The Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour embraces painters using all forms of water-based media, that includes gouache, ink, acrylic, and traditional watercolour. The Annual Open Exhibition in January 2024 will be the 143rd annual show, held in the magnificent Royal Scottish Academy Building on Edinburgh’s Princes Street.

In January 2024 the RSW showcase of the best of contemporary watercolour will be running concurrently with the National Galleries of Scotland show ‘Turner in January’, Scotland’s famous collection of Turner watercolours left to the nation by Henry Vaughan in 1900. At Vaughan’s behest, these watercolours are only ever displayed during the month of January, when natural light levels are at their lowest. Because of this, these watercolours still possess a freshness and an intensity of colour, almost 200 years since they were originally created. The Turner watercolours comprehensively represented the diversity, imagination and technical inventiveness of Turner’s work throughout his sixty-year career.

In search of inventiveness

The RSW has a long history and is proud of the impressive cavalcade of important artists who have sustained it throughout its lifetime. but it is also looking to the future and actively seeking submissions from artists using water based media in new and innovative ways.

There are over £10,000 worth of awards and prizes up for grabs, including two awards specifically for younger artists that are under 30 years of age. These awards are the Alexander Graham Monro Travel Award (£3,000) and new for 2024, the Dawson Murray Award for Innovation in Water based media (£1,000). Other awards include materials from Escoda Brushes, Daniel Smith Watercolours, and a materials voucher and solo show opportunity at Cass Art in Glasgow.

More information

Enter the exhibition before 5 November 2023 at midnight – click here to enter

Find out more about the RSW here