Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours

How to Submit - 2023 Opening Monday, 7 Novmeber
A single-stage virtual judging of all submitted works will take place, after which selected works should be delivered to Mall Galleries, London, for inclusion in the exhibition:

Upload images of work at www.mallgalleries.oess1.uk by Friday 6 January 2023, 12 noon [Note: Images must be in JPEG format and under 5MB]

Check www.mallgalleries.oess1.uk from 12 noon on Friday 13 January to see if your work has been selected

If selected, deliver your work on Saturday 11 March 2023, 10am to 5pm, to Mall Galleries, 17 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5BD

Important Dates
Submissions open: Monday 7 November 2022
Submissions close: Friday 6 January 2023, 12 noon
Selection notification: Friday 13 January 2023, 12 noon
Receiving Day (if selected): Saturday 11 March 2023, 10am to 5pm
Private View: Wednesday 29 March 2023
Exhibition opens: Thursday 39 March, 10am
Exhibition closes: Saturday 8 April, 5pm

Conditions and Eligibility
Any artist over 18 may submit.
Acceptable media: Watercolour or water-soluble mediums including watercolour, acrylic, ink or gouache (excluding water-soluble oils) painted on paper or paper-based support.
Works must have been completed within the last two years and should not have been previously shown in London.
Submission fee: £20 per work (or £14 per work for artists aged 35 or under).
Maximum of six works submitted.
Maximum of four works selected.
All paintings must be well presented, glazed and suitably framed (no metal or clips frames are permitted).
Works must not be larger than 2.4m high and 1.5m wide including the frame. The Council have the right to withdraw paintings that are over this limit.
All work must be for sale. Minimum price: £350.
The price of works must include 45%+VAT commission.

Delivery & Collection
Packaging from delivered works cannot be retained and must be taken away at the point of delivery.
We are unable to wrap works or provide wrapping materials for any works being returned.
Any work uncollected on the specified collection date/s will be stored at a separate location and the artist will be charged a storage fee.

Selection
The Selection Committee is formed of artist members of the Institute.
Please note that selectors' decisions are final and we are unable to offer feedback.

International Entrants
Artists from outside the UK may need to register for VAT, please check with HM Revenue and Customs: https://www.gov.uk
Artists sending work from abroad should use a picture carrier. Many artists use Picture Post Art as they offer a packing and delivery service for our exhibitions (we do not accept any liability for their services). Picture Post Art - Tel: 07833 450788 / Email: [email protected]

Terms & Conditions

For full terms and conditions, click here.

Art Couriers
If you are unable to deliver or collect your work in person, several art couriers around the country visit the galleries, including:

Art Moves of Chelsea (London, Kent, Surrey, Sussex and Bristol) - [email protected]
/ 020 7352 7492  

Picture Post Art (Scotland, the North of England and Birmingham) - [email protected]
/ 07833 450788

South Hams Express (Penzance, Totnes, Exeter and Southampton) - [email protected]
/ 07502 041139

For a fuller list of Art Couriers, click here.

Prizes & Awards (subject to final confirmation)
There are many prizes and awards available to win, including:
The Winsor & Newton Award: £3,000
The Winsor & Newton Product Prize: £1,000 worth of Winsor & Newton art materials
The Leathersellers' Prize: £1,000 awarded by The Worshipful Company of Leathersellers to an artist aged between 18 and 30 years old

The President’s Choice Award: An award of £750 for the most deserving work in the exhibition, donated by a member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours (RI) and judged by the President of the RI, Chris Myers

The Anthony J Lester Art Critic Award: A certificate of commendation for an outstanding work chosen by the art critic and broadcaster Anthony J Lester

The Baohong Artists' Watercolour Paper Prizes: Two prizes of £250 each, awarded to a member and non-member for excellence

The Cass Art Prize: A prize of £200 of art supplies from Cass Art, awarded to a work demonstrating the most innovative use of colour

The Chaoshan Watercolour Award: £250 awarded by Chinese artist, Professor Li Xiaocheng, for the best classically inspired watercolour

The Debra Manifold RI Memorial Award: Presented by the Linda Blackstone Gallery, an award for the most innovative work in the exhibition

The Dry Red Press Award: The winning work will be published as a greeting card in the Dry Red Press 'Prize Winners' range, with royalties from the sale of the cards going to the artist

The Escoda Barcelona Award: A set of Escoda's finest brushes for an outstanding landscape painting

The Frank Herring Easel Award: An easel presented for an outstanding work in the exhibition by Frank Herring & Sons

The James Fletcher-Watson RI Award: £500 for the best use of watercolour in the exhibition

The John Purcell Paper Prize: Paper to the value of £100 awarded to a work chosen by John Purcell

The Megan Fitzoliver Brush Award: A trophy, named The Pipe Fish, awarded for a work that most inspires a connection with the natural world

The RI Platinum Award: £700 to a young artist

The Richard Plincke RI Prize for Colour: An award of £250 for creative use of colour

The Schmincke Prize: A Horadam Aquarell Artists’ Watercolours set to an outstanding exhibitor.