Sunday, December 09, 2012

Nominate the Best Art (Still Life) 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 - Still Life


This prize highlights and celebrates excellence in creating pictures
which help us to reflect on how the small and inanimate can be beautiful 

Making A Mark Awards: Best Picture - Still Life - on an Art Blog in 2012
This weekend I'm publishing the Call for Entries for the Making A Mark - Best Picture Awards.

The third Call for Entries invites nominations for The Making a Mark Prize for Best Picture - Still Life 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 2009) - who are all ineligible for this year's award - are:
Bottles have provided the subject matter for two winners.  Will glass again feature in this year's winning still life painting?

Last year's winner in this category also provided the runaway frontrunner in the poll to find the The MAM Award for Best Picture of the Year on an Art Blog 2011

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 about a still life contrived or 'found', a narrative or an accident, large or small
  • 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.


Winner of Best Still Life on an Art Blog 2011
AND 

The MAM Award for Best Picture of the Year on an Art Blog 2011
Bottles, Bottles, Bottles #736

© Lisa Darier (Lisa Daria's Everyday Painting)
Eligible artists
  • In 2012, any artist creating artwork predominantly involving still life - 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. 
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:
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:
    Still Life - Resources for Artists
    Find out about the history of still life art and how to paint a still life. This site provides links to relevant information, guidance and resources for artists.

    12 comments:

    1. Oh boy, Katherine!! I would be hard pressed to pick any one painting from either of the following artists. One is Julie Ford Oliver and the other is Katherine Thomas. Julie's blog is at http://juliefordoliver.blogspot.com/ and Katherine's is at http://katherinejft.blogspot.com/

      Julie does many, many still lifes and each one is so very exquisite and beautiful. Katherine's style is slightly different and her primary medium is colored pencil. That said, her work is stunning. She does still lifes, landscapes, portraits, architectural types of pieces.

      At any rate, I'm new to your blog (or fairly new) so hope that these two nominations are given to you properly. If not, well, I hope you'll at least visit their blogs and see some gorgeous artwork.

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. I'll be sure to take a look at both blogs

        Feel free to come back with a specific nomination for a particular artwork. Maybe you'd like to ask the artists which is their favourite piece in the last year?

        Delete
    2. Dear Katherine
      I would like to enter my own work by the name of:
      DELFT REFLECTIONS
      by CECILIA ROSSLEE
      Oil on Canvas Board
      11" X 14"
      URL OF POST: http://ceciliarosslee.blogspot.com/2012/11/delft-reflections.html
      URL OF BLOG: http://ceciliarosslee.blogspot.com/
      The reason I am entering this specific piece is because I feel my work has improved since painting daily during the course of the past year. DELFT REFLECTIONS captures everything I try to encapsulate in my art work, good light, composition, 'effortless' application of paint and above all a warm feeling of enjoyment when one looks at a good still life.
      I truly hope you will consider this art work for your competition, as I am an avid follower of this blog and enjoy each and every post you write and obviously realize the potential exposure my art may gain from this recognition.
      Holding thumbs!
      Cecilia Rosslee

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Spot on Cecilia - all nominated artwork is included in a blog post on this blog - and a lot of people review the post!

        It's a great idea to nominate a work which you feel reflects real progress over the last year

        Delete
    3. I would like to nominate ,an acrylic painting on gessoed hardboard,
      8 x 10'',which is entitled ,One fish, two fish....gold fish,by Alvin Richard.You can view the painting at http://alvinrichard-art.blogspot.com/2012/07/one-fish-two-fishgold-fish.html or veiw his blog at http://alvinrichard-art.blogspot.com/

      The work by Alvin Richard is always interesting,each work has a story behind it.It is clear that much thought and planning goes into each of his paintings.Aside from that ,each work is just mindbogglingly perfect.Since I have painted in Acrylics before I know that it takes real skill and practice to achieve what he has.There are many reasons why I like this particular painting of his,I love the warm and cool colors,the depiction of light and glass,as well as his subject matter and story.

      ReplyDelete
    4. I would like to nominate a work of myself -
      "Improvisation"
      24"x18" pen and acrylic ink on primed pad canvas...
      URL of post - http://societyofpeninkartists.blogspot.com/2011/05/improvisation-21_08.html
      URL of blog - http://societyofpeninkartists.blogspot.com
      The reason why am entering this piece is because it is not a still life in the usual manner, of copying off a setting on a table or crate, but from out of my head, imagining how it all is to look, including the shadows... further, it is an example of how I approach painting, theming first, then visualizing the theme - something it seems few others do, but allows me to establish reasons why whatever is included is included.... it also is a good example of my skill in rendering with a dip pen and acrylic ink, in this case F W Acrylic Black...

      ReplyDelete
    5. This comment has been removed by the author.

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. This work needs to be in the first category for portraits and figures

        Delete
    6. Hi Katherine,

      I would like to nominate my painting:

      Title: "Spring Flowers in Copper"
      Artist: Charmaine P Jackson
      Size: Oil on 10"x9" Linen
      URL of Blog: Charmaine P Jackson - http://www.cpjackson.blogspot.com
      Blog Post: 3 Dec 12, Spring Flowers in Copper - http://www.cpjackson.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/spring-flowers-in-copper-wip-oil-on.html

      The reason I am entering this piece is that I feel it represents many of the qualities I strive for in my work - strong composition, clear focal point, good natural light, colour harmony, natural setting, linking shapes, as well as contrasting values, shapes, textures, edges, refined v less refined passages ...in this particular piece I am especially happy with the brushy, more impressionistic style of the flowers against the smooth, more realistic style of the copper. This still-life was a real joy to paint and I think, and hope, that comes through.

      Kind regards,
      Charmaine

      ReplyDelete
    7. I Katherine,
      I'd like to nominate this painting of sunflowers:
      title: "Shadow–Shapes"
      artist: Micaela Marsden
      size/medium: 20" high x 10" wide, oil on linen panel
      blog name and URL: micaelamarsden's sketchjournal at
      date, title and URL of the blog post: December 11, 2012, "Sunflowers",
      Permission to post her work was approved by artist

      Why I like it:

      When I first saw this painting I found it stunning. I had been trying over and over to paint sunflowers in oils and was having no luck. I had looked at other sunflower paintings on the web trying to figure out what I was missing and liked very few of them. Then I saw this one, which I learned was painted plein air and really captures the light of a very sunny afternoon perfectly. The composition is marvelous, and the light and fluidity of the glass and water have such freshness that is often only seen in watercolor paintings of flowers. The color of the flowers and leaves are just right and the shadows and flowers are so alive they seem to be dancing.

      Micaela is a self-taught, prolific (she's out plein air painting regardless of weather nearly every weekend), humble and generous artist. I would love to see her have recognition for her beautiful work.

      P.S. Studying her painting helped me to see where I'd gone wrong and after four sunflower paintings I think I finally got it and did one I like.

      ReplyDelete
    8. Hi Katherine--your blog didn't seem to like my using my WordPress login so I'm posting this comment again using Google even though it won't link to my actual blog.

      I'd like to nominate this painting of sunflowers:
      title: "Shadow–Shapes"
      artist: Micaela Marsden
      size/medium: 20" high x 10" wide, oil on linen panel
      blog name and URL: micaelamarsden's sketchjournal at
      date, title and URL of the blog post: December 11, 2012, "Sunflowers",
      Permission to post her work was approved by artist

      Why I like it:

      When I first saw this painting I found it stunning. I had been trying over and over to paint sunflowers in oils and was having no luck. I had looked at other sunflower paintings on the web trying to figure out what I was missing and liked very few of them. Then I saw this one, which I learned was painted plein air and really captures the light of a very sunny afternoon perfectly. The composition is marvelous, and the light and fluidity of the glass and water have such freshness that is often only seen in watercolor paintings of flowers. The color of the flowers and leaves are just right and the shadows and flowers are so alive they seem to be dancing.

      Micaela is a self-taught, prolific (she's out plein air painting regardless of weather nearly every weekend), humble and generous artist. I would love to see her have recognition for her beautiful work.

      P.S. Studying her painting helped me to see where I'd gone wrong and after four sunflower paintings I think I finally got it and did one I like.

      ReplyDelete
    9. This year I want to nominate Sadie Valeri's 8x10" still-life painting of a jug and sea shell.

      Title: Black Jug
      Artist: Sadie Valeri

      I have been captivated with the entire process of this painting, Sadie shares all of the steps in the creation of this piece. I appreciate how the simple, central composition with the large and rough glazed jug is counterbalanced by the delicate and small white shell. The piece is a study of opposites, color, value, texture, and size. And in my opinion, just absolutely beautiful!

      http://www.sadievaleri.com/blog/2010/10/1/black-jug-sessions-7-11.html

      ReplyDelete

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