<![CDATA[BOTANICAL ART & ARTISTS - NEWS]]>Sun, 13 Sep 2026 12:56:59 +0100Weebly<![CDATA[REMINDER: Deadline for approval to exhibit at RHS]]>Sun, 13 Sep 2026 08:30:00 GMThttps://www.botanicalartandartists.com/news/reminder-deadline-for-approval-to-exhibit-at-rhsThe Royal Horticultural Society has started to remind international botanical artists about the DEADLINE for those hoping to exhibit at a future botanical art show in 2027 and beyond
Picture
View of three of the exhibits in the RHS Botanical Art Show 2026
For the chance to have your work featured at Saatchi Gallery alongside some of the best talent in botanical art from around the world, ensure you submit your work for pre-selection by the RHS Botanical Art Judging Panel in order to be eligible to apply to exhibit at the RHS Botanical Art and Photography Shows.
The Selection Meeting to identify and approve new botanical artists to exhibit with the RHS from 2027 onwards, will take place on Thursday 8 October 2026.

You MUST get your artwork to the RHS by Tuesday 22  September 2026.​
All artists who have not previously exhibited at the RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show, must first submit a sample of four pieces of work to the RHS Botanical Art Judging Panel for assessment and approval at the Selection Meeting.
There are two places to look to find out how to submit your artwork for approval ​
SUMMARY: Note that:
  • ONLY PRINTS of your artwork should be submitted (Please note these will not be returned.)
  • Prints should be sent rolled in a poster tube
  • Prints should arrive at the RHS Lindley Library BY Tuesday 22  September 2026.
  • ALL Parcels from overseas should be marked £0 value for customs. 
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]]><![CDATA[A new banner for Autumn 2026 - by H. Isabel Adams]]>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 14:55:48 GMThttps://www.botanicalartandartists.com/news/a-new-banner-for-autumn-2026-by-h-isobel-adamsOne of my favourite botanical art books is Wild Flowers of the British Isles by H. Isabel  Adams. Which accounts for why this is the second "banner" image from this book!

This time I managed to find one which is portrayed laterally. Most of the challenge of changing the image each season revolves around finding a plant for the season which lends itself to a letter box image!
Picture

About Suaeda maritima: Autumn 2026 banner image 
​

The image is the bottom half of Plate 40 of Voume 2 (published in 1910) which includes Suaeda maritima
  • this is a species of a temperate flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae
  • common names are herbaceous seepweed and annual seablite and has 78 synonyms in total!
  • it typically grows in wetlands and salt marshes and can also be found world wide - in Central & Eastern Canada to Eastern U.S.A., Europe to Western Siberia, Macaronesia, North Africa to Indo-China. 
  • it is not a threatened plant

My reason for including it is that it is found in many places across the world. Plus the plant often turns red or purple in the Autumn when it becomes oversaturated with salt.
​

About "Wild Flowers of the British Isles" (1910)
​

Wild Flowers of the British Isles is a book which is:
  • easy to read online. There are various digital libraries which have documented a copy
  • very difficult to find in the original printed form.
BEWARE: Those purporting to be selling a reproduction as the quality varies enormously.

William Heineman published the book in two volumes:
  • Volume 1 in 1907
  • Volume 2 in 1910

"Wild Flowers of the British Isles" was written an illustrated by H. Isabel Adams.
It which was published in two volumes by Heinemann in 1910.  (digitised in 2016)You can also view it in the Biodiversity Heritage  Library See a facsimile below​ re Volume 2

You can also see facsimiles of a small selection of the illustrations on the Panteek website


​About H. Isabel Adams (1863-1952)
​

Remarkably little is known about her. What follows is culled from what I've previously written on this site.

Mrs Harriet Isabel Adams FLS (1863-1952) trained at Birmingham School of Art and became a noted 'Arts and Crafts' Illustrator.  ​She sought help from others in gathering specimens but remarkably little is known about her. 
  • On 15th November 1906, 'Mrs Harriet Isabel Adams' was elected as a Fellow of the Linnean Society, having been proposed at the previous meeting. (Note: The Linnean only started admitting women in 1904 so this was an achievement)
  • She was also a member of the The Botanical Society and Exchange Club of the British Isles.
As you might expect her books were warmly praised when they first appeared. However, as in the perennial nature of things, it appears that there was growing male hostility towards the success and popularity of a female botanical artist. It's said that male critics began to attack without justification and often stated erroneous things, for effect.
These very unpleasant reviews appears to have caused Isabel Adams to stop her painting plants.

It may be this is why only one of her original watercolours has been rediscovered.
​The remainder of her artwork has never been located. 

She died age 89 in 1952.

My previous posts about here are listed below.
Her book does not compete, of course, with Bentham or Hooker's handbooks; but it is sufficiently scientific to enable serious botanists to recommend it to beginners. There are some eighty full-page plates in this quarto volume. We have seen few flower drawings (always excepting Curtis's 'Flora Londinensis') that have given us so much pleasure to look at. From one to half-a-dozen plants are figured on a page ; but Miss Adams manages to keep the character of each species distinct, and the grouping is often full of skill and grace. We have nothing but praise for the colouring, especially the various greens. The yellow of the rock-rose is beautiful, and the more subdued mauves and pinks are excellent. It is all slightly conventional, but gives a truer effect than many an attempt at realism. 
The Spectator Archive
As always, I will finish by saying I do wish some publisher would get to grips with the task of publishing a quality facsimile. I guarantee it would sell well to both
  • botanical art lovers and
  • the wider public
because the book is informative and her illustrations are so very beautiful to look at.
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]]><![CDATA[Christiane Fashek wins People's Choice Award at RHS Botanical Art Show 2026]]>Mon, 27 Jul 2026 15:19:50 GMThttps://www.botanicalartandartists.com/news/christiane-fashek-wins-peoples-choice-award-at-rhs-botanical-art-show-2026The people have voted for their favourite artwork in the RHS Botanical Art Show at the Saatchi Gallery in London.

​The winner of the People's Choice Award 2026 is Christiane Fashek's "Raucous Glaucous: Lichens from Texas Hill Country".

This post covers:
  • the nature of the exhibit that won
  • about the artist - Christiane Fashek
  • why it won
  • the importance of grants - as Christiane had been awarded two separate grants on her way to winning her RHS Gold Medal and this Award
  • plus more about grants generally

"Raucous Glaucous: Lichens from Texas Hill Country".

Picture
"Raucous Glaucous: Lichens from Texas Hill Country" (coloured pencil) by Christiane Fashek - Winner of the People's Choice Award at RHS Botanical Art Show 2026
Raucous Glaucous comprises six artworks which are about three tree-lichen clusters enlarged sixteen times and painted in two conditions: damp/bright, and dry/muted palettes.

All Christiane's paintings are painted at a magnification of 16X their actual size in real life

Below is an Instagram reel on https://www.instagram.com/christianefashek/ of
  • the habitat where Christiane found her lichens (where you can see them lifesize); and
  • how she prepared for her paintings. 
North Carolina Botanical Garden's Herbarium Associate Gary Perlmutter collaborated with her to identify the organisms she has drawn.
​
Her Instagram account includes a lot more posts about the process relating to this exhibit. She also has a lichen dedicated account at https://www.instagram.com/lichensinthelimelight/​


​About the Artist: Christiane Fashek ASBA SBAF CPSA

Christiane Fashek with her exhibit of lichens drawn in coloured pencil
Christiane Fashek with her exhibit of lichens drawn in coloured pencil
Christiane Fashek ASBA SBAF is a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists and the Colored Pencil Society of America and a Fellow of the Society of Botanical Artists (UK).  She is also a cofounder of the Central Texas Botanical Artists Circle.

She is also a member of Instagram and YouTube

She is an instructor at various botanical gardens, giving talks and workshops virtually and in person. She has also taught botanical illustration in coloured pencil for the North Carolina Botanical Garden's Botanical Art and Illustration program​. 

Christiane uses scale, perspective, and color to highlight lichens’ fascinating features and draw attention to their role as environmental sentinels. She also enjoys painting other subject matter and mixing media with colored pencils.

She has been awarded multiple grants - see below

Why did it win?
​

A couple of weeks ago I was back at the exhibition to view the 2026 RHS Botanical Art Show again with Laura Silburn and a group from the Eden Project Florilegium Society.

At the time, I confidently predicted that Christiane would win the People's Choice Award. So as you can imagine, I was rather glad that it did.

But WHY did it win?
I've seen a lot of People's Choice Awards across a number of different art exhibitions. I find that the exhibits that attract the public vote tend to be those that do one or more of the following
  • intrigue - unusual / like nothing they've ever seen before
  • colourful - always creates more interest than those which are very worthy but rather duller
  • impact / memorable - both in terms of within the gallery and in terms of one what you remember after you have left the gallery.  An exhibit with "Brain stickiness" is the way I tend to think of these exhibits ie they are the ones you cannot forget. I, for one, will always associate the 2026 show with this display of wet and dry lichens!
​I should maybe mention that I also voted for it as I thought it deserved an award for ALL the reasons specified above!

I'm back again on Saturday with a visiting group of RBGE Diploma students who are all keen to look at what a future opportunity might look like. I'm sure that, like the last group, we'll all be having a very close look at this exhibit!

​I'll also be sure to get a photo of this exhibit with its award! Watch out for it on my Facebook Page - and I'll be adding in another pic to this post!
​
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​The Importance of Grants
​

One of the very important ways in which the RHS and leading Societies of Botanical Artists contribute to excellence in and exhibitions of botanical art is via Grants and Bursaries.  

This in turn helps raise the profile of this very important and specialised genre of art

Christiane Fashek is an excellent example of somebody who applied for and received two grants for her project on lichens - on the merit of her project and quality of her application.

Christiane received:
  • ASBA’s Esther Plotnick Artist Grant 2022: to teach primary school students about lichens and observing and drawing them in the classroom 
  • ASBA Lizzie Sanders New Artist Award 2023
  • SBA's Artist Grant 2024 - I was the Chair of the Judges who awarded Christiane Fashek one of the first of the new SBA Artist Grants in 2024 (when we split the pot across a number of applications). 
    • Following confirmation of her "approval to exhibit" by RHS in September 2024, she had hoped to exhibit Raucous, Glaucous in the RHS 2025 Exhibition. However in the end she had to wait until 2026. 
    • Her grant provided a contribution towards the costs of scanning, matting, and transporting her six artworks from the USA to London.

RHS: The Dawn Jolliffe Botanical Art Bursary 
Those hoping to apply to the RHS Botanical Art Show in future should be aware that the RHS also provides "The Dawn Jolliffe Botanical Art Bursary". This is intended to support painting or drawing plants in their natural habitat or exhibiting work at an RHS Show. 

Please email RHS Bursaries at bursaries@rhs.org.uk to find out more information
​

​​Artist Residencies, Scholarships, Grants & Bursaries
​ ​

You can also find out more about Grants and Bursaries - as well as Residencies and Scholarships on my dedicated page on this website. Or let me know about new opportunities not included on this page.

Artist Residencies, Scholarships, Grants and Bursaries can be found in the dropdown menu for the Education section (see below)
Picture
Gustavo Marigo was the Margaret Mee Scholar in 2015 - funded by the then Margaret Mee Fellowship. He was taught at Kew by Christobel King.
]]><![CDATA[How to get listed as a botanical art teacher]]>Sun, 19 Jul 2026 23:00:00 GMThttps://www.botanicalartandartists.com/news/how-to-get-listed-as-a-botanical-art-teacherMy website has an International Directory of Botanical Art Teachers, Tutors & Instructors - which is currently being updated - with your help (see HELP! below)

What does the Directory of Teachers provide?

The purpose of this page is to enable students of botanical art and illustration to find expert Instructors and Tutors providing tuition in botanical art and illustration
  • EITHER willing to travel to teach
  • OR based near you
Hence the page provides information about teachers and is ordered as follows

LISTINGS OF TEACHERS WHO TRAVEL TO INSTRUCT STUDENTS
​The names of botanical art teachers / tutors / instructors categorised by:
  • International Teachers - experienced in developing / delivering workshops/classes outside their own country
  • Peripatetic Botanical Art Tutors in the UK

PLUS LISTINGS OF BOTANICAL ART TEACHERS BY LOCATION in
  • UK - England, Scotland and Wales
  • EUROPE - Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey 
  • NORTH AMERICA - USA (by state) and Canada (by Province and Territory) - including Online Tuition 
  • AUSTRALASIA (work in progress) - Australia and New Zealand 
  • ASIA (work in progress)- Nepal 
    • needs development eg re Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Japan
  • AFRICA - needs development (South Africa and ?)
  • SOUTH AMERICA - needs development (Brazil and ?)

How was it compiled?
​

Picture
This Banner needs updating - and I'm looking for pics of teachers with their students
Like most of this website, This page was compiled through a combination of
  • information I knew from teachers I knew personally (marked by a * on the page)
  • crawling over very many websites created by those teaching students of botanical art. (Note: If somebody gets a better entry than others it's very often down to how much info they share on their website - which is your marketing platform!)​
Nobody pays to get listed
You cannot pay me to get listed! Do read the small print...
WHY DO I NEED YOUR HELP?

I'm ashamed to say I stopped updating this during Covid and, although many of the teachers are still teaching, it became now OUT OF DATE for a number of reasons:
  • teachers have got older and have retired from teaching or just do much less than they used to
  • people have changed focus as to what/how they teach. There has of course been a major move towards teaching online which has enabled many teachers to reach many international students
  • people have moved countries - and need relisting
  • younger / newer botanical artists have started teaching. Note that I do not list everybody. Listings depend on good information and good feedback.

All the people I list are
  • EITHER people I know personally (marked with a * )
  • OR teachers who have been recommended to me by those studying botanical art and illustration.

SO I NEED YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS

Also I need a new banner image.  My plan for the future is to to change it more often to represent different teachers and their classes - in different countries.

How often that happens is up to you!

BELOW YOU CAN FIND:
  • A TEACHER FORM - to provide
    • updated/current details for teachers already listed - and
    • alert me to teachers who would like to be listed
  • A STUDENT FORM - to recommend a tutor who made a difference to you. I'd like you to tell me what made a teacher special. The more detail the better!
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​
Your subscription is ONLY activated IF you verify the link you will receive. ​

TEACHERS: I need your help
​

PLEASE follow the instructions for completing this form carefully.
My sole aim is to ensure that the Tutors in my Directory have the appropriate credentials for teaching botanical art. 
If you can't follow instructions I'm not likely to be impressed!
​
TIP: You can extend the form by dragging it down from the right hand corner. 
If you'd prefer to email me, please send your contact details in the form and I will reply with the list of information I need which you can complete and return by email.

On the form please tell me:
  • how long you have been teaching botanical art
  • your website URL as an artist
  • your webpage or website URL for teaching activities
  • where I can find evidence of your credentials as an experienced and expert teacher of botanical art and illustration

To be listed as a tutor you need to be:
  • an experienced botanical artist to a very good standard (as evidenced by your own artwork online, your CV, exhibitions you have been selected for; awards won etc.)
  • an experienced teacher of botanical art (as evidenced by places and/or courses you have taught)
  • ideally accredited with teaching qualifications

To be listed as teaching online you need:
  • a proper website dedicated to teaching online and customised for viewing on devices of different sizes (ie desktop and mobile) and/or details available of facilities for communicating with students online.

TIPS If you are new to teaching botanical art
Please make sure your website is informative and your use of both it and social media can provide me with online evidence of your courses which you can refer me to.
​

    PLEASE LIST ME
    ​as a Tutor of botanical art and/or illustration

STUDENTS: I also need your help
​

I'd like to know about the teachers you have found most beneficial. Those who have made the most difference to your work.

If you have completed a course of tuition and/or done a workshop with a tutor who you would like to recommend please complete the form below

You first need to complete YOUR DETAILS (name and email address)

Next you need to tell me 
  1. who the tutor is
  2. what their website address is (include URL)
  3. where they are located
  4. what course you did with dates
  5. why you are recommending them - please be specific as you can as to how they helped you.

    FORM: Recommend a teacher
    ​

]]><![CDATA[How to exhibit at RHS Botanical Art Show 2027 (Part 1: How to get approved to exhibit)]]>Tue, 14 Jul 2026 15:29:38 GMThttps://www.botanicalartandartists.com/news/how-to-exhibit-at-rhs-botanical-art-show-2027-part-1-how-to-get-approved-to-exhibitThis is for all those who want to learn about how to submit an entry to the most prestigious botanical art exhibition in the world - the RHS Botanical Art Show.  
​It's a summary of what you need to do - with current dates for next year's show.

Part 1 (this post) covers "how to get approved to exhibit".

Put simply, you cannot exhibit unless you have been approved as meeting at least the "silver medal standard".

I have a VERY LONG page on my website which explains everything in more detail. 
See RHS ​Botanical Art Shows: How to Exhibit | How to Visit (or click the pic below and open in a new tab),  This covers:
  • RHS Botanical Art Show: How to Exhibit
  • ESSENTIAL READING: RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show Exhibitor Factsheet 2006
  • MY QUICK READ SUMMARY of current information about exhibiting at the RHS Botanical Art Show.
  • How to Display Your Botanical Art at the RHS Botanical Art Show in 2027 & Future Years
  • Regulations and Guidance
    • #1.  How to be "approved to exhibit"​
    • ​#2 The Selection Meeting - the approval process by the RHS
    • #3 What to exhibit
    • #4 TRY to VISIT THE SHOW - BEFORE you decide your theme or start your project (plus how to visit the 2026 show)
    • #5 How to apply for a space at a SPECIFIC RHS Exhibition of Botanical Art
    • #6 How to present your botanical artwork and exhibit 
    • #7 How botanical artwork is judged at the RHS Show
    • #8 How to win an RHS Gold Medal
RHS Botanical Art Shows - under Exhibitions Section on the Botanical Art and Artists website
RHS Botanical Art Shows - under Exhibitions Section on the Botanical Art and Artists website
There is also the RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show artists factsheet (2026)  which provides guidance for those wanting to exhibit - but at the moment we only have the version for the 2026 Show.

Selection Meeting: How to be approved to exhibit

The #1 thing which makes this exhibition different is that you cannot apply for a space in the exhibition before you have been approved to exhibit by the RHS.

In other words, the standard of your artwork is assessed BEFORE you can apply to exhibit in a specific annual exhibition.
  • The Selection 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 approval period

Hence - for all new potential botanical artists wanting to exhibit with RHS - there is  a Selection Meeting to determine who may exhibit with the RHS within the five years from 2027. 

The Selection Meeting this year will take place on Thursday 8 October 2026.
​

What you need to submit to get approved

The RHS Botanical Art Judging Panel need to assess and approve you as a botanical artist who meets the standard.

This takes place once a year at the SELECTION MEETING.

You need to submit a sample of four pieces of botanical artwork
  • you can submit these as high quality prints
  • each print should be representative of the size and quality of the original artwork
  • each print must be labelled - on the reverse (use a label!) - with:
    • title of artwork
    • date of painting
    • medium used
    • artist's name and title
    • postal address
    • email address
  • this applies to both UK and international artists

In terms of getting the artwork to the Selection Meeting:
  • Prints should be sent rolled in a poster tube
  • Send this to RHS Lindley Library addressed to:
    • ​Botanical Art Panel Secretary, RHS Lindley Library, 80 Vincent Square, London SW1P 2PE UK
  • by Tuesday 22 September 2026 (i.e. 10 weeks from today!)
  • all international artists should mark the tube as having a value of £0 (Otherwise it does't get out of Customs)
Note that no prints are returned.

The Selection Meeting then takes place just over two weeks later.
​

Do you want to apply as a Group?
​

You can apply to exhibit as a group HOWEVER.....
  • An artist can no longer apply to exhibit - as a member of a group of artists - on the strength of one picture.  (I'm assuming the reason is there have been group exhibits badly let down by the calibre of artwork by one or two artists)
  • EACH ARTIST in the group should already be approved to exhibit as a solo artist. 

​In other words a group of six would require approval of EACH of the six different artists as if they were exhibiting on their own.
​
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​What happens at the Selection Meeting
​

Assessment and selection is undertaken by the Botanical Art Panel Judges - and you can see some of them below. This a link to who are the current RHS Botanical Art Judges
Picture
Botanical Art Panel Judges (left to right): Masumi Yamanaka, Helen Allen (Moderator), Gillian Barlow (Chair) Dr Andrew Brown and Deborah Lambkin.
Selection criteria focus on:
  • Quality of botanical illustration
  • Quality of the presentation
  • Overall impression 
A very high standard of work (equivalent to at least 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). 
After the selection meeting the Secretary will write to each artist, informing them of the Panel’s assessment.

Accepted artists should stage an exhibit within 5 years, otherwise they must be assessed and approved again. 

IF you are accepted as meeting the standard required:
  • Your contact details are held on a mailing list for five years from the date of acceptance or most recent exhibition 
  • Invitations to exhibit are issued by the RHS Shows Department
  • Eligible artists may apply for space.
  • It may not be 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. 
    • priority is given to first time exhibitors and those coming to the end of the five year approval period.
TIP: I have been saying for years you really need to aim to win Gold or Silver Gilt at your first attempt because there will a point when any less might mean you only then get that first chance. Whereas artists with good track records (eg Gold and Silver Gilt Medallists) have repeat visits to the show with new exhibits.

In Part 2, for those approved to exhibit (or aiming to be so), I'll highlight all the different ways you can help yourself to achieve a good medal. 

FIND OUR MORE about the RHS Botanical Art Show on the following Pages on this website:
]]><![CDATA[BISCOT (June 2027): Call for Entries]]>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 23:00:00 GMThttps://www.botanicalartandartists.com/news/biscot-june-2027-call-for-entriesBotanical Images Scotia (BISCOT) the premier botanical illustration exhibition in Scotland is being resurrected!

BISCOT is starting up again and a new show will be held in 2027 - between 12th and 15th June 2027. You can find details of what you need to know and do below.​The submission deadline for entries is 14th March 2027.
Picture
BISCOT 2027 Website and Call for Entries
This is a competitive exhibition held biennially by the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society (RCHS - The Caley) and supported by the Scottish Society of Botanical Art (SSBA). BISCOT promotes excellence in botanical painting and illustration. It is open to both national and international artists and presents an opportunity to exhibit new and original botanical artwork in Edinburgh, Scotland.
BISCOT Rules and Regulations 2027
Note: It says "held biennially" but the reality is it was held annually between 2015 (when I started covering it) and 2019.

BISCOT History
​

WHAT IS BISCOT?

BISCOT is an acronym for "Botanical Images Scotia". It's an exhibition of contemporary botanical illustration which
  • promotes excellence in botanical painting and illustration.
  • gives both national and international artists an opportunity to exhibit in Edinburgh and presents new and original botanical work.

BISCOT was founded by a group of artists to organise the a prestigious exhibition for botanical art and illustration in Scotland
  • the first multi-work, award-giving biennial show in Edinburgh was held in 2006.
  • The last show was held in 2019. After which the advent of Covid plus the loss of at least one prime mover (Hazel Morris was the BISCOT Artist Co-ordinator and she died in 2020) has meant that the exhibition has been in abeyance for a while. A further complication was that neither Gardening Scotland or Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh venues were options for future exhibitions.​
  • Between 2015 and 2019, the show was held annually
​
The exhibition has always been open to and attracted international entrants.
​In this respect BISCOT is
  • the Scottish equivalent of the RHS Botanical Art Show in London
  • regarded as the top show in Scotland in terms of awards and prestige - by both domestic and international artists.

Up until 2019, the BISCOT exhibition was held biennially (in theory) in Scotland and latterly annually in practice ​
The new BISCOT Exhibition seems to be being organised along the lines of the old RHS Exhibitions in the Lindley Hall i.e.
  • short space of time - just three days (12-15th June)
  • artwork can be sold (commission of 20% is charged for each sale)
  • Exhibiting artists’ cards and prints will be displayed and available for sale near the entrance to the exhibition. (20% commission)

What can you exhibit? Scope and media
​

WHAT DO BOTANICAL ARTISTS EXHIBIT?

IN THE PAST, each exhibitor created a display of SIX artworks.
See BELOW - the 2019 Best in Show and Gold Medal winning exhibit of Tropical Palms by Sansanee Deekrajang to understand the nature of exhibits which do well
Picture
In 2019, Sansanee Deekrajang (Thailand) won a BISCOT Gold Medal and Best in Show for her Exhibit of Tropical Palms
Unlike previous BISCOT Exhibitions - where the requirement was identical to RHS (i.e. a minimum of six artworks, the NEW REQUIREMENT is now four (4) original artworks.
At least four (4) pieces of original botanical artwork, painting or illustration, all executed in the same medium/media must be exhibited. 
I'm wondering if at this stage, the organisers would like to see more artists and fewer artworks per artist. There is of course no guarantee it will stay the same into the future as the exhibition becomes re-established.
The BISCOT Rules and Regs make it explicit what you can enter
  1. FOUR (4) pieces of original work based on a common theme must be exhibited.
  2. A minimum of two (2) must not have been shown previously in a competitive exhibition.
  3. All works should be executed using the same media/medium.
  4. All works must be at least life-size unless this is impractical. A scale must be shown in the illustration if it is not at life-size. This also applies for details in the compositions.
  5. The 4 artworks must be accompanied by additional research material, in the form of written evidence regarding the choice of the theme, (Max. 500 words). This work constitutes an integral part of the artist”s submission and will be considered by the judges. It will be shown near your artworks.
  6. Further evidence of preparatory work must also be supplied with your main works. These will illustrate and support your exhibits and include graphic details, line drawings, cross-sections and other exploratory sketches. This work may take the form of a sketch book if that is how you work. These illustrations will be used to make a digital image presentation and shown during the exhibition.
  7. Acceptable media include: watercolour, gouache, graphite, coloured pencil, acrylic, ink, charcoal.
  8. N.B. Any illustrations and/or supporting research work which has been digitally generated, enhanced, or mechanically-produced will not be accepted for exhibition.
​

How is artwork judged?
​

Certificates in Gold, Silver-gilt, Silver, and Bronze categories are presented according to merit.
What follows is what it says in the Rules and Regulations.

The Judging Panel adheres to strict guidelines:
  • if they agree that an exhibit falls below the high expected standard, no award will be made. The judges’ decision is final.
  • both written and verbal feedback is given to exhibitors.
I know many artists who find such feedback from experts to be invaluable in terms of the development of their artwork and progression of their careers.
​
DEFINITION OF BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATION
This is a genre of art which depicts aesthetically-pleasing, two-dimensional representations of plants whose accuracy of form, colour and detail allow the subjects to be identified definitively.

​JUDGING CRITERIA
Works will be judged on Draughtsmanship, Botanical accuracy and the Artist’s Plan of Presentation.

Draughtsmanship and Botanical Accuracy
(a) Are the forms, leaves, stems, flowers and characteristic details clearly and accurately depicted? Are the changes in colour intensity, tone and shadow across the forms used sensitively to give dimension to them? Are the colours well-matched and varied enough within the ranges shown?
(b) If the work is close-toned or monochromatic, are the marks used adequate, appropriate, bold or subtle enough to recreate the desired effect?
(c) Does each work in the artist’s exhibit reveal the character of the plant sufficiently for horticultural identification purposes? Does the inclusion of enlarged details and/or dissections improve both the composition, knowledge of the plant, and theme to the viewer? Are there visual references within each composition which convey extra information regarding e.g. habitat or connecting theme?
Presentation
(d) Do all the elements in each individual work, including artist labels, combine together to create a pleasing composition?
​(e) Does the artist’s complete set of works, arranged as they are, present a coherent themed exhibit?


​Who is eligible to enter BISCOT?
​

The website clearly defines eligibility.

These artists are automatically eligible to enter:
  • Previously been accepted to exhibit with BISCOT
  • Have exhibited at the RHS Botanical Art Show and gained Gold or Silver-gilt awards,
  • Graduates who have gained a Diploma with Distinction from the following organisations:
    • The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) Botanical Illustration Course;
    • the Society of Botanical Artists (SBA);
    • Chelsea Physic Garden;
    • the Irish Society of Botanical Artists (ISBA), and
    • equivalent international organisations.

Eligible artists should complete the Eligibility Form and forward it to Alex Hazlewood (the Artist Co-ordinator) who is maintaining the Register of Eligible Artists. This involves providing details of your specific eligibility to enter.
(I'm assuming somebody will be doing a verification of what is being claimed)
BISCOT Eligibility Claim Form 2027
BISCOT Eligibility Claim Form 2027

How to be selected if you are NOT automatically eligible?

Artists who are unable to claim automatic eligibility status must submit to a selection procedure. 

ARTISTS WANTING TO BE SELECTED 

Send four (4) examples of your work, executed within the last three years, for assessment by the BISCOT assessment panel.
  • These can be unfinished or works in progress and of any botanical subject.
  • Assessment works should be submitted as soon as possible, but at least three (3) months before the start of the exhibition using the online form https://biscot.org/biscot-selection-form/ 
  • Images should be jpg / png
  • We recommend images with dimensions of:
    • Longest side: 2000–3000 px
    • Shortest side: 1200–2000 px.
    • This should be reflected in the file size of 2–8 MB per image
    • Artists who pass the assessment will be kept on the Eligible Register for a further 6 years. An artist who does not exhibit at BISCOT within this period may be asked to resubmit for assessment.
  • Submission Deadline: The deadline is 12th March 2027

How to apply for space to exhibit
​

So once you have been registered as
  • either automatically eligible
  • or achieiving the standard which permits you to be approved to exhibit
You then start thinking about applying for space to exhibit at the exhibition in 2007.
This is the bit I'm really unclear about.
  • Essentially this is ONLY happens after you've been approved to exhibit. 
  • Space must be allocated to artists - but ONLY those who want to exhibit in 2027 and apply to do so.

So there needs to be an application to exhibit in 2027 FORM - but I cannot find that form anywhere.

I've sent a query to BISCOT - and will update this post once I've got an answer re where is the application to exhibit in 2027 form

There is however some guidance.

APPLYING FOR SPACE TO EXHIBIT
A fee of £40 to cover administration costs is charged for entry.
  • This fee should be sent with the appropriate entry form (Page 4.).
  • Exhibitors who live outside the U.K. may pay their administration fee on arrival at the exhibition.
  • Space to exhibit is limited and, if the exhibition is oversubscribed, a selection of prospective entries will be undertaken by the SSBA Exhibition Committee.
​
Those artists who fail to procure a space to show will be given priority for space at the next BISCOT exhibition and their entry fee for the current exhibition will be refunded.

N.B. an artist who has gained a space to exhibit but withdraws must give notice of any wish to cancel in writing to the BISCOT COMMITTEE to arrive at least 28 days before the opening date of the exhibition. This is a strict timescale and any artist who does not comply will forfeit their entry fee and may be ineligible for space at future exhibitions. 
​

How to present your artwork
​

  • All exhibits must be labelled on the back with the plant name, exhibitor’s name, email address and an arrow denoting orientation. (See information regarding the scientific Latin names at the end of these notes).
  • PLANT NAMES: If in doubt about this subject we recommend the RHS (2026) Plant Finder on the RHS website https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/search-results 
  • BISCOT will provide and make labels to place at the beginning of each display showing the Theme Title, the artist’s name and email address (unless the artist does not wish their email address to be seen by the public). BISCOT will also provide and make labels of the individual plant names for each illustration. Artists must provide the necessary information and will be contacted about this in due course.
  • A suggested order of hanging showing the order of the artworks must be provided by each artist. This is required because the works are to be hung at the venue by SSBA officials who will replicate the pattern and spacing shown on each artist’s plan.​
MOUNTING AND PRESENTATION
  • The walls of the exhibition hall are pale grey in colour. The display boards are royal blue.
  • Sizes - individual works when mounted must not exceed A2 size nor be smaller than A3 size.
    • ​A2 = 42.0cm x 59.4cms (16.5 x 23.4inches).
    • A3 = 29.7cm x 42cms (11.7x16.5 inches).
  • The 4 paintings/illustrations will not be framed but must be window-mounted on white, off-white, creamy-white or pale grey mounting board and and affixed to a backing sheet 3 – 5mm thick. See illustrations and notes of recommended method. 
  • BISCOT provides diagrams as to how to mount your artwork for exhibition.

BISCOT Archive

I've got an Archive of my past posts on this website about botanical art exhibitions in Scotland.
Here are some of my previous blog posts about it - which will give you an idea of what its like.
]]><![CDATA[RHS Botanical Art Show 2026: Silver Medals]]>Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:10:23 GMThttps://www.botanicalartandartists.com/news/rhs-botanical-art-show-2026-silver-medalsThis is my post in which I highlight who won the three RHS Silver medals at the RHS Botanical Art Show 2026. As I've mentioned previously, the standard to be accepted to exhibit at the RHS Botanical Art Show is "Silver Medal Standard". 

This is the third of my posts about who won which medals. The two before this were
RHS Botanical Art Show 2026: View of part of Gallery 2
RHS Botanical Art Show 2026: View of part of Gallery 2.
Those winning a Silver medal will usually have numerous areas for improvement to reach a Gold Medal Standard. (EXTRACTED FROM: RHS Botanical Art Show #3: Medals Awards and Feedback (2018)

​Artists are listed below in alphabetical order by surname. Links to websites or social media are embedded in the name
Kati Haajanen Rosacea Silver 2026
Kati Haajanen Rosacea - RHS Silver 2026
Kati Haajanen (UK) RHS Medal History: First Time Exhibitor
Rosacea

Kati lives in Cupar in Scotland and is a first time exhibitor and  likes painting nature, plants and animals. She did a 2 year Diploma in Painting and Printmaking from Heatherley School of Fine Art, London and graduated in July 2012. She also took watercolour classes with Claire Dalby RWS RE (lucky girl!).  Kati is also a children's illustrator. 
These paintings are small acts of devotion - to the seasons, to the brief beauty of flowers and berries, and to the way colour carries memory. A reminder that nothing lasts forever, and perhaps that is why it feels so precious,
​My reading of her rather "romantic" statement about her exhibit and what her paintings mean to her ​indicated to me that this was an artist who was maybe approaching these paintings from a rather more floral perspective. She calls it "arty". I am left wondering whether the Judges felt that some aspects lacked the botanical rigour expected of exhibits in this show - and whether that might be the reason for the Silver Medal. For example, I could see no scale bars.

There is also an inconsistency in size and format within her six exhibits. This is something that can be eliminated at the outset if the exhibit is designed from the outset as a set. For me it indicates an artist who has tackled her paintings one at a time - which is not untypical - but has maybe not settled on a pictorial format before she started. I personally found the mats cut in rather too much to the painting leaving less space than I would like to see for the plants to "breathe".
Very grateful for my silver medal, and that they allowed me to use my slightly more arty, less scientific approach in my exhibit

​Irina Neacsu (Romania) 
RHS Medal History: Silver-Gilt 2022
Iris Pseuadacorus: Beauty and Resilience in Connecticut Wetlands

Irina lives and works in Romania. She originally trained as an architect and is currently pursuing a PhD at the Art University in Bucharest and is a researcher at the National Museum of Art in Bucharest. Her more recent studies have been about the landscape and she uses plants to explore the connections between culture and landscape. It's a very different sort of perspective for an RHS Botanical Art exhibit. I kept thinking of it as "dancing at the margins". Read on to find out why.
Iris Pseuadacorus: Beauty and Resilience in Connecticut Wetlands
Irina Neacsu - Iris Pseuadacorus: Beauty and Resilience in Connecticut Wetlands
Irina provides yet another profile for America in this exhibition.  Her fieldwork for her exhibit took place in New Haven (USA) while she studied as a Fulbright Scholar at Yale University,  supported by herbarium research in both New Haven, US and Brasov, Romania.
Beyond the joy of the medal, I’m extremely delighted to have painted this set, as the irises from East Rock, New Haven remain a very special memory from my Fulbright year at Yale.
Her exhibit explores the relationships between human intervention, variation and plant
resilience. 

Her Iris pseudacorus were documented at East Rock, Connecticut, USA in 2025. Discovering that this species is both invasive and a non-native contrasted sharply with the appreciation it receives in the region. Her research explored the the cultural significance of invasive plants and contemporary ecological aesthetics in landscapes.

I very much liked the size of her artwork and her consistency in making five of the six the exact same size. I also had no problem with her using a map as part of the background on one painting given her research interests. 

However, this exhibit for me was a classic example of squeezing in too much work to too short a timescale. There is a reason would-be exhibitors have five years to research and develop their exhibits. Partly it's to do with the botany, partly to do with seasonality issues - but it's also to do with the time required to develop top notch artwork. For me these paintings felt a tad rushed and lacked "finish" and theyapparently did not quite meet the level as an overall exhibit that she achieved for her Silver Gilt Medal in 2022 (see RHS Silver Gilt Medals - Botanical Art Show 2022) - which I missed as I was still mobilising on one leg at the time after ankle fusion surgery!

They are however, in my opinion, a solid exhibit of her main interest.

I recommend her Instagram which covers her range of interests and also shows you more of her artwork up close.
Fran Thomas  (UK/Scotland) 
RHS Medal History: Silver-Gilt 2021, 2015 & 2014 (She has also previously won a Gold Medal at BISCOT)
Waxcap Fungi of the Lawns of Hopetoun House, Edinburgh

Fran lives and works in Edinburgh, Scotland and her practice focuses on painting native Scottish plants. She has a background in Ecology and am MSc in Forest Science. She garduated with Distinction in her Diploma in Botanical Illustration from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh course. I first came across her work in 2014 when she had painted Native Scottish marginal pond plants and won a Silver Gilt. She has also won a Gold Medal at BISCOT and the Mary Mendum Medal for an outstanding exhibit. Fran is resolutely without website or social media.
Picture
Fran Thomas with her Silver Medal exhibit "Waxcap Fungi of the Lawns of Hopetoun House, Edinburgh"
Mv fieldwork took place in autumn at Hopetoun House, where the lawns have existed for centuries and more than twenty species (of waxcaps) have been recorded. The identification features I have tried to display include
* texture of cap and stipe (slimy, sticky, dry, smooth, fibrillose);
* gill attachment (broad or narrow, or running down the stipe); and, of course,
* the astonishing colours!
Given her track record to date and my chat with her, I think Fran was disappointed in her medal colour. However, at the same time she knew full well what had contributed to it. Insofar as she rushed to finish some of the paintings for the deadline. I certainly felt there was an discernible inconsistency in the design and level of finish of the different paintings.

The paintings were also rather smaller than those we are now used to in this exhibition. It was also not helped by the fact there were three other exhibits also dealing with fungi in the same show! There was another very colourful exhibit about colourful fungi at the other end of the wall Fran's exhibit is one which won a Silver Gilt. For those visiting the exhibition, it's worth making a study of the four different exhibits and study how they tackled their subjects differently and how that is reflected in the medial they were each awarded.

One of the aspects which is complete pot luck for any artist aspiring to exhibit at RHS is whether your exhibit is going to be one on its own - or whether there are going to be others to compare it with.

In my experience, those who win the top awards and the Gold Medals are typically people who have tackled something unique which has never been done before.

The RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show can currently be seen at the Saatchi Gallery until 2nd August.
  • Open Monday – Sunday
  • Hours: 10AM – 6PM with last entry at 5.20pm.
You can see one image from every exhibitor online on this page

I'm going back to see it again on Saturday with a multiple Gold Medal winner!
It'll be interesting to see if we have the same perspective on it!
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