What you said: the Spring Prize Draw that became something more

Our recent Spring Prize Draw revealed how people think about choosing & living with art in their homes.

You didn’t just treat this like a raffle, something light, a bit of fun.

It became something more because of the way you answered when you made your choices.

Within a few minutes of opening, entries were coming in from all over the world - the US, UK, Europe, further afield - from artists, collectors, and people who simply love art, who love to live with it every day.

556 entries in total.

And almost without trying, you turned a prize draw into something else.

Something more useful.

You didn’t answer casually

We asked a simple question:

“If you won, where would you hang your print?”

You didn’t give throwaway answers.

You placed the work.

Properly placed it.

“In my entry way where I could see it everyday and share it with visitors as well.”

“Above my fireplace.”

“In the hall so all can see it.”

Again and again, the same instinct.

Not tucked away.

Not hidden.

Art isn’t background

What came through clearly is this.

You don’t treat art like decoration.

You give it a role.

Most of you chose places where the work would be seen, lived with, noticed.

Living rooms. Hallways. Entry spaces. Places where people pass, pause, look.

“In my living room where it can be shared with family and friends and enjoyed daily.”

 There’s a confidence in that.

You don’t hide art like this.

You live with it.

It lives with you, daily

There was another pattern just beneath the surface.

Not just where you’d place it.

But how often you’d meet it.

Desks. Workspaces. Morning routines.

“Opposite my desk, so that as I work, I can look up and see the colours and feel inspired.”

“My living room where I drink my coffee every morning so I can enjoy the beauty.”

That’s not occasional viewing.

That’s daily contact.

This isn’t occasional art.

It’s companion art.

You were thinking about light

This was particularly interesting.

Without being prompted, many of you placed the work in relation to light.

Windows. Skylights. Bright rooms.

“A beautiful skylight in her living room … surrounded by plants.”

“In a light filled dining space.”

You weren’t just choosing walls.

You were choosing how the work would behave.

Different instincts, different pulls

Your choices weren’t random either.

Three clear instincts emerged.

Some of you were drawn to 'Orchids'.
There’s a calm certainty there. Easy to place. Quietly confident.

Others went straight to 'Toucans'.
More expressive. More personality. A stronger statement.

And a smaller group chose 'Mono Lisa'.

Fewer entries here. But deeper ones.

“It reminds me of the different layers that encompass our personalities … unique, complex, hidden and visible.”

“I study attention … I’m drawn to eyes … it feels like an artistic representation of my own work.”

Different works. Different reasons. Same level of thought. Brilliant!

Some of you are already making space for it

A few responses stood out for another reason.

They weren’t about winning.

They were about what comes next.

“I lost my job but I know it is temporary … as soon as I stabilise … the roundel will be coming here.”

“I would hang it opposite my desk, so that as I work, I can look up and feel inspired.”

These aren’t casual remarks.

They’re decisions that haven’t quite happened yet.

And they matter.

A shared effort

So this became something we didn’t quite expect.

Not a draw.

A conversation.

Between artists, collectors, observers, and those somewhere in between.

Some of you will go on to commission work.

Some of you won’t.

But all of you shape what this is, simply by taking part, looking closely, and saying what you see.

That’s how something builds.

Slowly, and for real.

The winners

A few of you will receive a limited edition print from the studio.

A small gesture.

These prints aren’t for sale. They never will be. They exist for moments like this.

To mark something shared.

Until next time

We’ll do something like this again.

Now we know what to ask.

And more importantly, we know how you see.

That’s the useful part.

Thank you.

Reference data

550+ entries submitted

Responses from the US, UK, Europe and beyond

Mix of artists, collectors and art lovers (many identifying as more than one)

Living rooms, hallways and workspaces were the most selected placements