MAM Awards 2011: Natural World Nominations for Best Artwork

The Making a Mark Prize for Best Portrayal of Nature in 2011 values the natural world and its plants and animals and celebrates excellence in portraying every aspect of nature.

This was a new award last year and I'm not sure people have yet understood what the category covers as it drew only a small number of nominations.  I've still to decide what my nomination is.

Below you can find the nominations I received for the best picture (natural world) on an art blog in 2011.

• I'll be posting a shortlist of three works inviting you to vote for the one you think is best on Monday 26th December
• I'll be including larger images of the shortlisted works in the invitation to vote for the winner
• You then have until 29th December to vote for the work you think is the best (ie voting closes a minute after midnight GMT on 30th December )

This is a link to the

• Portrait Nominations for Best Artwork
• Landscape Nominations for Best Artwork
• Still Life Nominations for Best Artwork
• Natural World Nominations for Best Artwork

The details of the nomination process and criteria for submissions can be found in Nominate the Best Artwork (Natural World) on a blog in 2011

Nominations for Best Artwork (Natural World) 

Alyogyne huegelii 'West Coast Gem'
by Vicki Lee Johnston

Nomination: Alyogyne huegelii 'West Coast Gem' by Vicki Lee Johnston (Vicki Lee Johnston)

Post: Composition...
Nominated by: Jessica Rosemary Shepherd

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.

Ant by Suzanne Berry
16x16" oil on cradled hardboard SOLD

Nomination: "The Ant" by Suzanne Berry (Suzanne Berry)

Post: The Ant
Nominated by: David Teter

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.

(David neglects to mention that this ant's name is actually Alvin!)