Nominate the Best Artwork (Natural World) on a blog in 2012

You are invited to NOMINATE an artwork on an art blog for

The Making a Mark Prize (2012) for Best Picture - Nature

This prize values the natural world and its plants and animals and 

celebrates excellence in portraying every aspect of nature

The final category for the Best Picture on Art Blog in 2012 is the Natural World - covering botanical art, wildlife and natural history.

You are invited to nominate an artwork for The Making a Mark Prize for Best Picture - Natural World 2012. This post covers:

• eligibility of the artist
• eligibility of the artwork
• who can nominate
• how to nominate

Previous winners of this award (created in 2010) - who are both ineligible for this year's award - are:

• 2011: Ant by Suzanne Berry (Suzanne Berry) 
• 2010: The Right Side by Gayle Mason (Fur in the Paint)

PLEASE SHARE THIS LINK WITH OTHERS WHO MAY BE INTERESTED

Tell us all whose artwork involving portraiture or figures you appreciated in 2012.

Eligible artwork (drawings / paintings / prints):

• Images should be of the natural world - This prize helps us to focus on a very traditional form of art which over the years has helped to record the world around us in all its wonderful variation. The Nature can be botanical art and/or natural history art and/or wildlife art - or any combination.
• 2D artwork created using hands is eligible - artwork can be a painting (in any media) or a drawing (in any media) or a fine art print (using any method).  Photography is NOT eligible.
• Artwork must have been completed in 2012 and has appeared on an art or illustrated blog in 2012 and prior to 8th December 2012
• Work is NOT eligible if it appears to be one or more of the following:
• was not completed in 2012
• has not appeared on an art blog in 2012
• over-reliant on a photograph not taken by the artist
• subjected to lots of digital manipulation/tweaks (over and above that needed to make it read 'true' on screen)
• a photograph
• For the artwork to be shortlisted, the nominated artist must agree in writing to their work being displayed on Making A Mark as part of the shortlist (you can seek their agreement after the nomination and BEFORE the announcement of nominations in a post on this blog on 24th December)

Please be careful to check the date of the artwork and when it was posted to ensure eligibility.

Ant © Suzanne Berry (Suzanne Berry)
16x16" oil on cradled hardboardWinner of Best Picture of the Year (Nature) on an Art Blog 2011

Eligible artists

• In 2012, any artist creating artwork predominantly involving subject matter relating to the natural world - and posting their work to their personal art or illustrated blog can be nominated.
• An artist who has NOT won this prize in the last two years (ie 2010-2011) - as listed at the top of this post
• Only artists with independent art blogs operating in 2012 are eligible. (The awards exclude all corporate blogs and/or paid blogging.)
• An artist can be nominated more than once - by different people - for different works
• An artist can be nominated more than once - by different people - for the same work
• No canvassing is allowed (Canvassing = repeated mentions and/or touting for votes on other sites)
• Artists can announce the awards on their blog and/or the fact they have been nominated 
• Artists can reference on their art blog only
• the fact they have been shortlisted and 
• the post on this blog where the vote is taking place .
• Neither the artist nor the person nominating can canvas for votes - canvassing will result in disqualification. 

Who can nominate

• Nominations are ONLY accepted from peers i.e. people with an active art blog. 
• In order to nominate you must have an art or illustrated blog and be capable of being identified by me.
• Anonymous nominations are not permitted. (This is purely to stop spammers as I link to the blogs of all those who have nominated in a later post summarising the nominations!)
• An artist can nominate their own work 
• All nominations must be in English

How to Nominate

To nominate - just COMMENT ON THIS BLOG POST providing all the necessary details (see below) BEFORE 24th December 2012.

Your nominations MUST identify:

• the title of the piece
• the name of the artist,
• the size and medium (if possible)
• the name and URL of the blog (eg The Art Blog - http://artblog.blogspot.com)
• the date, title and URL of the blog post in which the artwork appears (you MUST provide a the precise URL for the location of the post and not just the URL for the blog)
• SAY WHY YOU LIKE THE WORK - this bit is really important so please do the best you can. Remember that nominations are open and transparent and that it's good to share a genuine tribute to a piece of work you like
• You need to ask the artist if their work can be posted on my blog - and let me know what the answer is. This can happen after the nomination and BEFORE 24th December.

What happens next

• Nominations close just after midnight on 23rd December 2012
• On 24th December 2012, a list of all nominations is posted - including a link to the person who nominated 
• I will then select a shortlist of three works from the nominations 
• The shortlist will be posted on 26th December 2012.  YOU will be invited to vote for your favourite artwork for The Making a Mark Prize for Best Artwork 2012 - Place
• This winner of the category prize is also eligible for the overall Making A Mark Prize for The Best Picture on an Art Blog in 2012.
• The winners will be announced on this blog on 30th December 2012

Please also NOMINATE for other MAKING A MARK AWARDS - calls for entry will be posted this weekend and next week.

Please read Best Pictures and Best Art Blogs 2012 - a review and consult the links below (to be posted) to find out more about the other Making A Mark Awards.

Invites to nominate for the remaining different categories associated with the Best Picture Award are listed below. The order of call for entries for the remaining nominations this weekend is as follows:

• The Making a Mark Prize (2012) for Best Picture - People - a formal portrait or a figurative artwork which is predominantly about a single person or group of people
• The Making a Mark Prize (2012) for Best Picture - Place - an artwork which is about a place - urban or rural, land or sea or sky, inside or out
• The Making a Mark Prize (2012) for Best Picture - Still Life - contrived or found, a narrative or an accident, large or small

Nominations for the other awards follow in the week commencing 12th December

• Making A Mark Nominations: Generating Art
• The Painting a Day Stickability Shield
• The Best Art Blog Project Virtual Challenge Cup
• NEW IN 2011 - The Best Art Society Blog
• Making A Mark Nominations: Getting Out of the Studio 
• The Painting Plein Air Plus Prize
• The Travels with a Sketchbook Trophy
• The Going Greener Gong
• Making A Mark Nominations: Learning about Art & the Art Business
• The FAQs and Answers Really Useful Medal
• The Make Me Think Gong
• The Best Book by an Art Blogger Blue Ribbon
• Making A Mark Nominations: The Home Front
• The Most Gorgeous Mouthwatering (MGM) Studio of the Year
• The Art Innovation of the Year Award
• “The Moose” - the award for the best animal in an illustrated blog

Links:

• The Making A Mark Art Blog Awards 
• Best Pictures and Best Art Blogs 2012 - a review
• The Making A Mark Awards 2006-2011
• Makingamark's Botanical Art Compendium This is a compendium of all the sites about botanical artists and botanical art created by makingamark (Katherine Tyrrell) as resources for both artists and botanical art lovers.
• Wildlife and Natural History Art - Resources for Artists This is a compendium of links to information and resources for artists who portray natural history, nature and wildlife.