I am living offline this January, but have prepared some fun and informational posts for the cyberactive. Comments are turned off this month as a spam-preventive.
Artists and illustrators specializing in botanical, natural history or wildlife subjects often enter competitions to garner a laurel in their career. There are several important competitions in 2012 that may be of interest if your artwork fits the competition requirements.
The Margaret Flockton Award is an international annual botanical illustration competition with a deadline of Monday, February 6, 2012. It is sponsored by The Friends of the Botanic Gardens, a major supporter of the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust of Sydney, Australia.
The competition is open to artists world wide. First and second place prizes are AU$5,000 and AU$2,000, respectively. All artists retain all rights to their work, although usage must be granted for the purposes of promoting the competition. This competition has stringent requirements for entries: All work must be in black and white and ready for pre-press, and be an exactingly correct illustration in all details.
The Birds in Art competition is a very famous annual competition sponsored by the Leigh Yawkey Woodson museum in Wausau, Wisconsin. All mediums and techniques are permitted, as long as the subject matter is birds. The competition includes some of the greatest contemporary wildlife artists working today. The postmark deadline is on April 15, 2012 and the arrival deadline is April 26, 2012.
The Annual IAA Wildlife Art Show is a nationwide competition held annually by the Irving Art Association in Irving, Texas. The association has not yet posted the entry deadline, but work was due on August 15 for the 2011 edition. All traditional mediums are accepted. Subject matter is restricted to wild animals, no images of domestic pets will be accepted.
The Fifteenth Annual ASBA/HSNY International Juried Exhibition is held by the American Society of Botanical Artists in conjunction with the Horticultural Society of New York. The entry deadline is on March 23, 2012. Entry is open to all members of ASBA, worldwide. Submissions must be in traditional mediums, no photography or digital work allowed.
If you prefer to paint with a goal or deadline looming, maybe one of these juried events will provide you with extra motivation! 
