Winner of The MAMA Award for Best Picture on an Art Blog 2007"Up from the Abyss" by Carol Carter (Carol Carter and Hot News)
40x30, watercolour
copyright the artist / nominated by Adam Cope
40x30, watercolour
copyright the artist / nominated by Adam Cope
Celebrating excellence in artwork is a really good thing that we can all do. If we see something which we value, it's great if we say so on our blogs and even better if we also share it with others.
Last year, as part of the Making A Mark Awards (MAMA!), I introduced a new award for the best drawing or painting produced by an art blogger and posted on an art blog last year.
As I pointed out then my reason for repeating this award is that I want to identify and provide recognition to those people who have produced excellent artwork during 2008. The problems is that I'm very conscious that I only get to see a small part of what gets posted on art blogs. However, I'm a big believer in the collective wisdom of crowds and together we can maybe identify and recognise some candidates of merit.
Last year you were all kind enough to come up with 19 nominations for this prize which you can see in this post - and while I had seen many of them, I had not seen them all - including the eventual winner, "Up from the Abyss" by Carol Carter!
The way this particular Making A Mark Award works is like this:
- YOU identify and nominate a drawing or painting you've seen on an art or illustrated blog in 2008 as being the best artwork of 2008
- You can nominate a maximum of two artworks - one drawing and one painting.
- The nominated artwork must have been produced by an art blogger in 2008 and posted on their art blog in 2008. Work by non bloggers or work posted on websites which are not blogs is not eligible.
- You may not nominate your own work
- You can't nominate anything I've done! (I'm not going to nominate either - but will choose who the finalists are)
- You can endorse an existing nomination - if you'd like to identify a good and different reason for it being nominated. However in doing so you use up one of your two nominations.
- Use the comments function to nominate. Remember that when creating a nomination you pay tribute to the person concerned, the award becomes inclusive and anybody can go and take a look at the nominations.
- You must state the name of the artist/blogger, the name of their blog (and provide its URL)
- state the date of the post and the name of the work which you are proposing and provide the URL of the post in question, otherwise known as the permalink (Let me know if you have a problem with the latter). Try clicking on the title - that often brings up the URL for an individual post.
- Please explain why you are nominating this work - and remember powerful supporting statements can be influential when it comes to putting a short-list together.
- The Deadline for nominations is midnight GMT on Sunday 21st December. That gives me two days to complete viewing of all images, make sure all permissions have been obtained and images supplied and then get a poll sorted.
- I'm going to need the written permission of the person concerned to post their image on this blog - if permission isn't forthcoming then the image can't be included in the poll. So I'm looking to the person nominating to provide help in terms of nudging the artist into saying they're happy to give permission in the comments section below would be much appreciated - it saves me having to ask!
- I will be the juror for the purposes of selecting 5 finalists
- On 24th December I will then create and post 5 images and a poll on this blog. You then vote to choose the best drawing or painting of 2007 (produced by an art blogger and posted on an art blog). Which gives you something to think about while I take a short break over Christmas! ;)
- The deadline for voting is midnight (GMT) on Monday 29th December.
- The result will be announced on Tuesday 30th December.
Remember you have until the end of Sunday 21st December to make your nominations by leaving a comment below.
I have to say that the greatest art of 2008 for me has to be all of the November postings by Cindy Wood – I'm finding it very difficult to choose a particular drawing. A celebration of the four year anniversary of her blog on November the first. A drawing of the inimitable be-hatted Annie on November 2nd, Halloween pictures, a celebration of the Obama victory, sketches of her friends, sketches of making music and drawings of her final days in hospital. The whole month is a microcosm of all of Cindy's art which shone out with talent, truth and love. I can't choose one drawing, but maybe another reader could pick the one. Cindy's November can be seen here http://learndaily.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html
ReplyDeleteThanks Julie for kicking this off. You might also want to take a close look at tomorrow's post.
ReplyDeleteMy two nominations are:
ReplyDelete1) Coastal Ice Plant - Oil on Linen - 11×14 by Ed Terpening – Posted on his blog on May 23, 2008 at 5:53 am
http://edterpening.com/blog/2008/05/23/coastal-ice-plant/.
Ed excels at painting the coastal landscape of California and this painting shows how he can make colours sing and make the most of his powerful brush work. With his vibrant colours, he goes beyond realism, although you can feel the sun and the wind coming from the sea just by looking at this painting.
2) South Connector - Oil on Wood, 24x32 By William Wray – Posted on his blog on Tuesday, May 20, 2008.
http://williamwray.blogspot.com/2008/05/south-connector.html#links
This painting of the 605 heading South combines a very strong design (an asymetrical composition with the curves of the freeway and the shooting palm trees) with a striking use of lights and shadows. William Wray is a modern master of the grey and muted tones. With a limited palette, he brings out the strengh of the american urban landscape and puts ordinary liofe in the spotlight. You can feel the dust and the density of the air.
Is there a limit to how many we can nominate? Like Julie, I was moved by a series of sketches - Laura Frankstone's drawings of the birth of her grandson. It's rare to see an artist record something of such importance, a real momentus event in one's life and Laura - naturally! - did it so beautifully. Very, very moving.
ReplyDeleteFelicity - you can nominate one drawing and one painting
ReplyDeleteAlso take a look at the post tomorrow which is all about portraits by a female artist - and will include a special mention relating to nominations for a suite of portrait drawings
Thanks for your nominations BTW - I'll go and get that list started for jurying purposes!
ReplyDeleteBenoit - don't forget I'll need the permission of the artist. I know Ed will be OK but you will need to check with William
All works nominated will be highlighted in a separate blog post so I always need the artists permission irrespective of whether they get juried through to the shortlist.
Margaret Dyer's figure drawings are superb. Her blog makes it hard to choose just one, but nevertheless I nominate
ReplyDeleteA Walk in the Ocean
There may be some settings issues with her links, but I hope these images make it through.
This year, I discovered Linda Blondheim and would like to nominate one of her more recent paintings for best artwork. Linda has several blogs, but this painting is on Landscapes of the South at http://linda-blondheim.blogspot.com. The painting is called Palm Grove and is on the December 6 post, http://linda-blondheim.blogspot.com/2008/12/m-cedar-key-florida-adventure.html.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy the way Linda uses color, value, and temperature to convey emotion and energy in her work. I especially like this painting because of the subject matter and composition. It has a certain energy that really speaks to me about where it is painted. I can really feel and smell the location through her colors and strokes. I received permission for you to post an image of this painting. If you would like me to forward it to you, please let me know via email.
For the Drawing Nomination, I nominate Ester Wilson of the Daily Drawings Blog. The Thursday, October 30th entry "Searching" http://esterwilson.blogspot.com/2008_10_01_archive.html
ReplyDeleteFor the Painting Nomination, I nominate Susan Abbott of the A Painter's Year. The July, 9, 2008 entry "Arch & Ruin, Bonnieux" http://susanabbott.blogspot.com/2008/07/arch-and-ruin-bonnieux.html
This was really tough, but my first nomination is:
ReplyDelete"Orange in Green Light" painted by Qiang Huang, and posted to his blog November 14, 2008.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1oARU0yNVis/SR4K9_d5IQI/AAAAAAAAAx0/cXE9SrOUa1Y/s1600-h/Orange+in+green+light.jpg
http://qiang-huang.blogspot.com
I admire the simplicity and the clear reflected color that he achieved - vividly memorable.
I'll have to comment a second time with my other nomination, as I forgot to write down all the necessary info :>)
And for my second nomination:
ReplyDeleteAugust Sun, by Bonnie Luria, posted on her blog Sept 1, 2008
http://bonnieluria.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/august-sun-blog.jpg
http://bonnieluria.wordpress.com/
Bonnie has a great talent at capturing not only the movement of the figure, but her color choices communicate the energy and humanity.
Whew...and I'm sorry I couldn't mention all those other artists who have inspired and impressed me - but you all deserve an award. You know who you are!
Harry Bell's
ReplyDeletePhotographers
for best painting. Balance, idea, skill and delight.
I'd like to nominate
ReplyDeleteBergamo Apartment
here 16 x 20 watercolour & pastel by Belinda Del Pesco posted on her blog June 26, 2008
and
Felicity Grace's coloured pencil portrait of Paul posted here on her blog January 29, 2008
My two nominations are :
ReplyDelete1. For painting Duane Keiser. Still surprising, still interesting, still innovative, still standing out from mediocity. Still painting little gems such as 'Dried Rice Noodles'
2. For drawing, ADEBANJI ALADE.
His sketches of people on the London Underground are fascinating. Sketch-blogging at it's best as they unroll & continue to unroll...I start somewhere to get the feeling that there's just no end to this 'exposition', this presentation of an endless subject.Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Sketches on the bus, train and tube in November XI
Particularly like the accompanying text for this page :
"More people............ I saw so many interesting faces today, sometimes they leave just before I could finish..............Life goes on! "
Name of Artist: Marie Fox
ReplyDeleteName of Blog: Marie Fox Studio
URL: http://mariefoxpaintingaday.blogspot.com/
Date of Post for Painting Nominated: December 21, 2008
Title of Painting Nominated: The Maiden
URL of Nominated Work: http://mariefoxpaintingaday.blogspot.com/2008/12/maiden.html
Reason for Nomination:
There are so many things that must work together to bring the “life” into a still-life. Luckily I saw this big painting just posted today by Marie Fox, whose painting blog I have been following. Previously most of her work has been smaller. I am excited she has grown the size of her paintings! In Marie’s The Maiden the realistic trompe l’oeil aspect of the work is made more forceful by the underlying design. The arc of the decorated fabric ribbon and its shadow curves the eye upward and along the edge of the pinned cloth. The viewer’s attention, like water in a fountain, is constantly recirculated into the image. The artist is not afraid of the space surrounding the cloth, ribbon, and card. The warm colored background seems to cradle these elements like a hand, concentrating attention inward. In addition subtle elements: the colored push pins, the scotch tape, the subtle shadows of the red and blue embroidered elements of the ribbon cast on the background give a taste to this painting like good spices do to a fine meal. In concert these elements makes this painting a favorite and my nominee for best artwork posted on an art blog in 2008.
Sincerely,
Robert Young
thanks K now I have to find somebody....
ReplyDelete