CONGRATULATIONS, WINTER QUARTER WINNERS!

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ENTERED. SPRING QUARTER COMPETITION OPENS SOON!

Congratulations to the Quarterly Winners of our First Annual Soft Pastel Competition!  And a Big Thanks to Liz Haywood-Sullivan for working with Dakota Pastels to launch this new competition venue to show and promote your artwork. Please read Liz’s comments on jurying, overview of the competition submissions and her comments on the Award Winners. We were encouraged and thrilled by the level of response – particularly in the Emerging category. Take a look at the gallery for this Winter Quarter – and watch for the opening of the Spring Quarter competition next week – to be juried by Desmond O’Hagan!

Craig Lemley, Owner Dakota Pastels

Judging Statement and Award Comments
Liz Haywood-Sullivan, IAPS/MC, PSA-MP

It has been a distinct honor to have been invited by Dakota to judge the inaugural quarter of their First Annual Soft Pastel Competition. This competition is a welcome addition to the soft pastel world as it levels the field by offering separate categories for both Emerging and Established Artists. Not only does this competition provide expanded opportunities for both groups, Dakota is also offering a generous award structure. It will be exciting to follow this new competition throughout the year to see who will be crowned the annual winners!

This first submission of 927 paintings (617 Emerging, and 310 Established) provided me a privileged view into the world of contemporary soft pastel painting, with submissions received from around the world. My jurying process has taken place over many days, with numerous passes through each group. The complete submission is viewed through before any decisions are made and then each painting is individually examined carefully before a mark is decided. I recognize and respect the effort and courage it takes to put your artwork to be judged. Final decisions were certainly not easy to decide.

Thank you for the opportunity to review your work. I hope you enjoy the competition paintings as much as I did.

ESTABLISHED ARTIST WINNERS

First Place - Christine Troyer
This painting impressed me from the beginning. It is a masterful capture of low winter light with its deep shadows. I am most impressed by the excellent value work and use of lost and found areas that keeps your eye on the focal point in the lower left sweet spot. Appealing complementary colorwork, with the brilliant blues of the snow juxtaposed with the oranges of the bushes and willows, makes for a real winner.

Second Place - Cindy Gillett
Expert handling of detail and focus in this painting. Your eye is deliberately brought to the interplay of colors in the expertly rendered tapestry. Your eye wanders around to the other objects in the composition, but since they are muted in color and moving out of focus your eye goes back to admire the tapestry again. Beautiful sense of soft light and use of color in a natural composition.

Third Place – Pamela Hamilton
This colorful still life captures the tumble of strawberries in a beautifully rendered and dynamic composition. Great use of tight focus falling away to less detailed strokes in the distance. A delicious use of color complements. Well done!

Fourth Place – Terri Ford
An exquisite study of light and shadow. Confident mark making gives this beach scene tremendous energy and movement. Look at the nuanced color and valuework in the shadowed sandy areas. Love the sense of fog in the distance. Beautiful drawing skills are also evident in this painting.

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EMERGING ARTIST WINNERS

First Place - Andrea Tasevski
This painting sits at the intersection of all that is wonderful about the pastel medium. It is a painting yet has strong drawing qualities as well. The immediacy of the mark making is direct and confident, echoing the quality of the girl’s gaze. Every stroke has its reason and purpose. And look at the vibrant colors that play across her face, just imagine what those corals and reds look like in stick form. A masterful pastel!

Second Place – Linda O’Connor
A unique and delightful viewpoint. This glance into a nighttime scene is created using only a suggestion of detail along with the skillful use of lost and found edges. The palette appears muted but take a close look at the colors. The foreground cup is a critical element giving all sorts of cues as to the lighting – just cover it and see what happens to the painting.

Third Place – Harley Talkington
A joyful, shimmering painting. The sense of light passing through this grove of trees is enhanced by the supporting complementary darks, especially in the lower right corner. The confident mark making generates an impression of movement throughout the canopy.

Fourth Place – Matthew Bennett
This painting skillfully captures the essence of a sleeping cat. The choice of paper color sets off the complementary tone of the pillow and is seen reflected in the cat’s nose. Beautifully handled partial portrait, with the focus on the face while the rest of the body and surroundings fall apart as they move away out of focus.

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