5th Annual Wild Art Open, International Juried Art Exhibition
- 12 minutes ago
- 6 min read
Congratulations to all the artists of our 5th Annual Wild Art Open!
Thank you to every artist artist who submitted. Without intending it, this year's exhibition of Wild Art Open is flavored by story in art. Sometimes illustrative, other times Surreal or color-driven, many of these pieces invite narrative interpretations. Come sit with them for a while and let them speak to you of yearning, success, luck, and reliance.
It is the goal of Wild Heart Gallery to support and promote animal and wildlife artwork in a wide range of genres and styles. Artwork for this exhibition was selected by jury based on theme, originality, skill, and quality of work. Jurors were Sarah Soward, Jody MacDonald, and Sharon Eisley.
Awards: Best of Show, Overall Runner Up, Artivism Award, Overall Honorable Mentions, and Finalists. There is also an art section of Selected Works.
Click on an image below to enlarge it.
BEST OF SHOW
Blue, by Robert Sandor 19.7 x 27.5 inches, Pitt crayon on paper
From the artist, "A large herd of European bison returned to the Orség Wilderness in Hungary a few years ago, where they live undisturbed in the National Park. As part of a safari, I had the opportunity to get close to them and observe their natural behavior of these wonderful and huge animals, and I drew them a lot. For the bison, the sloe bush is a source of food all year round. The title, Blue, was given to my artwork because of the blue berries, the blue lights on the hair and the horns, as well as the surprising blue tongue."
This is a skillfully rendere drawing of yearning and satiation. It feels comfortable and wild at the same time. Thrugh abrupt value changes, directionality, and an almost playful stylization of shapes and textures, the viewer is given a sense of wildness that feels unperturbed. Sure, the berry bush is sharp. It's also soft and delicious. It's as inviting as it is risky. The bison, in its own way is also inviting, but just for looking. Robert Sandor portrays this massive, powerful animal as delicate and careful.
The artist skillfully shows his understanding of the bison's complete nature. The bison is not a benign entity. It's fur strikes out in waves, curves, and diagonals reminding the viewer that this is a dangerous wild animal. The horn is rendered with minimal line and shading to stand out with dimension against a predominately (and purposefully) flat drawing. The story here is subtle but strong, just like the bison.
We can let the wild be wild and swim about in its beauty.
OVERALL RUNNER UP
All the Luck in the World, by Noah Adam Norrid 39 x 55 inches, Watercolor and ink on 300gr. hot-pressed watercolor paper
From the artist, "Inspired by some of the classic “game” still lifes of the 18th and 19th century, All the Luck in the World takes a step back figuratively and stylistically, imagining the moment before the moment is settled, that moment that seems to last much longer than moment and lingers still and quite before the action. Using ambiguity as a narrative tool, the time of day and the place add significant tension: set in the Danish mainland, the pheasant appears to have survived the arrows and shot of the day- armed only with an amulet of prodigious luck. However, if we view the day as just beginning- the pheasant’s luck could be running short- which is suggested by the coming dogs. The work explores the nature of luck and its tension with happenstance and destiny- asking us which world we believe ourselves to inhabit."
This painting is layered with story. The historically appropriate style furthers the narrative while setting the mood. The vignette and color choices create a focused, yet tentative celebration. What the artist does with imagery is reinforced with technical choices of color, compositions, and value scale. Noah Adam Norrid shows us the four leaf clover as a symbol of luck in the pheasant's beak, spent shells and arrows that missed their mark (one with a butterfly on top of it as it mocking it's failure), but the joy of escape isn't complete. The edges of the piece are darkened by a vignette effect. The broken tree stumps allude to endings, even while new leaves form and tell us there's hope for continuation. There's a rope, albeit broken, tying the stump to something. In the distance, a hunting party approaches out of eery yellow. We don't get to know what the future holds for this pheasant. That is part of the power of this painting. Taking all of that in, the viewer gets choices: Believe in the pheasant's luck, fear for it's safety, revel in the acceptance that in this moment both luck and danger/safety and risk are equally possible and true. In this moment, the bird is both free and trapped.
ARTIVISM AWARD
Anatomy of a Wetland, by Yundoo Lee 17 x 14 inches, Acrylic and colored pencils
From the artist, "As someone who has monitored frogs for over six years, frogs strike me as extraordinarily candid creatures despite how easily they are overlooked by humans. Glass frogs, in particular, are known for translucent, glass-like skin that evidently uncovers the intricate organs beneath.
"To me, the pellucid skin of the glass frogs not only represents the frog’s physical transparency but the transparency I see in nature as a whole. ‘Anatomy of a Wetland’ replaces the glass frog’s organs with a wetland scene, extending the meaning of transparency into nature’s candid display of what usually goes unseen. The painting ultimately reveals the irony of our repeated failure to notice the frogs living alongside us, despite their transparent, clear messages, highlighting how recognizing nature isn’t a profound revelation but a rather obvious and elementary step.
"I first layered acrylic paint over the sketched frog composition. I switched between acrylic paint and colored pencils to portray the frog’s glass-like body. Light yellow and pure-white acrylic was used in the final step to highlight the skeletal structure of the frog’s feet. Darker colored pencils were also used then added to deepen the shadows along the frog’s legs and within the water ripples of the wetland scene."
Depth, reflection, and translucence tell a story of the interconnectedness of animals and their environment. In this piece, the wild is inside this shining frog, held whole and deep regardless of the darkness outside.
OVERALL HONORABLE MENTIONS
Crystal Clarke Annik Janssens Cristina Martins Sangeeta Gupta Jen Singh Connor Read Natalie Toplass Susan Munderich Stu Beavers
Congratulations to our Overall Honorable Mention winners, Crystal Clarke, Annik Janssens, Cristina Martins, Sangeeta Gupta, Jen Singh, Connor Read, Natalie Toplass, Susan Munderich, and Stu Beavers.
FINALISTS
Sushma Yadav Natasha Lazareva Mark Stephenson Lindsey Sherline Joelle Halon Angela Parr Noah Adam Norrid Lucy Chambers Jennefer Ann Gordon Grant Annik Janssens Susan Munderich Emily-Jo Wiggins Bobbe Jones Robbie Cheadle Mark Stephenson Jim Grogan Olivia Outlaw
Congratulations to our award Finalists, Olivia Outlaw, Lucy Chambers, Natasha Lazareva, Annik Janssens, Jim Grogan, Angela Parr, Emily-Jo Wiggins, Bobbe Jones, Noah Adam Norrid, Sushma Yadav, Robbie Cheadle, Mark Stephenson, Lindsey Sherline, Jennefer Ann Gordon Grant, Joelle Halon, and Susan Munderich.
SELECTED WORKS
Crystal Clarke Deborah LaFogg Docherty Róbert Sándor Machuca Martínez Cher Swain Connor Read Amelia Costigan Jani Freimann Tracey Pinnington Martli Heyns Galya Bukova Galya Bukova Emil Bille Emil Bille Douglas Aja
This section is for works that are selected for the virtual exhibition here on wildheartgallery.com but are not awarded.
Congratulations to our Selected Works artists, Crystal Clarke, Deborah LaFogg Docherty, Róbert Sándor, Angel Eduardo Machuca Martínez, Cher Swain, Connor Read, Amelia Costigan, Jani Freimann, Tracey Pinnington, Martli Heyns, Galya Bukova, Emil Bille, and Douglas Ajaa.
SEE MORE ENTRIES
The entries that made it to the final round of judging are also available to view on our art submission partner site: ArtCall.org
These additional images will be available to view through approximately July 2027. After that date, ArtCall automatically archives the pages.
Award Distribution Masters of Domestic Animal Art 2026
Best of Show ($350 cash award)
Overall Runner Up ($175 cash award)
Artivism Award ($75)
Overall Honorable Mentions
Finalists
Best in Show receives $350 cash award and promotion on the following: Art Week, Wild Heart Gallery’s (WHG's) growing social media and other online media channels, WHG's eNewsletter, and WHG's home page (for duration of the exhibition).
Overall Runner Up receives $175 cash award and promotion on Wild Heart Gallery’s (WHG's) growing social media/other online media channels and WHG's eNewsletter and inclusion in a virtual group exhibition that lasts at least one month.
Artivism Award receives $75 cash award and promotion on Wild Heart Gallery’s (WHG's) growing social media/other online media channels and WHG's eNewsletter and inclusion in a virtual group exhibition that lasts at least one month.
Finalists receive promotion on Wild Heart Gallery’s (WHG's) growing social media/other online media channels and WHG's eNewsletter and inclusion in a virtual group exhibition that lasts at least one month. All award recipients also receive an award certificate, emailed as a PDF to the email address used for the submission process.
Selected Works are not awarded entries, but they are included in virtual group exhibition that lasts at least one month. There is no set number of Selected Works.
This art exhibition was juried by Sarah Soward, Jody MacDonald, and Sharon Eisley.
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