Adam Binder wins Wildlife Artist of the Year 2010

Yesterday evening, at the Mall Galleries, Adam Binder's stunningly simple bronze sculpture of a polar bear on an iceberg - "Sinking Feeling" - won him the title of Wildlife Artist of the Year 2010.

(left to right) David Shepherd CBE, Adam Binder, David Gower and Robert Lindsay
at the Wildlife Artist of the Year 2010 Awards, Mall Galleries, London
photo copyright Katherine Tyrrell

The title, supported by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF), comes with a cash prize of £10,000 generously donated by the exhibition sponsors. Binder received his prize from actor Robert Lindsay who is a friend of DSWF, at last night's reception at the Mall Galleries in London.

The exhibition includes over 100 works of art short-listed for the competition are on display and for sale, to benefit endangered wildlife. The Exhibition runs until Saturday 29th May.

You can see the works on display on the exhibition website. You can also download the exhibition catalogue. I'm also going to be doing another post later in the week to give you a sense of what the works look like in the show.

Meanwhile this post is going to focus on the five prizewinners.

Prizewinners

There are five categories in the exhibition and below are the winners together with photos and comments about their work

Click the link in the artists' names to visit their websites and see more of their work and where it is exhibited.

Sinking Feeling
by Adam Binder Bronze 23 x 16 x 14cm
£5,450 Edition of 12
copyright Adam Binder / photo copyright Katherine Tyrrell

OVERALL WINNER and Winner of Wildlife in 3D: Any sculpture in any medium (£10,000): Adam Binder

I was absolutely amazed when my name was called out. Looking around at the talent I was competing against I really didn’t think I had a chance. I feel honoured to be chosen from among so many wonderful artists
Adam Binder

I had an opportunity to talk to Adam after the presentation. His main field of artistic endeavour until now has been in art collectibles including netsuke marble resin sculptures and medium and small bronzes - unless commissioned. The bronze sculpture is an off white due a process of patination using a special chemical recipe.

Based in Meysey Hampton near Cirencester, his studio is open to visit plus he's got a number of galleries around the UK which display his work but no gallery in London as yet. I'm sure a very sensible gallery will be making him an offer very soon!

OVERALL RUNNER UP and winner of Endangered Wildlife: Any wild animal or plant that is threatened or endangered nationally or internationally (£1,000 and master class with David Shepherd) - Last of Many by Paul Bartlett

Last of Many by Paul Bartlett
Collage 94 x 61cm
£850
copyright Paul Bartlett / photo copyright Katherine Tyrrell

Paul Barlett is a self-taught artist with a PhD in Animal Behaviour. He is an Associate Member of the Society of Wildlife Artists and wib the Birdwatch Artist of the Year in 2006 at their annual exhibition. This year he will be holding his first exhibition of new works in the USA.

Winner of Wild Places: Any scene or landscape showing the natural environment at its wildest, most beautiful or dramatic (£500) - Ice, Kittiwakes and Belugas by Darren Rees SWA

Ice, Kittiwakes & Belugas by Darren Rees
Acrylic 100x65cm
£1,650
copyright Darren Rees / photo copyright Katherine Tyrrell

Darren is a mathematician turned selftaught artist. His first solo book Bird Impressions was runner up for the Natural history Book of the Year Award and received much critical acclaim. He's a full member of the Society of Wildlife Artists

You can see more of his Artic Portfolio on his website.

He has also just started a blog called Darren Rees. How about giving him some encouragement with a comment? :)

Winner of Wildlife in Action: Any wild animal jumping, fighting, flying or showing any other interesting behaviour (£500) - Buffalo in Motion by Davina Bosanquet

Davina Bosanquet and her painting Buffalo in Motion
Winner of Wildlife in Action category
Oil on Linen 60x200cm
£2,750
copyright David Baosanquet / photo copyright Katherine Tyrrell

David Shepherd's commented about this painting of buffalos running as follows

A very well excecuted painting. You can almost hear the thunder of hooves and feel the heat and dust being kicked up. I love the modernistic approach of this painting. A very worthy category winner.

I spoke to Davina about how she got into wildlife art. It started for her with a visit to Africa when she was 13 and has continued ever since. She has been the artist in residence at a Gorilla project in Gabon and produced a painting which won her a Highly Commended at last year's show.

Winner of the Open category (£500): Bad Hair Day by Nick Mackman

Judge and artist Hazel Soan commented...

It's as if the artist grasped the nud beneath her feet and conjured up the magic of Africa - here is humour, pathos and personality.

Nick Mackman and her sculpture Bad Hair Day
Winner of the Open Category
Ceramic & mixed media 40x45cm
£1,600 (Sold)
photo copyright Katherine Tyrrell

I asked Nick what was her inspiration behind her clay warthog sculpture having a 'bad hair day' and she commented that what she looked like in the mirror in the morning had been one factor! ;)

The sculture is ceramic and mixed media - the latter including horse hair and bristles from her sweeping brush. It took her about a week to make.

I'm guessing that one of the things she is most pleased about is that her sculpture has been bought by David Shepherd! Her work can be seen in these art galleries.

Commenting on his involvement, Robert Lindsay said:

David Shepherd's idea to use his passion as an artist and conservationist to engage fellow artists in raising awareness and funds for wildlife is inspired. The result, the Wildlife Artist of the Year competition, has produced three successive and wonderful exhibitions of wildlife art contributing thousands of the pounds to the protection of critically endangered mammals and their wild habitats. I feel honoured to be associated with David, this competition and his wildlife foundation.

For those who are interested in animal and wildlife art and who can get to the exhibition I suggest you make sure you pay it a visit at the Mall Galleries before it closes on Saturday 29th May.

For those of you can't get there, I'll be posting more pictures from the exhibition later this week including photos of paintings of two gorillas which have both been awarded a Highly Commended by

• watercolour and miniature artist Tracy Hall (Watercolour Artist Diary)
  
• coloured pencil artist Leslie Evans (Chisaii) who also has a total of three pieces in the exhibition)
  

Links:

• Art competition: Wildlife Artist of the Year Thursday, January 28, 2010
• Exhibition review: Wildlife Artist of the Year 2009 Tuesday, June 02, 2009
• Wildlife Artist of the Year 2010
• David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation
• Wildlife Art - Resources for Artists