In all the years since the Art Awards were first launched in 1995, the competition has been restricted to amateur artists resident in the UK. This year, for the first time, entry has been opened to all comers. Not only have we had an enquiry from an artist in L.A. (how cool is that!), but we now have our first entries from France. Archie Campbell, who took up painting after a bout of illness and has never looked back, has entered five paintings into the 2009 competition. Not only that, but he has also circulated posters and the website link to all his artist frends - current and previous students at Barbara Kryvovias's atelier in the French Tarn district near Toulouse.

Such competition from the French School of 2009 can only be good for this year's Art Awards, and we wish them welcome and the very best of luck. I wonder which country will be the next to pick up the challenge? There must be lots of expatriate English artists in Spain....or indeed Spanish artists come to that!