AN award-winning artist with a talent for depicting nature has been shortlisted for a prestigious international prize.

Westcliff-based Marie Antoniou has been shortlisted for the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation’s Wildlife Artist of the Year award. Celebrating its tenth year, the international event will showcase some of the world’s best wildlife art at London’s prestigious Mall Galleries from June 28 to July 2.

Ms Antoniou’s ‘Barbary Macaque’ painting will be vying for the top £10,000 sponsored prize.

Artist and tutor Marie Antoniou, 42, has been painting most of her life. She is well known for her unique depiction of wildlife which has earned her numerous awards and accolades.

Marie, a resident artist at the Hadleigh Fire Station Gallery, recently worked as a contributing author on the acrylic section of a new painting techniques book published by Dorling Kindersley. She is represented by several galleries and her paintings are part of many private collections.

She said: “I’m really pleased to be nominated. Over the last four years have been selected to exhibit my work at this world wide exhibition and that is a huge thing in itself.

“This is really exciting . I’m really pleased because half of the money from the sale of this work goes to wildlife conservation.”

Event organiser, Shauna Rees, said: “The sheer diversity of media and form this year has created an extraordinary celebration of the natural world and a huge challenge for the judges.”

Judges will make a choice out of 163 pieces of work.

One of the judges, award-winning artist Gary Hodges, said: “This year’s shortlist brings the wild to life.

“From the silence of a shark casting its shadowy form on the ocean bed to the scuttling of armadillos, the peacefulness of hippos wallowing in the early morning sun and the symphony of bird song at dusk, selecting the overall winner from this amazing collection will be extremely hard.”

The judges will make their final selection on the morning of Tuesday, June 27 ahead of the private view and prize-giving that evening.

Wildlife artist and conservationist, David Shepherd said: “I set up my Foundation with the sole purpose of giving something back to the animals that helped me achieve success as an artist.”