Thursday, September 14, 2023

Wildlife Artist of the Year 2023 Exhibition


This is about the David Shepherd Foundation's Wildlife Artist of the Year 2023 Exhibition at the Mall Galleries, which I visited on Tuesday. It provides:

  • announcement of the artwork winning the top prize
  • comments on the Exhibition
  • my photos of the exhibition - plus links to more images of the artwork - including all the Category Winners
  • comments on pricing and sales

Wildlife Artist of the Year 2023


"The Journey" by Karen Laurence-Row
(Abstract World category)
oil and gold leaf 113 x 113 cm framed
SOLD

The winner of Wildlife Artist of the Year 2023 Prize is Karen Laurence-Row for her oil and gold leaf painting titled "The Journey" (Abstract World category) 113 x 113 cm framed.

It's the story of a giraffe. It's much more abstract than most winners have been in the past. I can't tell you anything about it or why it was chosen as there's nothing on the website and, despite a request, I've not been emailed a press release.
Born in Uganda, daughter to a civil engineer, her family lived almost a nomadic existence, moving around East Africa to wherever a road or a bridge was needed. With no towns or cities around for hundreds of miles, Karen and her siblings would draw to entertain themselves. These memories of Africa’s virtually unspoiled landscapes, teeming with game and magnificent views, were to influence her subject matter as an artist in later years. (her website)
The Judges for the Awards in 2023 were made up of
  • PR and advertising experts: Karrie Goldberg (Founder of The Kagency and Outernet)
  • artists: Hazel Soan Gary Hodges, Mandy Shepherd and Emily Shepherd
  • conservationists: Melanie Shepherd, Chair of the DSWF Board of Trustees
  • gallery owners: Simon Trapnell (founder of Nature in Art)
  • art expert / agent: Rita Alay Libera Del Curoto Askernasy (Founder of MT Art Agency)
  • interior designers: Wendy Feess.

Category winners


The categories have been revised this year. They now include:
  • Abstract World and 
  • Environmental Activism.
The latter category was won by Ophelia Redpath the winner of the Landscape Artist of the Year 2021 with her painting Not in a Million Years. Below is my photo of her two stunning paintings and her habit of creating paintings with a story seems particularly apposite for this competition and the Environmental Activism category. She also won The Artist Editor's Choice Prize as well - so expect an article about Ophelia's wildlife paintings in an upcoming edition of The Artist

Two paintings in the Environmental Activism category
by Ophelia Redpath

As things stand at the moment there's no listing of the category winners on their website - but you can see them on my Facebook Page (see link below)

You can also see a solo exhibition by Cy Baker in the East Gallery. He won last year when the exhibition was online only. I'll be doing a blog post about him later this week and he also gets a mention below.

The Wildlife Artist of the Year Exhibition 2023


There has been no physical exhibition for three years so I was very pleased to see a very welcome and very impressive sight when I walked in to the Mall Galleries - and I commend this exhibition to all lovers of wildlife art.

Very sadly, as the exhibition has switched away from online only, we are left with a conundrum. The website now appears to be entirely focused on sales and is removing all sold images from view - so you cannot see the artwork which won the major prize and many others which have sold

[UPDATE: I've now found both the 2023 Exhibition Online and the Finalists Artwork - where you can vote for your favourite in the People's Choice Award]

You can also see my album of photos of the exhibition on my Facebook Page - where you can see the winner AND all the category winners!!


The DWSF Wildlife Artist of the Year Exhibition 2023 is on at the Mall Galleries 

  • until 16th September - from 10am - 5pm every day. 
  • Entrance is FREE. 
  • There is an excellent catalogue available at the front desk 

DSWF Wildlife Artist of the Year is an internationally renowned wildlife art competition and exhibition, which each year attracts entries from some of the most talented artists around the globe, who come together to celebrate the beauty of the natural world.


The exhibition fills the West Gallery of the Mall galleries and looks simply splendid. Observations I noted during my visit include:

READ MORE......>>
Posted by Making A Mark on Thursday, September 14, 2023 0 comments
Categories , , , , , , , ,

Friday, September 08, 2023

Am I hacked or not? Or is it all Google's fault?

I feel like Google has got me running round and round in circles at the moment on my laptop. Plus I think Google may well be the maverick in the mix!

Google is telling me - via Search Console - that a website I own has been hacked i.e. 

  • a new sub-domain URLs exists - whereas I never ever use sub-domains
    • i.e. sub domain name prefixes exist (e.g. https://hacker.mywebsite.com - where I own mywebsite.com )
  • this is identified by gmail headed Alert - Hacked content found on (your website domain name URL)
  • they then identify new website owners - of the new sub-domain
  • this is identified in a gmail headed New owner for (sub-domain website URL)

Identifying non-existent sub-domains

I need to get them deleted but first I have to find them - and that is proving very difficult

To date, I have been wholly unable to identify any sub-domains - which should be obvious given how my page listing works.

It could be a tiny bit of script somewhere - but I haven't been able to find it as there are no clues as to where it is located.

Removing sub-domains


So I've been looking for help from Google by stopping all the sub-domains from being shared via the Google Search Index instead!
  • via the Removals Tool in Search Console (in the Indexing Section in the left hand column)
  • BUT this is only a temporary measure
Where you find the Removals tool


Google has acted on all my requests except one - for some reason. Need to work that one out.
However the removal from the index is only temporary - and I still need to work out why they exist.

Non-existent owners with gmails


I've reported the gmail addresses used by new sub-domain owners to Google Gmail 
  • despite the fact that Google Search Console say they do not exist!!
  • you can check who owns your website / domain name via Search Console Settings and Ownership Verification.



Unhelpful websites

So far, both my domain name registrar (Namecheap) and my website host (Square/Weebly) have proved to be pretty useless at helping me out. 

Neither have explained how the particular hack affecting me happens - and yet I can't be the first.

Apparently it's all down to me!

A helpful site if you get hacked


I have found one helpful website while working my round what on earth is going on.

Take a look at https://hacked.com/been-hacked/ for a page of tips and recommendations.

They also provide remote help for a fee. I've not tried it - as yet.
I'm still working on the principle that Google is doing something wrong!

One more thing..... Country blocking


I've got a stats package which provides very detailed answers and at the moment I have worked out that it looks likely that all the hackers and the sub-domains come from either China or Malaysia

So my next task is to work out how to block China and Malaysia!

I've done this before - but can't remember how and I think it might have been on different webware. 

I think I've just found an inexpensive app which might do this. It's worth a go....

Posted by Making A Mark on Friday, September 08, 2023 0 comments
Categories , , , , , , ,

Wednesday, September 06, 2023

Freddie Mercury - the Art Collection at Auction

You can review the artworks and art and design artefacts in the collection of Freddie Mercury on the Sotheby's website.

The four auctions of Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own | The Evening Sale starts at 5pm on Wednesday 6th September. There are four auctions in total - see below for details. Do watch the video about him and his collecting - it's absolutely fascinating.

Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own | The Auctions

The auctions will be taking place as follows:

All I can say is he had eclectic and exquisite taste. It's a pleasure to look through many of the lots. The one I enjoyed the most was the "At Home" where I also noted a number of lots which seemed like an absolute bargain!

Interestingly his own drawings have already drawn bids much in excess of the estimated value according to the auctioneer. I'm not surprised.

I predict the Cat Waistcoat (Lot 281: Freddie Mercury's silk waistcoat featuring portraits of Freddie Mercury's six cats, painted by Nerissa Ratcliffe) will go stratospheric - relative to any other sale of a waistcoat!


Posted by Making A Mark on Wednesday, September 06, 2023 0 comments
Categories ,

Tuesday, September 05, 2023

20 million pageviews!!

Making A Mark has finally achieved 20 million pageviews - as counted by Blogger!

It also recently made it to six million unique visits as well.

125k+ Visitors from all over the world in the last 6 months

I feel so silly though as I knew it was coming up - but took my eye off the ball so I don't know when it happened but it was in the last few days!

Despite me writing a lot less now (only 106 posts so far this year!) - for reasons I explained in my last post - it's still generating a lot of visits from all over the world - and most stick around and take a longer look at what else can be found on the blog.

Below are tips for how to get people to visit and to keep coming back....

Making A Mark - the story so far

Blogger hasn't quite adjusted to blogs being as old as mine. This is the chart on the stats page

The story since 2011 (when it was already 5 years old) - when it achieved 1 million visits

Previous posts on this topic include:

I included a tip for how to get visits and visitors who want to look around once they arrive in 11 tips for how to get 1 million website visitors quickly

The 11 Tips (explained in the post) were:
1. Make your website very focused
2. Make every webpage very specific - make it a niche within a niche
3. Make every title very specific in terms of its topic
4. Provide a short summary of what each page contains at the top.
5. Make navigation very easy
6. Have a plan for how your website will develop
7. Use statistics to guide development
8. People look at images and read words - but really they scan both!
9. Write about what you know
10. Refresh and update a website regularly (use a blog)
11. Do link to relevant other websites - and encourage them to link back

Blog posts to date

The Archive tells me that the pattern looks like this - with over 4,400 published blog posts to date.

I started out writing virtually every day - for three years.

Then started having one day a week off. I producing around about 300 posts each year or very nearly 6 blog posts a week. This continued (apart from when I was on holiday) until I started to write my book in 2014.
Posted by Making A Mark on Tuesday, September 05, 2023 0 comments
Categories , , , , , , , ,

Monday, September 04, 2023

FINAL Call for Entries: Society of Wildlife Artists Annual Exhibition 2023

You have until 12 noon on Friday 8th September to get your entries submitted for the Open Annual Exhibition 2023 of the Society of Wildlife Artists.

For some completely unfathomable reason, I've only just realised that I somehow never did the Call for Entries for the Society of Wildlife Artists Annual Exhibition 2023 called "The Natural Eye".

So here's a reminder that the DEADLINE for ONLINE SUBMISSIONS ONLY is noon on Friday 8th September.

You can see images of the artwork in past exhibitions in my reviews listed at the end of this blog post

Sculptures and paintings from last year's exhibition

Call for Entries

"The focus of the Society’s year is the annual exhibition, The Natural Eye, featuring all art media. This is an open exhibition, held every autumn at the prestigious Mall Galleries in London. It is a showcase for the very best of art inspired by the natural world and is considered the foremost event in the British wildlife art calendar." - Harriet Mead, President

Below is the "what you need to know" to send in an entry.
See also https://www.mallgalleries.org.uk/open-calls/society-wildlife-artists-open-now


ARTISTS: Who can enterAny artist over 18 may submit.
  • It's is NOT restricted to artists who live/work in the UK.
  • If you're an international artist you can submit artwork to this exhibition - but first make sure you understand that involves.
ARTWORK: What can you enter

  • Work should be 
    • based on representing the world’s wildlife and
    • should have been completed within the last three years.
  • A maximum of six artworks - and if you are successful, all six will be hung!
  • All artwork must be for sale.
  • Acceptable media: 
    • Work may be in any medium including drawing, painting, sculpture and original prints (if prints, please detail edition and how many are available).
    • The SWLA is keen to embrace new and innovative mediums and will accept computer-generated images as ‘original prints’. However, a digital print is only considered an original print if it was created by the artist to be realised specifically 
      as a print.
  • Ineligible media
    • Reproductions of paintings or photographs will not be accepted.
    • Photographic reproductions or mechanical prints, giclée prints, etc., that are often promoted as ‘limited edition prints’ are not acceptable.
  • Inadmissible artwork
    • Work exhibited previously at Mall Galleries is not admissible.
    • botanical subjects, pets and domestic animals, 
    • art on decorative wares (such as vessels or tiles). 
    • Works depicting wildlife divorced from its environment or without place, setting or context are rejected in many cases. 
  • Artwork which will NOT be hung
    • Artworks that are poorly presented
    • or differ significantly from the photograph entered will not be exhibited.
ENTRIES: Deadline 


The deadline for all ONLINE SUBMISSIONS ONLY is 12 noon on Friday 8th September 2022 you need to 

  • complete the online form 
  • pay your submission fee 
  • upload your digital image(s) Images must be in JPEG format and under 5MB

MONEY: How much does it cost to submit an entry?

  • The submission fee is £20 per work (or £14 per work for artists aged 35 or under).

KEY POINTS ON PRICING - how should I price my art?

I've written many times about pricing for exhibitions at the Mall Galleries. While the Own Art option (of paying in instalments) is available, it's not obvious or well advertised and hence the 'nuts and bolts' are these
  • Most of the people who buy art at the Mall Galleries are characterised by me as being "Middle Class Middle England on Middle Income". You will have noted that they are just as concerned about the cost of living as everybody else. 
  • My advice is to submit your best work - because people will still be buying (just less than usual) / adding to their collections but do NOT be silly about prices. Do your research!
  • Commission is charged at a rate of 45%+VAT (except re foundry fees for sculpture - see detailed notes on the website)
  • Do not price above £2,500 UNLESS
    • EITHER you're either a well established artist with a very good following of active collectors (which applies to quite a few of the members)
    • OR it's an excellent artwork and you've sold at this price before
    • OR you don't mind insuring and shipping expensive artwork to the exhibition and then back to your studio if it doesn't sell
  • NOTE that:
    • most art sells for less than £1,500
    • the most popular price range is £501-£1,000
    • small works priced between £200 and £500 sell well
    • the minimum price is £200
    • EXCEPT for Prints: framed £120, unframed £95 - but note that buyers are NOT charged for postage and packaging of unframed prints and your pricing for unframed prints needs to take this into account
SELECTION

  • The Selection Committee is formed of artist members of the Society.
  • Your notification of whether you've been successful and been selected to hang in the exhibition is Friday 22 September
  • The selectors' decisions are final and no feedback is provided.

DELIVERY & COLLECTION

EXHIBITION at the Mall Galleries


Why enter this exhibition


Sculptures and paintings from last year's exhibition

This is a very popular exhibition with a lot of art collectors who visit every year. It regularly achieves good sales from the display of c.350 original artworks from both members and non-members including paintings, drawings, original prints and sculptures.

The Annual Exhibition is called The Natural Eye and I've always thought this neatly encapsulates two important aspects of the exhibition
  • firstly it's about very best of fine art inspired by the natural world
  • secondly, it's also about artwork which has been drawn, painted, printed or sculpted only after encounters with wildlife i.e. it's NEVER ever copied from another artist's photograph of a wild animal - and the members of the Selection Panel can tell!
The latter reason is why you won't see a lot of endangered animals or big cats which are much photographed and omnipresent in other wildlife art exhibitions.

Although art is submitted by members and artists who live all over the world, most of the artwork is typically much more focused on the wildlife in their own localities - whether on the land, in the sky or in the water - or in places they've travelled to in order to see the birds or animals.

Birds is another aspect you need to know about. This exhibition is BIG ON BIRDS!  Those who enter open wildlife art competitions will know there is a very large subset of fanatical birders who create art - and this exhibition is no exception.



My blog posts include images of artwork in the annual exhibitions:

2022
Posted by Making A Mark on Monday, September 04, 2023 0 comments
Categories , , , , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)