Splash: The Best of Watercolor Art Competition
Begin the application process:
Splash 27: The Best of Watercolor
Splash 27: The Best of Watercolor is now accepting entries! Presented by Artists Network and Watercolor Artist magazine, the Splash series has been celebrating the incredible work being done by contemporary artists working in watermedia since 1991. Open to artists across the globe, don’t miss the chance to become one of this year’s 100+ finalists selected for publication. This is THE watercolor event of the year.
Super Early Bird Deadline – May 13, 2025
Artists Network Members: $15 Non-Members: $25
Early Bird Deadline – October 14, 2025
Artists Network Members: $25 Non-Members: $35
Final Deadline – Dec 19, 2025
Artists Network Members: $30 Non-Members: $40
Entry fees are due with entries. Your record of the credit card or PayPal charge will be your receipt.
Click here for the official Rules + Regulations.
- To enter, visit our online entry portal to log in or register for a free account.
- You can save your progress as you go and return anytime to make edits to your entries.
- This art contest is open to all artists around the world age 18 years or older.
- If you are a member, you will be asked to provide the email address associated with your Artists Network membership. If you’d like to take advantage of membership pricing sign up today to save on entry fees!
- Upload your entry details and image(s). There is no limit to the number of entries you may submit. You are able to edit your entries until the final deadline.
TOP 3 WINNERS
In addition to monetary awards, the top three prize winners will have their winning entries plus an in-depth artist’s profile published in The Best of Watercolor (Summer 2026), a special publication presented by the editors of Artists Magazine and Watercolor Artist.
1st
$2,000
2nd
$1,000
3rd
$500
PRIZES & AWARDS
10 Honorable Mention Winners
$50 Gift Card
Honorable Mention winners will receive a $50 gift card to ArtistsNetwork.com and a one-year Artists Network Membership ($99.99 value).
All Award Winners
Publication in The Best of Watercolor
All winning entries PLUS an additional 100+ finalists will be featured in a gallery in The Best of Watercolor (Summer 2026), a special publication presented by the editors of Artists Magazine and Watercolor Artist. In addition, all winners will receive a digital winners’ badge.
JUROR OF AWARDS
Chris Krupinski
Chris Krupinski is a Dolphin Fellow of the American Watercolor Society, a Gold Signature member of the National Watercolor Society, a Distinguished Master of the Transparent Watercolor Society of America and a Master artist in Watercolor West, among other distinctions. She has been awarded more than 250 national and regional awards including the top award, four times, in the Adirondacks Exhibition of American Watercolors, as well as five awards in AWS exhibitions, and awards in Splash and the Artists Magazine’s Annual competition. Krupinski has been part of invitational and juried exhibitions in China, Thailand, Taiwan, Turkey, Greece, Holland, Russia and Italy.
PAST WINNERS
First Place | Splash 26
Learning to Fly
Kathleen Giles (watercolor on paper, 24.5×28)
Second Place | Splash 26
Eternal Struggle
Angus McEwan (watercolor on paper, 14×40)
Third Place | Splash 26
Wilson Tells It
Tony Armendariz (watercolor on paper, 30×22)
First Place | Splash 25
Shades of Red
Chris Krupinski (watercolor on paper, 30×22)
Second Place | Splash 25
Ten Thousand Miles 2
Ze Ze Lai (watercolor on paper, 22×30)
Third Place | Splash 25
Draughtsman’s Desk
Angus McEwan (watercolor on paper, 22×30)
First Place | Splash 24
A Feminine Touch
By Alisa Shea (watercolor on paper, 14×20)
Second Place | Splash 24
In Full Bloom
By Daniela Werneck (watercolor on Aquabord, 16×20)
Third Place | Splash 24
Peony Holy Fire, Phoenix Rising
By Leslie Montana (watercolor on paper, 19×19.5)
FAQs
QImportant notice about our NEW online entry system:
As of March 2024, we have transitioned to a new online entry system for all Artists Network competitions. We will no longer be using Submittable to manage our contests.
If you’ve previously entered an Artists Network competition via Submittable, you will still have access to your account and entry records when you log in to the Submittable platform.
If you have any questions or concerns about this switch, please contact us at [email protected].
QOriginal artwork and Artificial Intelligence (AI) guidelines:
All works must be original. “Original” means that the work must be from the hand of a single artist; pieces that originate from a workshop or a class under the direction of a teacher are not eligible. For works based on reference photographs, eligibility requires that the artist must have taken the photographs or have obtained written permission from the photographer to create the work and to enter it in the Contest. Compositions based on published material or other artists’ work are NOT considered original and are not eligible.
QWhy didn’t I receive a notification when I entered my artwork?
You must have your Award Force notifications enabled in Settings in order to receive updates about your entry. Please make sure that our emails (anything ending in @goldenpeakmedia.com) are not blocked, or you may not receive critical information, receipts, confirmations etc.
QWhat do I do if I make a mistake in my entry?
You may edit your entries up until the closing deadline of a contest. When logged into Award Force, click on “Enter” at the top of the screen. This will show your entries that are in progress or completed.
QWhat types of artwork are acceptable?
The dominant medium must be watercolor, though some minor use of other media may be acceptable. Similar water-based media such as gouache, casein or egg tempera are acceptable as the dominant medium if used on paper. Please note, acrylic paints, while water-based, are NOT acceptable as the dominant medium. You must specify any other media used in addition to watercolor in your application.
QWhy is my entry still “In Progress”?
In order to officially enter your image into the jurying pool, you must hit “Submit Entry” during the entry process. This will place your image in the cart so that you may pay and complete your entry.
Click here for the official Rules and Eligibility details for Splash 27: The Best of Watercolor.
