Saturday, December 10, 2011

Nominate the Best Artwork (Natural World) on a blog in 2011

You are invited to NOMINATE an artwork on an art blog for
The Making a Mark Prize for Best Portrayal of Nature in 2010
This prize values the natural world and its plants and animals and
celebrates excellence in portraying every aspect of nature 

The final category for the Best Picture on Art Blog in 2011 is the Nature.  You are invited to nominate for the Making A Mark awards - starting with a call for entries for The Making a Mark Prize for Best Picture - Natural World 2011.

This post covers:
  • eligibility of the artist 
  • eligibility of the artwork
  • who can nominate
  • how to nominate
This award was created in 2010 and last year's winner (who is ineligible for this year's award) was The Right Side by Gayle Mason (Fur in the Paint)


Winner of The MAM Award for
Best Picture of the Year (Natural World) on an Art Blog

The Right Side
by Gayle Mason (Fur in the Paint)
10 x 8", coloured pencils and acrylic
PLEASE SHARE THIS LINK WITH OTHERS WHO MAY BE INTERESTED
Eligibility

Leave a comment below and tell us all whose landscape painting / drawing / printing you appreciated in 2011.

Eligible artwork (drawings / paintings / prints):
  • Images should be of the natural world - This prize helps us to focus on a very traditional form of art which over the years has helped to record the world around us in all its wonderful variation. The Nature can be botanical art and/or natural history art and/or wildlife art.
  • 2D artwork is eligible - artwork can be a painting (in any media) or a drawing (in any media) or a fine art print (using any method)
  • Work is NOT eligible if it appears to be be one or more of the following:
    • was not completed in 2011
    • has not appeared on an art or illustrated blog in 2011 and prior to 5th December 2011
    • over-reliant on a photograph not taken by the artist (the issue is not that a photograph has been used as a reference.  Rather I'm looking for artists who create their own artwork from start to finish)
    • subjected to lots of digital manipulation/tweaks (over and above that needed to make it read 'true' on screen)
    • a photograph
  • For the artwork to be shortlisted, the nominated artist must agree in writing to their work being displayed on this blog as part of the shortlist (you can seek their agreement after the nomination)
Please be careful to check the date of the artwork and when it was posted to ensure eligibility.

Eligible artists
  • In 2011, any artist creating images of the natural world - and posting their work to their personal art or illustrated blog can be nominated.
  • An artist who has NOT won this prize in the last three years - as listed at the top of this post
  • Only artists with independent art blogs operating in 2011 are eligible. (The awards exclude all corporate blogs and/or paid blogging.)
  • An artist can be nominated more than once - by different people - for different works
  • An artist can be nominated more than once - by different people - for the same work
  • No canvassing is allowed 
    • Artists can announce the awards on their blog and/or the fact they have been nominated 
    • Artists can reference on their art blog only
      • the fact they have been shortlisted and 
      • the post on this blog where the vote is taking place .
    • Neither the artist nor the person nominating can canvas for votes - canvassing will result in disqualification.  (Canvassing = repeated mentions and/or touting for votes on other sites)
Who can nominate
  • Nominations are only accepted from people with an art blog
  • An artist can nominate their own work - so long as they have an active art blog!
  • Anonymous nominations are not permitted. In order to nominate you must have an art or illustrated blog and be capable of being identified by me. (This is purely to stop spammers as I link to the blogs of all those who have nominated in a later post summarising the nominations!)
  • All nominations must be in English
How to Nominate

To nominate - just COMMENT ON THIS BLOG POST providing all the necessary details (see below) BEFORE 24th December 2011.  Nominations received will be posted on 24th December.

Your nominations MUST identify:
  • the title of the piece
  • the name of the artist,
  • the size and medium (if possible)
  • the name and URL of the blog (eg The Art Blog - http://artblog.blogspot.com)
  • the date, title and URL of the blog post in which the artwork appears (please provide a link)
  • SAY WHY YOU LIKE THE WORK - this bit is really important so please do the best you can. Remember that nominations are open and transparent and that it's good to share a genuine tribute to a piece of work you like
  • You need to ask the artist if their work can be posted on my blog - and let me know what the answer is.  This can happen after the nomination and BEFORE 24th December.
  • An artist can nominate their own work.
What happens next
  • Nominations close just after midnight on 23rd December 2011
  • I will then select a shortlist of three works from the nominations 
  • The shortlist and the invite to vote for your favourite artwork for The Making a Mark Prize for Best Artwork - Nature 2011 will be posted on 26th December 2011
  • This shortlist of three works are also eligible for the overall Making A Mark Prize for The Best Picture on an Art Blog in 2011.
  • The winner will be announced on this blog on 30th December 2011
  • Read Making A Mark: End of Year Review 2011 and consult the links below (to be posted) to find out more about the other Making A Mark Awards.


Please also NOMINATE for other MAKING A MARK AWARDS 
calls for entry will be posted this week and next

Invites to nominate for the different categories associated with the Best Picture Award are now being posted. The order of call for entries for the remaining nominations is as follows:

Nominations for the other awards will follow in the week commencing 12th December
  • Making A Mark Nominations: Generating Art - 12th December
    • The Painting a Day Stickability Shield 
    • The Best Art Blog Project Virtual Challenge Cup
    • NEW IN 2011 - The Best Art Society Blog
  • Making A Mark Nominations: Getting Out of the Studio - 13th December
    • The Painting Plein Air Plus Prize 
    • The Travels with a Sketchbook Trophy 
    • The Going Greener Gong
  • Making A Mark Nominations: Learning about Art & the Art Business- 14th December 
    • The FAQs and Answers Really Useful Medal 
    • The Make Me Think Gong 
    • The Best Book by an Art Blogger Blue Ribbon
  • Making A Mark Nominations: The Home Front - 15th December 
    • “The Moose” - the award for the best animal in an illustrated blog
    • The “Tales from the Frontline” Amusing Musings Trophy
    • The Most Gorgeous Mouthwatering (MGM) Studio of the Year
Links - Making A Mark Awards 2011
_________________________________________
Click the link to NOMINATE Art Blogs for The 2011 Making A Mark Awards

    3 comments:

    1. The title of the piece:
      Alyogyne huegelii 'West Coast Gem'

      The name of the artist:
      Vicki Lee Johnston

      The size and medium: A3 portrait

      The name and URL of the blog: http://vickileejohnston.blogspot.com
      The date, title and URL of the blog post in which the artwork appears:
      16th November 2011 under 'composition',
      URL:
      http://vickileejohnston.blogspot.com/2011/11/composition.html#comment-form

      I like this piece because firstly, I know how difficult Vicki has found it to do. She is in the first year of the Society of Botanical Art (SBA's) diploma course and lives in Perth, Australia. Being on the other side of the planet has meant that coursework marks get back to her very late in the post and often gets lost or damaged in transit (regardless of how well packaged it is!). Vicki has shown such grit determination on this course. Several times she has almost given up, and yet she keeps going! This to me demonstrates how much she loves her art, but also the stories attached to her blog posts are really encouraging for anyone else in the same boat. She has a full time job and has two children and still manages to get her work done.

      Secondly, this piece is just absolutely stunning. The tones are so rich and the petals have movement in them. The composition is balanced and the colours are not muddied (a common problem in botanical art). It's a bold piece for her first floral composition.

      ReplyDelete
    2. Dec 23rd...Your midnight or my midnight?
      if yours then, there's always next year...
      If mine then...

      Best Artwork Natural World:

      "The Ant" by Suzanne Berry

      http://suzanneberry.blogspot.com/2011/08/ant.html

      Because I like ants and hers against the white background is striking. I love the glossy exoskeleton, the pose, rearing up, as though it's saying "Please sir I want some more."
      Maybe his name should be Oliver.
      She really gives a lot of life, personality, to her bugs.
      Suzanne does fabulous insects but I love the ant. Ants have such great shapes.

      ReplyDelete
    3. So long as it's before I wake up on the 24th it's OK! So it's OK

      ReplyDelete

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