Saturday, December 08, 2012

Nominate the Best Picture of People on an Art Blog in 2012

You are invited to NOMINATE an artwork on an art blog for
The Making a Mark Prize (2012) for Best Picture - People

This prize aims to celebrate and highlight excellence
in portraiture and/or artwork predominantly involving figures

Today is the Call for Entries for the Making A Mark - Best Picture Awards

It starts with an invitation for nominations for The Making a Mark Prize for Best Picture - People 2012

This post covers:
  • eligibility of the artist
  • eligibility of the artwork
  • who can nominate
  • how to nominate
Previous winners of this award include:
Prizewinners in the last three years (2009-2011) are ineligible for this award.

Will it be another female artist who wins in 2012?

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):
  • subject matter: the artwork must be predominantly of a person or people.  This can be a formal portrait or a figurative artwork which is predominantly about a single person or group of people.
  • 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 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 this blog 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.


Dream by Sophie Ploeg (Sophie Ploeg
Joint Winner of
Making a Mark Prize (2011) for Best Picture - Portrait

Eligible artists
  • In 2012, any artist creating portraits or artwork predominantly involving figures - real or imaginary - 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 three years (ie 2009-2011) - 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. 
"Leah at Sea" by Taryn Day
Joint Winner of 
Making a Mark Prize (2011) for Best Picture - Portrait

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 - People 
  • 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. CLICK THE LINKS IN THE TITLES TO GO TO THIS POST
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:
    Portraiture - Resources for ArtistsThis site is about portrait painting and drawing. Do you want to learn how to draw or paint people? Or maybe you want to know more about portrait societies or portrait competitions; portrait artists or portrait exhibitions; portraits in museums or portraits online?

    10 comments:

    1. I would like to nominate ,an oil painting entitled, Red Bow,it is 40.7x30.5 cm and was done by Arto Istalo. You can veiw this painting at http://artoisotalo.blogspot.com/2012/04/red-bow.html.His Blog is called Artos Art. http://artoisotalo.blogspot.com/,

      This is one portrait painting that has stood out in my memory from this year.The reasons I like this painting ,is the way he used quick fresh strokes of the brush to complete it.I love the contrasts,of color and texture,a dark brown background done with a thin wash,and then the thick impasto white of the little girls bonnet.Although its entitled the Red Bow,the bow is just a small splash of red ,almost insignificant and yet it stills captures the viewers attention.Certainly a painting I would have on my wall.

      ReplyDelete
    2. I would like to enter a work of my own titled simply "Figure Study c. 2012", 8"x11", red chalk, by Michael Whynot.
      Name of blog: And The Splendor Is Without End - http://andthesplendoriswithoutend.blogspot.com
      Date:Oct. 05, 2102
      Title: The rhythm of Life.
      URL of post: http://andthesplendoriswithoutend.blogspot.ca/2012/10/the-rhythm-of-life.html
      I like this particular work because in this torso study I have finally begun to achieve a real sense of volume. All the pieces finally came together: line weight, tone, gesture; the figure seems as though it is preparing to move at any moment.

      ReplyDelete
    3. I would like to nominate my works titled "anger or anguish?" done with coffee on paper, 'Holi' and 'Fragmented civilisation' under the category portrait and figure. My name is Sudakshina Ghosh and my blog, 'Pages from my journal' can be found at
      http://myartwork-shina.blogspot.co.uk/
      I have done the portrait only with coffee mixed with water on water colour paper. The face is a random face from the crowd in India but the expression is entirely my own imagination. The second piece Holi is done in water colour on paper again from my imagination, depicting the celebration of spring in Santiniketan,West Bengal-India. The third piece also from my imagination is about the asian civilisation.

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. You can only nominate one work if self-nominating. I've taken your first nomination

        Delete
      2. Thank you. That's absolutely fine with me.

        Delete
    4. Is it possible to nominate an assemblagist?
      I know a very special artist that makes a fabulous assemblages. She is Dale Copeland. http://dalecopeland.co.nz/default.htm
      http://dalecopeland.co.nz/Room5/exhibit5.htm
      This one has taken me months to make .. I wanted it to be right.
      On a little old guillotine there is a skull. I bought it in Kathmandu, lined with Indian silver with gemstones. (I used to threaten the teachers' staffroom that I'd take it to their socials filled with cheese dip, but I never did.)
      It lifts off - I made the hinges from an old leather belt, and lined the skull with leather from an abandoned leather jacket.
      Then you see a brass mask. It also is hinged and lined with leather.
      At last, a book, with a fragment of ceramic doll's face on the cover and with pages collaged and with a written rant, my "conclusions". My thoughts on what's worth doing, what's a rational way to spend a short life.
      All very self-indulgent, but I like it.

      Thanks

      ReplyDelete
    5. I really wanted to nominate "Masai Women" by Jeanette Jobson, which you featured here recently, but it is on her blog from 2010. My comment from that post said how much I was struck by this great sensitive portrait.

      Still, I enjoyed reading her posts and seeing its development over several posts. Worth taking a look at.

      I will have to consider some others, still looking, pondering...

      ReplyDelete
    6. Hi Katherine,

      I sheepishly would like to nominate my own painting because it was an important milestone for me which I will say (probably way too much) more about below the details:

      Date and title of painting Post: 11/28/2012; "Brown Delivers...in the Dark (portrait in oil with steps in the process)"
      The post url: http://wp.me/pYe1-27Y.
      Title: "UPS Delivers at Night"
      Medium: Oil on stretched canvas
      Size: 20 h x16 w"
      Name and URL of blog: Janas Journal at
      You have my permission to post the image

      Why I like it:

      I have been studying oil painting, mostly on my own, for the past three years after painting in watercolor for 25 years. I struggled on so many levels--it was a difficult transition. But I was persistent and tried to turn every roadblock into an opportunity to learn (after getting over the despair of yet another failure!)

      Finally, with this painting, everything came together. I found an oil painting process that works for me, from the critical initial drawing and value study through each of the steps and layers of the painting. This also includes allowing initial strokes to live as is when they say what they need to say. This was especially true in the hand which was painted quickly as a first layer but upon stepping back and looking, I saw it "just worked" as is and I left it alone.

      I was so pleased at the comments on the post which mentioned the kindness and sweetness of this gentleman because I saw that not only had I captured his likeness but also his warm heart (despite the cold, dark setting of the painting).

      When I shared the post of the painting with the UPS driver he was thrilled and wants to buy it to hang in his home as a family heirloom for his kids (the best possible measure of success of a portrait!) He has worked for UPS for 11 years and has 4 children. He shared it with his UPS colleagues and now when UPS delivers they know me as the one who painted Larry. And UPS Corporate wants to feature a story about it in January!

      As background to how I happened to paint him: I started a series of paintings of people working...from photos I took in my local shops (butcher, barista, librarian, etc.). One night in December this UPS man delivered the flooring for my studio renovation and I asked if I could take his photo. He was sweet, posed quickly (it was late) and we exchanged business cards. The other paintings are still awaiting final finishing details but when Larry called me a couple months ago to check on the painting it spurred me to finish his.

      ReplyDelete
    7. I would like to nominate Suzanne Lago Arthur's portrait of her son.

      Title: Independence Day
      Artist: Suzanne Lago Arthur

      I am particularly fond of this portrait because of how it combines a highly finished rendering of a young boy holding a sparkler while also abstracting the background. This could be anyone’s son, in any yard in America on the 4th of July. A universal theme that reaches out and speaks to my heart. And it is also a capital likeness of her son!

      http://lagoarthurstudio.wordpress.com/2012/10/29/independence-day/

      ReplyDelete
    8. I would like to nominate a work of my own:
      Private palm house / 2012 / watercolor on paper / 17 x 27,5 cm by Szabo Klara Petra

      link of the pics:
      http://szaboklarapetra1.blogspot.hu/2012/01/private-palm-house-2012-akvarell.html

      This is a selfportratit. Very personal. I painted to someone.

      link of my blog:
      http://szaboklarapetra.blogspot.hu/

      ReplyDelete

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