The ups and downs of art prizes

Since the beginning of 2023, I have entered 12 art competitions. Of these, I have had 6 works rejected, 5 selected and one I am still waiting to hear. Art competitions can be a bruising business, but if you are going to put yourself out there, you have to weather the rejections and rejoice in the acceptances.

There are some I will never enter again – generally because the percentage of works accepted is so low, but sometimes because I realise my work simply doesn’t fit the kind of art that is accepted. Most competitions have fresh judges every year, but sometimes the judge is retained one year after another, so if my work is not to their taste I will save my entry fee for something else. There are others that I enter year after year in the hope that one day I will get in. That happened this year. The Dobell Prize for Drawing is a biannual exhibition that is the pre-eminent showcase for drawing in Australia and finally this year my work was accepted. It had felt like a remote dream, so to receive the ‘congratulations’ email put me on top of the world. Even now, several months after the exhibition finished I am still buoyed by it – the confidence boost is a great thing!

Something I have learned is that one rejection is not the end – several times work that has been rejected from one competition has been accepted into another, and even won prizes. The reverse happens too of course.

Below you will see the works that I have submitted into competitions this year, with details of where and what the result was. Most of them are created using the technique of Liquid Pencil and coloured pencil on a base of yupo synthetic paper, but those that use other media still have a cohesion to the group.

‘Triffid’ accepted into the Dobell Drawing Prize. Liquid Pencil and coloured pencil on yupo, 94 x 64 cm
‘Growing Wild’ – entered into the Muswellbrook Art Prize. Not accepted.
Liquid Pencil and coloured pencil on yupo, 94 x 64 cm
‘Bloom’ – entered into the Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize, not accepted. Entered into the Waverley Art Prize, not accepted. Entered into the Lane Cove Art Prize, accepted and won a commendation!
Liquid Pencil and coloured pencil on yupo, 47 x 64 cm.
‘Tarantella’ – accepted into the Drummoyne Art Awards.
Liquid Pencil, coloured pencil and ink on drafting film. 42 x 60 cm
‘Pod Dance’ – entered into WAMA works on paper (art in nature awards), not accepted.
Handmade concertina book, coloured pencil on watercolour paper. 24 x 105 cm.
‘Below Zero’ entered into the Australian Society of Miniature Art Annual awards. Accepted, and won Most Innovative Work prize. Also entered into Hazelhurst Art on Paper Awards, not accepted. Acrylic on drafting film
‘The Dry’ accepted into the Australian Society of Miniature Art Annual Awards. Won Highly Commended for drawing. Liquid Pencil and graphite on yupo.
‘Hanging Garden’ – entered into the Ravenswood Women’s Prize. Not accepted.
Liquid Pencil and coloured pencil on yupo, 94 x 64 cm
‘Primordial’ – entered into the Ewart Prize. Accepted and won First prize for Drawing.
20 individual drawings, 10 x 10 cm, Liquid Pencil and coloured pencil on watercolour paper.
Total size 40 x 50 cm.
‘Burgeoning’ – entered into the Grace Cossington Smith Art Award. Still waiting to hear if it has been accepted or not. Liquid Pencil and coloured pencil on yupo, 47 x 64 cm
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Author: anna warren portfolio

I draw, I paint, I am a printmaker. Always searching for the interesting detail in the world around me.

23 thoughts

  1. I have similar results when I enter high profile competitions, Anna. Curators assess quickly. Final judging probably takes longer, but a lot also goes according to their taste.

    The occasional significant prize is so encouraging. Well done for persisting. You encourage me to persevere, also.

    Congratulations on being made a life member of the Miniature Society (NSW). Your efforts are appreciated.

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    1. Thanks Ruth – I have become very philosophical about art prizes nowadays. When I first began exhibiting I would be deeply upset by lack of success, but now I can see it for what it is, something of a lottery, dependent on the taste of a particular judge and a moment in time. Now I have more confidence in my work, and realise that a lack of success doesn’t mean the work is bad, just one that didn’t work for whatever reason. Having faith in one’s own work is so important, but I also try to be as detached as possible in assessing my own work. I have quite a few pieces that don’t satisfy me – some will be re-visited and fixed, others will never see the light of day! Do keep persisting, its worth it, and I see you do have quite a bit of success!

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  2. Art prizes … such subjective things. I don’t have the stomach for them any more, probably because for the last few years (before I stopped trying) I only experienced the lows and never the highs.

    You do extremely well with them. Your “not accepted” are just as superb as your “accepted” art works. Seeing these drawings all together in one post is delightful.

    I’d love to know what $$ you received for your recent first.

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    1. Ha! Dollars, none! Entering prizes is no way to make money unfortunately. I got $600 for the miniature book, but nothing but a certificate and a new line on my CV for the others. But I’m not doing it to make money, it’s more about recognition, spreading my art around and also getting to see first hand what are the kind of works that do get into awards consistently. I have finally developed enough self-confidence to not feel defined by the rejections. Something I realised I didn’t emphasise in the post was that I feel I have had a REALLY good year, so none of this is a complaint, simply a perspective, and reality check. So, thank you for all your nice words – it’s handy for me to see them all together too!

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      1. I entered a local award recently…one that in the past had been purely a community art award but must have gone more high-brow of late. I was surprised when I didn’t get juried into it. I’m quite curious now to see what the judge may have been looking for so might take myself off to see it when it is up. I entered what I thought was a strong piece. I still think it is.
        This was the first time I’d seen in the rules that entrants were required to state where A.I was used in the artistic process. Yes, my curiosity is piqued.

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        1. That is interesting! Probably when you see the exhibition it will be obvious why they didn’t accept yours. The reference to AI is a hint I think. It is so unpredictable though. Last year I entered a competition, didn’t get in but they put all the entrants up in an online exhibition. (250 entries, 15 accepted, not a good ratio!) I was fascinated to see I was in very good company among the non-accepted, some excellent work from well known artists, and what I felt were some odd choices in those accepted. Keep me posted!

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    1. Thank you Vivienne – it is a very subjective business. I have learnt to feel a work that is not accepted in one show may well have a place in another. I actually feel getting almost 50% accepted is a good result, considering the widely differing taste of judges!

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    1. You know, I wasn’t intending this post to be seen as disappointment, rather just noting the unpredictability of taking the path of entering art competitions, in fact I feel I have had a very good year! Of course, I would aim to get more accepted next year. This has been a learning curve for me, as you say when you know certain people will be judging you can guess the outcome. Having said that though I have been surprised more than once at judgements that have been made, both more and less positive!

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  10. Hi Anna
    Not sure how I stumbled back onto this page in wordpress but really happy to have seen your post. What a marvellous result and wonderful body of work. I didn’t read it at all as a moan but as a positive reflection on the reality of art prizes. Congratulations and I will have to make an effort to get back here more often x

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    1. Lovely to hear from you Ronnie! I wrote this really to show the balancing act that entering prizes is – when I just show the successes people don’t know about the non-successes (rather than calling them failures!) so I wanted to show both sides. I really do feel I have had a good year, hopefully establishing a ground to keep growing from.

      I follow you on Instagram, so see your progress, your wonderful work that I enjoy every time. I love the quick immediacy of Instagram, and that is where I show most of my work, but every now and then I still come back to the blog when I feel the need to say a bit more. Do keep in touch! x

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