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With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

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What do you think about this, then.....? The Sunday Times Watercolour competition has been won by an artist working in acrylic, on a canvas board. It appears that acrylic is now accepted in some watercolour exhibitions/competitions - the criteria seem to be extremely elastic: the acrylic doesn't even have to be applied in a way reminiscent of watercolour (and in this case isn't). To me, this makes a total mockery of the watercolour prize and category - acrylic is NOT watercolour; it doesn't present the same challenges, doesn't behave the same way, doesn't look the same (occasionally, it can approach the look, but it's never that difficult to tell the difference) and even if it did, it's still - not watercolour. What makes it worse is that the quality of the winning painting was distinctly underwhelming, though that's not really the point. Who the hell decided that a watercolour competition should include work which has next to nothing in common with watercolour?

Sylvia Evans

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https://sundaytimeswatercolour.org/2017/08/27/the-sunday-times-watercolour-competition-2017-winners-announced/ AND he won 10.000 quid...... Complete travesty...

Michael Robinson

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Who the hell decided that a watercolour competition should include work which has next to nothing in common with watercolour? [/quote] Totally agree with Robert, and the other artists who have commented so far. I checked the link provided by Sylvia and certainly that painting has absolutely nothing in common with watercolour that I could see. Would it have been the judging panel who decided to allow acrylic?

Edited
by SandraKennedy

With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

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Rob - a) the painting was not on a paper-based support; b) whatever the Royal Watercolour Society might determine in its wisdom or lack of it, it is absurd to describe watercolour as simply a "water-based medium", because that doesn't actually mean anything. No medium is "based on" water: the Society can come up with any definition it wants, if it feels it must, but it cannot re-define a medium to suit the convenience of its exhibitors or competition contestants and expect to be taken seriously. A pity I'm not a member of the RWS, since if I were I should resign from it. It has forgotten what it's there for.
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

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Not really Rob's argument, but the RWS's argument - with which (as will be plain) I disagree. See also Katherine Tyrell's comments on the Making a Mark art blog. I get the 'inclusive' point - but think that if they had wanted to enlarge the remit, they should have instituted another prize and another category. I enjoy painting in acrylics - I've great respect for acrylics, no less respect than I have for watercolour; much of my work is accomplished in acrylic, and I'm no genius with watercolour and I know it; but then - that's why I don't think, for a second, that I should enter my acrylics in a watercolour competition, because they just shouldn't qualify.
TB

Tao Barry

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I have just been into the site and left this comment, not that it will do any good but I feel better.. """How on earth can this winner be the winner if he used ACRYLIC ON CANVAS. the painting should have been disqualified as soon as it was entered. ACRYLIC has no place what so ever in a watercolour painting completion. Do the judges know what they are doing ? can they tell the difference.? """