Colorful Creatures 2026, International Juried Art Exhibition
- Feb 28
- 4 min read
Congratulations to all the artists of Colorful Creatures 2026!
We are pleased to present this collection of color-forward animal and wildlife art. The artists' work embraces color in boldness, vibrancy, subtle tonal shifts, and more. The selection of animals and mediums is also wonderfully varied! Please scroll down to enjoy the exhibition.
Thank you for everyone who entered! It is a dream come true to see all of your art.
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 Iwona Barylska, Sarah Soward, 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
Trick, by Monika Wyłoga 35 x 47 inches, Acrylic paint on canvas
From the artist, "My work explores animals as vibrant, sensing beings.
"Using bold color relationships and surreal environments, I focus on how color can express mood, energy, and presence. The goal is not narrative, but a direct visual encounter driven by color and form."
The Surrealism in this is subtle, but it's a large part of what makes this painting intriguing. The shadows and lack of shadow on the ball bring a haunting quality. The ornate acid-green carpet, carefully sliced by geometric shadows, draws attention and points focus exactly where it needs to be.
OVERALL RUNNER UP
Watching You, Watching Me, by Natalie Jane Parker 60 x 90 inches, Acrylic paint on canvas
From the artist, "I took on the challenge to create a painting absent of 'black' paint for this Red-tailed Black Cockatoo.
"My vision for this painting is to raise awareness for Red-tailed Black Cockatoos and to educate through my art.... to start a conversation about embracing the beauty of nature and habitat conservation, then in turn celebrating it!
"'Watching You, Watching Me' is a special painting and I hope it evokes feelings of strength, resilience, determination and beauty in a fragile world."
This is a beautifully rendered cockatoo with a burst of nearly-hidden color. The painting as a whole is a journey through neutrals and subdued, de-saturated colors. They all work in concert together, making the impact of the bold red even greater.
ARTIVISM AWARD
Important Business, Martli Heyns 16.1 x 12.6 inches, Acrylic on paper
From the artist, "Let’s be honest, we’ve all been a little guilty of overlooking the humble Meerkat. They’re usually just a cute, sandy-colored blip in a nature documentary. But frankly, it’s high time they got the attention they deserve. Meerkats demonstrate complex social structures - highlighting the benefits of cooperation. That’s why this painting includes shocking pink and brilliant turquoise! This meerkat is not just blending in with the landscape anymore; its demanding a closer look. This is my way of saying, 'Hey, pay attention to the little guy - he’s a very big deal.'"
The use of color in this painting in this painting does exactly what the artist intends. An animals usually seen as less-than-glamorous is elevated into our full attention. This is a valuable story for so many animals. They all deserve care and protection, small ones like meerkats or brown-nosed bats, just as much as large or vibrant animals like tigers or elephants.
OVERALL HONORABLE MENTIONS
Congratulations to our Overall Honorable Mention winners, Margaret Moore, Karen Osborn, Diane Hill, Sarah Miles, Tiffany Wallace Oosthuizen, Tina Stallard, NMWS, Elizabeth Doerksen, Monika Wyłoga, A Debra Reich Schwalm, Martli Heyns, and Paulina Holstein.
FINALISTS
Congratulations to our award Finalists, Leah Gardner, Janet Schuler, Margaret Moore, Jessica MacKenzie, Natasha Lazareva, Simona Correnti, Alison Bozarth, Kylie Holland, Travis Soto, Dana Mueller, Cheryl King, Paulina Holstein, George McKay, Karolina Zakharova, and Natalie Jane Parker.
SELECTED WORKS
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, Elaine Juska Joseph, Charlie Doewich, Travis Soto, Annie Woody, Barney Levitt, Daphne Meijer, Marcia Pyner, Jason Sobottka, Anthony Alonzo, Seke G, and Sierra Neudorfer.
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 January 2026. After that date, ArtCall automatically archives the pages.
Award Distribution for Colorful Creatures
Best of Show ($350 cash award)
Overall Runner Up ($150 cash award)
Artivism Award ($50)
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 $150 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 $50 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 Iwona Barylska, Sarah Soward, and Sharon Eisley
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