Colour Print Folios
Examples
Examples of the work of the print circles can be seen in the gallery section.
Operation of the Colour Print Circles
In each of the circles A&B there are six folios per year and they start off from the secretary on the first Monday of alternate months, commencing in February.
All members are sent a calendar so that they know when to expect a folio. Folios are scheduled to arrive on a Wednesday and should therefore be posted to the next member on the following Monday.
A notebook for the exchange of news, views and general information accompanies the prints that are in folders for comment and criticism.
In Circle A, which is non-competitive, members introduce a new print each time. The print that has been circulated will have a full set of comments on its folder and is removed. By this process all members see all the prints and can read a full set of comments on their own print.
At the time of posting the folio on to the next member, a progress card is sent off to the Circle Secretary, who keeps track of the progress.
In Circle B prints are circulated twice. The second circulation allows a full set of prints, one from each member, to be viewed as a panel and voted on by each member in turn.
Points are awarded out of 20 for each print (but not voting on one’s own print), each member recording the points they award. Members then complete a voting / progress slip or email, that is sent to the circle secretary when the folio is posted on. (Members keep a note of their voting in case the voting slip goes astray). The prints for voting are in a pack so marked and members do not remove their print at this stage.
There are also two other packs in Circle B:.
In one pack are the prints that have been voted on during the previous round and their folders show the comments and the results of marking. Members remove their print from this bag.
The other pack is for collecting new work, ready for voting on the next circuit.
Comments are made on the folders in either pack at the first sight of each print.
Once the voting pack has been fully circulated the secretary totals up the marks and declares the results, in terms of total marks, averages and placings. Individual marks are not divulged.
Joint Circles Competition
The two circles combine annually in a Set Subject competition, where everyone knows the subject about two years in advance. An independent person judges the entries. Entries are sent to the competition organiser in November who sends them to be judged.
The prints are displayed at the AGM, and the winner declared.
Trophies
Colour Print circle B competes for the Randall Bell Trophy, a 35mm camera fashioned in rosewood.
The joint circles set subject competition has the Fred Stevens Trophy, an attractive silver-plated dish.
In addition we have a Colour Print Merit Award which is awarded to the member of Colour Print Circle B who has shown most improvement over the previous 3 years. This is an elegant wooden plaque.
Circle A awards the Clock Trophy, and also the Arthur marshall Trophy for a set subject competition.
Presentations are made at the AGM, and trophies are kept for 1 year.
Print Sizes
The postal folios are for mounted or unmounted prints where the total size of the whole entry must not exceed 10″x 8″ for circle A and A4 for circle B.
The Set Subject folio, however, allows prints up to 10″x 8″ (80 sq. inches if differently shaped) and mounts up to 12”x10”
Entries to the set subject competition should be mounted for exhibition at the club’s AGM.
Other opportunities for competition There is an open competition for prints of larger proportions in connection with the Club AGM and quite often an open print competition at the annual regional reunions.