Birdwatch art award winner revealed
Wildlife artist Nick Derry has been named as the Birdwatch Artist of the Year for 2017. The coveted award was presented at a special ceremony at the Society for Wildlife Artists’ (SWLA) Natural Eye exhibition at the Mall Galleries.
The eponymously titled winning artwork depicts two Jack Snipe hiding amid their reedbed habitat – a realistic interpretation of this shy species’ behaviour. The judges all agreed on the ornithological and behavioural detail and artistic merit of Jack Snipe, a work in which the birds almost become one with their habitat.
The award is generously sponsored by Swarovski Optik. The optics company donates a prize of £1,000 and high-quality optics equipment.
The winner was announced by accomplished metal sculptor and SWLA President Harriet Mead in front of a packed gathering of artists and birding luminaries, and with a guest presentation by sustainable energy and biofuel company Terravesta, who sponsored the event.
The winning painting, along with many more stunning works of art, are currently on show until 29 October at the Mall Galleries as part of the Natural Eye exhibition, a celebration of the very best art inspired by the natural world. It will also be reproduced in the December 2017 issue of Birdwatch (on sale 23 November 2017), along with the judges’ commended works.
