10th

WATER

International Juried Art Competition

WINNER OF FIRST PRIZE | 9th WATER

Summer Reflections | Watercolor | AUSTRALIA

TERAVARNA is thrilled to announce its highly anticipated "10th WATER International Juried Art Competition." Artists from all over the world are warmly welcome to send their best works, following the fascinating theme of water, for selection in this prestigious water art competition. This extraordinary event welcomes both 2D and 3D artworks, from watercolor paintings to sculptures, digital art, printmaking, fiber art, photography, graphic design, mixed media compositions, and experimental and installation pieces as well.

This water painting competition is propelled by the spirit of water, encouraging artists to convey their unique interpretations and perspectives in their mediums. Through this art contest, artists can reveal their skill and engage the viewer in the majestic beauty and meaning of water. The competition is an invitation to artists to explore the endless possibilities of water art, whether that means exploring watercolor painting portraits or water in motion in other artistic styles.

This is an opportunity for artists worldwide to embrace and have a significant impact on their lives through their artistic expression, presented through water's essence in life.

TERAVRNA’s Water Painting Contest is for each and every artist who likes a challenge and thinks outside the box. Whether you are an emerging artist or an established one, the platform is all yours to show us how you chose to portray the water element.

CONDITIONS FOR PARTICIPATION

Water is the most basic, most vital element of Earth, the element which makes our Earth perfect for us to live in. Our world is nothing without water, as we need it to survive, and we ourselves are made of it as well, biologically. This theme contest is a challenge for artists to bring creativity to the meaning of water. Capture water in any of its meanings, form or significance.

Express the theme in a variety of ways through water art. Artists are free to use their creativity and imagination to express the theme. Both representational and abstract artworks related to water in any medium are accepted for this contest.

For artists specializing in watercolor painting, whether portraits or other styles of water art, the competition is an excellent platform to demonstrate your talent and creativity. Don't miss the chance to join the Water Art Contest and express the meaning of water through your art.

Please note: Only 18+ years of age artists are eligible to submit their artworks for the water art competition. Participants under 18 years must submit to contests designated for Young Masters.

DEADLINE

The Deadline for submission is NOVEMBER 15, 2026! NOTE THAT THIS DEADLINE WILL NOT BE EXTENDED!

AWARD & PRIZES

Up to $5,000 in cash prizes will be given out to winning artists. **

The cash prizes will be disbursed among the recipient artists as selected by the jury. Depending on the number and quality of artworks submitted, the following prizes will be considered:

First Prize Award | $300-$750

Runner-Up Prize Award | $150-$500

Merit Prize Award | $75-$250

Talent Prize Award | $25-$100

Honorable Mention Award

Finalist Award

1) Premium Marketplace Feature: The First, Runners-up, and Merit prize winners of the competition will receive a free feature on a premier art marketplace like ARTSY for 6 months. This visibility will elevate their credentials and enhance their prospect of art sales.

Please Note:

The number of artworks featured on ARTSY may vary depending on the total number of artworks submitted by artists for the competition. The First prize winners can feature up to 10 artworks, Runner-ups can feature up to 5 artworks, and Merit prize winners can feature up to 3 artworks on ARTSY for 6 months. All artworks go through the jury and are required to be approved by the jury in order for them to be included in the ARTSY list.

Example: If a 1st place winner sent in 10 artworks for the competition, only 5 artworks, instead of 10, can be listed on ARTSY.

If you are a talent prize winner, you can avail a special 6-month representation on ARTSY, just for $149, to get your work showcased to an array of experienced collectors and well-respected galleries all over the world.

2) PR Promotion for Winners: The cash prize winners will be more widely promoted via a dedicated Press Release across premier media and news platforms like Google News, Yahoo News, NewsEdge, AP News, and more. It will not only give their achievement a boost in leaps and bounds, but will also promote their winning artworks to collectors and art lovers globally. This will also help to support artists' working lives and enhance their career paths.

3) Immersive VR Showcase to Boost Profile: There will be a special VR feature for all cash prize winners, showcasing their winning artworks in a simulated environment. Displaying artworks in immersive gallery setups like TERAVARNA will attract collectors and art enthusiasts across the globe, roping in more productive engagement, accelerating sales, and global visibility for artists.

4) Global Presence through Social Media: TERAVARNA actively encourages and highlights winning artists with features across social media sites, including LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. These are featured through curated posts, stories, feeds, reels, and in carousels to draw the attention of art lovers and collectors.

5) Newsletter Feature for Greater Exposure: The award winners will be prominently featured in TERAVARNA's monthly newsletter and will be highlighted for their achievements and talent and introduced to our active newsletter subscribers. These are digital marketing techniques that can be used to improve the visibility of an artist online. Furthermore, it provides avenues for recognition, networking, and sales.

6) Making Art Accessible to All: TERAVARNA offers special coupons for persons with disabilities and artists participating from developing countries (refer to the TERAVARNA Foundation website for details). *

* Artists applying for physically challenged categories or representing developing regions must submit valid supporting documents to claim the coupon. The coupon will be sent via email after the necessary verification process is done. Each coupon will be applicable for one submission only. These submissions will be juried separately.

** Note that TERAVARNA doesn't promise entrant artists to win a prize in money or money's worth in any of its competitions. Our independent jury panel selected artworks will be awarded the Certificate of Recognition. In case, if there are any joint winners for any of the cash prizes, the prize money will be split evenly among the contestants. Only artists selected by an independent jury from a pool of applicants will be eligible to receive professionally designed Certificates of Recognition. In case there are joint winners for any of the cash prizes, the money will be split evenly among contestants. Similarly, if a category does not receive enough entries to be judged fairly within that category alone, it will be considered alongside other categories with sufficient entries. The total number of entries in the contest will be the factor that will determine the exact value of the cash prize; rest assured that it will be within the limit mentioned above.

WINNER OF RUNNER-UP PRIZE | 9th WATER

Humpback In Sepia | Oil | USA

FEES

Entry fee: $20 per artwork.

Please note that this fee is non-refundable.

Up to $5,000 in cash prizes will be given out to winning artists.**

ART WITH IMPACT: TERAVARNA will allocate 5% of all entry fees (up to $250) raised from this juried art competition to help wildlife conservation work under the direction of NGOs working to preserve endangered species and habitats around the world. Every entry gives back. Every stroke can make a difference.

TIMELINE

NOW | Art Competition Open

15 NOVEMBER 2026, 11:59 PM California Time

Cash Prize Notification Starts

Non-Cash Prize Notification Starts

Exhibition of Winning Artworks Starts

Cash Prize Distribution Starts***

Deadline for Entries

22 NOVEMBER 2026

24 NOVEMBER 2026

15 DECEMBER 2026

*** All cash prizes are given out via PayPal. If you don't have a free PayPal account, you can get one Click here...

IMAGE SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Please make sure to meet all of the specifications outlined below:

1. Which file format is required for my submission?
JPEG and JPG files are accepted.

2. What should be the file size of the artwork image?
The ideal size is less than 2MB; however, files up to 5MB are acceptable.

3. How to take the best image of your artwork?

Take the image in good lighting, and focus on the artwork alone. Please remove any borders or frames, as well as any background from the image.
Your image should be cleanly cropped, showing only the artwork.

4. What level of clarity does my image need to have?

Make sure that your photo is clear and not blurry.
The artwork should be easily seen from the front.

Note: TERAVARNA will not accept artworks submitted that were created by artificial intelligence.

AI Usage Policy: Strictly Prohibited

All submissions must be entirely human-created. The use of AI tools or AI-generated content—including elements, compositions, textures, or upscaling—is prohibited at any stage of the creative process.
Artworks with any incorporation of AI will be disqualified immediately to maintain the integrity of the manual skill.

HOW TO APPLY

STEP 1: Below, click on the number according to the number of artworks you want to submit.

STEP 2: Click on the number of artworks and proceed to make a payment. You can pay by PayPal or via credit card.

STEP 3: After successful payment, you'll be redirected to a page where you can upload your images and other details.

Note: If you have any issues with your image submissions, please email us at info@teravarna.com, and we'll promptly get back to you.

HOW MANY ARTWORKS ARE YOU SUBMITTING?

submit

Note: For any issues with your image submission, email us at info@teravarna.com, our only official address.

If you receive a message from any other address claiming to be TERAVARNA, please forward it to us before responding.

Still Not Sure If You Should Participate In Water Art Contest?

Let us convince you otherwise

Participating in the Water Art Competition can be an incredibly enriching and transformative experience for any artist—particularly those interested in the element water. Imagine if you could sink into the flow and calm of water and make your artwork out of it. With this water art competition, you have the opportunity to showcase the world and, to an independent panel of jurors, your take on the water element. Let your creativity and imagination flow, and show us what you got.

The textures, colors, reflections, meaning, or state—water has a lot of artistic potential to it; it makes you think in so many directions. Create your water artwork and accept the challenge to depict the ephemerality of water, and in doing so, discover some of your inner artistic talents in this competition! Water Art Contest by TERAVARNA—Don't miss this great opportunity to join and believe in the beauty of water, and let it inspire your creative journey.