Monday, December 07, 2009

Making A Mark: End of Year Review


I've been doing an end of year review every December since 2006. This is my fourth and my Review of 2009 kicks off with this post which outlines my plan for what happens and when - and how you can get involved.

Every year, there are three parts to the end of year review. Relevant dates are listed below to help keep me on track and for you to note if you want to read and/or participate
  1. An overall review of what 2009 has meant for blogging and art.
  2. The Making A Mark Awards - which start this week with nominations by you! [UPDATE: Links to all the invites to nominate are now listed at the end of this post]
  3. My own Personal End of Year Review of 2009

2009 review of blogging and art

In this part of the review, I comment on the changes in the blogosphere and for art bloggers and art blogging in particular. I'll also be seeing how I did with my predictions for 2009, comment on the impact of things nobody expected (now what were they?) and generally try and come up with some predictions for 2010.
  • A review of the blogging practices of artists and illustrators in 2009 - what has stayed the same and what has changed from the perspective of the individual art blogger - posted on 22nd December
  • Blogging art within the context of changes in the wider art economy - to be posted on 23rd December

The Making A Mark Awards

  • Invites to nominate will be posted this week.
  • Voting for the best artwork prizes will close a minute after midnight on 30th December
  • The Making A Mark (MaM) Awards RESULTS will be posted on the 29th and 30th December.
To date I've always chosen all those artists and bloggers considered for a prize except for the Best Artwork on a Blog where my readers have generated the nominations and then voted on my shortlist. NEW!!! This year, I want to open up the process to more involvement and participation by the readers of Making A Mark.
  • For all of the awards that means you can also get involved in generating nominations
  • For the awards which are about the best artwork on a blog you can - as before - generate both nominations and vote on a shortlist
Both those nominated and those identified as winners in the past have told me that the Making A Mark Awards result in an awful lot of subsequent extra traffic to their blogs.

In 2009, you are INVITED TO NOMINATE artists and blogs for the Making A Mark Awards. This week I will create a specific post about each of them and invite your nominations. So please wait for the specific posts before telling me you want to nominate - via a comment on this blog. However if you want to tweet about the fact that nominations are being sought this week please feel free! (Can I suggest you use #MAM for Twitter)

Below you can see the awards - and also which blogs have won them. Note the NEW AWARDS FOR 2009!

The Best Art Blog Project Virtual Challenge Cup
This was won in 2008 by Karin Jurick's blog project Different Strokes from Different Folks.

The FAQs and Answers Really Useful Medal - for sharing useful information (for free)
This was won in 1008 by James Gurney (Gurney Journey)

The Make Me Think Gong
The previous winners of this 'gong' continue to provide many posts which are both interesting to read and also make me think. They are:
The Travels with a Sketchbook Trophy (which absorbs the 'Get Off Your Blogging Bottom and Sketch' Brass Plate)
Previous winners have been:
  • 2006 - Laura Frankstone (Laurelines) won the “Travels with a Sketchbook Award primarily for blogging her sketches of Paris in October
  • 2006 - Julie Oakley won the “Get off your Blogging Bottom and Sketch”Brass Platefor her One Mile from Home blog).
  • 2007 - Martha (Trumpetvine Travels) won the new combined award
  • 2008 - posthumously awarded to Cindy Woods. (Learning Daily).
The Painting a Day Stickability Shield
Previous winners include:
The Painting Plein Air Plus Prize
This award has previously been won by
The Going Greener Gong (artwork about nature / with a green theme)
The 2008 joint winners of the Going Greener Gong were: Irene Brady and Nature Drawing and Journaling Workshops and Debbie Kotter Caspari and Drawing the Motmot

“The Moose” Award for the best animal in an illustrated blog
Previous winners have been:
The “Tales from the Frontline” Mention in Despatches / The “Amusing Musings” Trophy
Previous winners of this prize are:
  • 2006 - Ruth Phillips (Meanwhile, here in France) won The “Tales from the Frontline” Mention in Despatches
  • 2006 - Hugh McLeod (Gaping Void) and Maggie Stiefvater (Greywaren Art) won the Amusing Musings Trophy
  • 2007 - Dermott (I am Dog Hear Me Snore) the Australian Old English Sheep Dog who lives in Tuscany with Mr and Mrs We Spent a Long Time Boofing This Dog - won both!
  • 2008 - Tracy Helgeson (Works by Tracy Helgeson) plus Doug and Ginger and all those who helped with the new studio
NEW!!! The Most Gorgeous Mouthwatering (MGM) Studio of the Year - for the most improved studio in 2009.
This is a new award for this year

NEW!!! The Best Book by an Art Blogger Blue Ribbon - for the most helpful book written/produced by an art blogger in 2009

Best Artwork
  • The MaM Prize for best rendition of person or persons (portraiture or figure work)
  • NEW!!! The MaM Prize for the best portrayal of a place (landscape, urban scenes, seascapes, interiors etc)
  • NEW!!! The MaM Prize for best still life (still life, floral, botanical)
  • Shortlisted finalists for the above will also be eligible for......The MaM Prize – for the best artwork completed and posted on an art/illustrated blog in 2009
On Thursday 24th December I will post the final short lists for:
  • The MaM Prize for best rendition of person or persons
  • The MaM Prize for the best portrayal of a place
  • The MaM Prize for best still life
  • the best artwork completed and posted on an art/illustrated blog in 2008
Personal End of Year Review of 2009 and Plans for 2010

The end of the calendar year is a good time for a review. I know I've not been too good at keeping to Making A Mark in 2009 - The Plan and I'll be 'fessing up in My Personal Review of 2009 on 31st December - and review what did I get up to and how did I do on achieving the things I set out to do in 2009.

Which is immediately followed by the Grand Plan for 2009 on 1st January 2010!!! Yet more optimism about how much I can hope to pack in.......... ;)

Links: The Making A Mark Awards 2010 for blogging about art
Posted by Making A Mark on Monday, December 07, 2009
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