Nature Nominations for Best Artwork | MAM Awards 2012

The Making a Mark Prize for Best Picture of Nature in 2012 values the natural world and its plants and animals and celebrates excellence in portraying every aspect of nature.
The Nature category found its feet in 2012 - with the most nominations to date.  This year it's a strong category.

Listed below you will find the nominations for the Best Picture (Nature) on an art blog in 2012. The details of the nomination process and criteria for submissions can be found in Nominate the Best Artwork (Natural World) on a blog in 2012

• Three works will be shortlisted (including the nomination I've yet to make)
• Larger images of the three shortlisted works will be included in the invitation to vote for the winner which will be posted on Wednesday 26th December
• Voting for the best picture continues until a minute after midnight on 30th December

This is a link to the

• Portrait Nominations for Best Artwork | MAM Awards 2012
• Landscape Nominations for Best Artwork | MAM Awards 2012
• Still Life Nominations for Best Artwork | MAM Awards 2012

Nominations for Best Picture of a Place on an Art Blog 2012

Cirrhosa "Wisley Cream" by Jarnie Godwin
watercolour on paper (A3)
© Jarnie Godwin

Nominated Artwork: Cirrhosa "Wisley Cream''
Nominated Artist: Jarnie Godwin (Sketchbook Squirrel) - Hampshire, UK
Post: After Wisley C...?
Nominated by: Jessica Rosemary Shepherd Inky Leaves

I love all Jarnie's work. She has made so much progress in the last year and encourages all with her blog. I particularly like this piece because she is tackling flowers of a difficult colour. Cream and white flowers are always tricky to do.

The composition is unusual, but it works on the page and 'flows' with lots of movement. She has also captured the growth pattern of the species in the process. I love the tonal variation of the green leaves. It's a simple piece which to me works really well. It's striking, elegant and graceful.

Arc of Flight by Sheila M Evans
Pastel
24" x 14"
© Sheila M Evans

Nominated Artwork: Arc of Flight
Nominated Artist: Sheila M. Evans (Sheila M Evans) - Spokane, Washington
Post: Artfest 2012
Nominated by: Casey Klahn (The Colorist) - Washington State

This multi-award winning artist from Spokane, Washington, is possibly the most talented artist I know. Her idea of presenting leaves, illuminated in sunlight, is such a fine focus that you feel immediately the warmth. There is some tension in the life cycle of her subject, and she sometimes paints them in browns to drive this home. Her handling of pastels is superb.
Arc of Flight caught me with it's unique portrait aspect, subtle coloring of the leading edges, and the simple arc of color that travels the yellow to green field. Very graceful.

Black fox by Zoe Tilley Poster

graphite pencil drawing on bristol 

3 1/8 x 4 1/4in (7.6 x 10cm)

©  Zoe Tilley Poster

Nominated Artwork: Black Fox Sniffs the Air
Nominated Artist: Zoe Tilley Poster (Pearled Earth)
Post: Black fox
Nominated by: Rodrica Tilley (Roderica Tilley's Pastel Paintings and Works on Paper)

This artist consistently conveys both the beauty and mystery of nature. The black fox is studied in action, set in magic. The use of the moth motif is evocative of the fleeting glimpse we often get when we see foxes in the wild, floating silently at the edges. This drawing is typical of her work; it brings joy.

An Uncertain Encounter by Roger Brown

oil painting

91cm x 60cm (35.8" x 23.6")

© Roger Brown

Nominated Artwork: An Uncertain Encounter
Nominated Artist: Roger Brown (Art Of The Wild by Roger Brown) - Botswana
Post: First painting of 2012 finished (An uncertain encounter)
Nominated by: Self

The reason I like this painting is the fact that it depicts an encounter between two types of animals that very few people get to see in nature today.  Seeing rhino and elephants in the wild in itself, is a privileged, but to see them interacting with each other, is even more special.  This painting was submitted to the 2012 Wildlife Artist of the Year exhibit organised by the David Shepherd Wildlife foundation.  I was happy to find out that it passed the final judging,and although not chosen to be hung at the mall galleries in London, it was accepted into the online (Selected not Hung Gallery)

Pike by John Larriva
oil painting
7" x 5"
© John Larriva

Nominated Artwork: Pike
Nominated Artist: John Larriva (Paint-Tarts) - Fort Garland, Colorado, United States
Post: Pike
Nominated by: Crystal Cook (Art by Crystal Cook) Utah

I love this painting mostly because of the dramatic lighting and glow that the cat seems to have, but something that I really admire about John's work is his drawing style, which is both realistic and expressive. His brushstrokes are always economical and confident and his use of color and light is just gorgeous. He's my favorite modern day art blogger and every time he posts a painting I rush to see it.

Hippeastrum Picotee by Claire WardgouacheA3 (42x29.7cm)
© ClaireWard

Nominated Artwork: Hippeastrum Picotee
Nominated Artist: Claire Ward (Drawn to Paint Nature) West Wales
Post: Gouache Hippeastrum
Nominated by: Shevaun Docherty Ireland
Also nominated by Julie Whelan (Julie's Botanical Art blog) UK

I really like all of Claire's botanical paintings, but her gouache paintings are incredible. They remind me of Sally Keir's work. I think this painting is particularly elegant and striking, it glows with light. I like that she has experimented with iridescent paints and used them to create the shimmer on the petals. She then follows up with a blog post showing the work in progress. I felt very inspired by both her subject matter and her skill with gouache, but especially liked her generosity in sharing her techniques and knowledge. I was fortunate to see this beautiful painting at the SBA exhibition in April, and felt that it really stood out from the crowd. Not surprisingly, both this and her iris were sold!

Broken Flowers by Klara Petra Szabo

Installation: watercolor on paper

approx 100 x 100 cm

© Klara Petra Szabo

Nominated Artwork: Broken flowers (installation)
Nominated Artist: Klara Petra Szabo (Szabo Klara Petra) - Hungary

Post: Broken Flowers

Nominated by: Self

I would like to nominate a work of my own. I painted these flower during my residency period in Estonia.