and April. 
    • (since 2021) The Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, London (see below) - and the exhibition was extended to three weeks and now six weeks. However this switch lost the community event that previous shows - and botanical artists - had very much enjoyed when visitors got to meet the artists.
  • Malvern (up until 2018) This was a small show at RHS Malvern Spring Festival Show in May.  Judging and medals are, in theory, just the same. However those who have viewed both commonly consider competition has been much more intense in London. i.e. a Gold Medal won at London is a major achievement!
Picture
The Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea - new home of the annual RHS Botanical Art Show
READ about
  • RHS Past RHS Botanical Art Shows 2007-2023 - what was exhibited, who was exhibiting and who won which award and medal! Plus images of the exhibitions
  • Exhibit Titles at RHS Botanical Art Shows - the titles of past gold medal winning exhibits have been categorised. You may be surprised at the result....
  • ​RHS Botanical Photography Shows - tap the link to find out more on this site
BACK: Home
BACK: Exhibitions

REFERENCE: Site Index


NEXT: Exhibitions in:
  • the UK and Europe
  • the USA and Canada
  • Europe
  • Australasia
  • Africa
NEXT: 
  • Tips and techniques for RHS shows (in the Education section)
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