Shortlist for Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize 2009 announced

Images of the works shortlisted for the Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize 2009
copyright the artists / courtesy of Parker Harris

Six artists have been shortlisted for the Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize 2009. This competition is designed to encourage creative representational painting and promote the skill of draughtsmanship. It attracts prize money totalling £22,500.

I'm struck by how the six works although varied in style seem to fit together - indicating to me that there may have been more of a unity of vision and agreement among the judges this year. In big prize exhibitions I'm more used to seeing selections which tend to be quite diverse. They usually suggest to me, to put it bluntly, that that there may have been some trade-offs prior to works being narowed down to the final shortlist. However, I see a different 'big picture' this year.

I haven't been able to track down all the artists (see hyperlinks below), however my other initial impression is that the judges have maybe selected a younger set of artists than hitherto. Not emerging artists per se - more artists of the nineties. For example, Toby Wiggins has been around for a little while and has won prizes prior to this, I very much admired his work when he won the BP Travel Award in 2007 and his work was exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery.

I wish I'd got the sizes for the different works (I'm asking for them). When they are all diminished down to the same thumbnail it's difficult to know which works might be admired for their scale - whether large or small.

The six works and artists are:

• (top left) The secret place (oil on canvas, 183 x 168 cm) by Lisa Wright
• (top middle and right) Top knots ( oil on linen, 137 x 117 cm) by Anna Gardiner
  
• (top right) Bluebell Wood Twilight (oil on canvas, 115 x 125 cm) by Emma Howarth
• (bottom left) Suspended animation (oil on canvas, 84 x 84 cm) by Toby Wiggins
• (bottom middle) Natural Philosophy (oil on board, 91 x 71 cm) by Michael De Bono
• (bottom right) The ending of the day (oil on board, 84 x 61 cm) by Lorna Vahey
  

Prizes: The First Prize of £15,000, Young Artist Prize of £2,500 and Runner-Up Prizes will be announced and awarded by Angela Flowers at the Private View on Monday 16th November.

The judges this year were artists Mick Rooney RA, Daphne Todd OBE PPRP NEAC and Susan Wilson; Director of the Flowers Gallery, Angela Flowers and Andrew Wilton, visiting research fellow at Tate Britain.

Selected artists: Last month in 82 works selected for Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize I published the names of the artists chosen for the exhibition. The works were selected from 800 entries.

Details of the exhibition which opens in the City of London next week are below.

Links:

• Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize 2009 - Exhibition is at Painters’ Hall, 9 Little Trinity Lane, London EC4V 2AD from 13th to 30th November 2009. Open Monday to Saturday 10am to 4pm. Nearest tube:Mansion House. Admission Free. Email lps@parkerharris.co.uk or call 01372 462190 for more information
• Painter Stainers