CONGRATULATIONS SECOND QUARTER 2023 WINNERS!
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ENTERED.
COMMENTS FROM AARON SCHUERR
The experience of judging the online competition was both inspiring and humbling. I'm amazed at the diversity of style and subject matter in the work. As a judge I look at each painting over and over again, and each time I see something new. The artist creates a world unique to their personality. My task is to peek into that world with open honesty. How well did they communicate their particular reality? Success is measured on two fronts- technical and poetic. I'm inspired because studying these paintings pushes me outside of my own proclivities. If I take each painting on its own terms, I'm stretched and challenged. Many times I zoomed in on paintings and asked, "how did they pull that off!?" Then I zoomed out and asked, "how did they communicate such a powerful idea!?" At the end of the day, I'm uncomfortable being called a "judge." I feel more like a fellow traveler trying to make sense of a magical medium. I learn so much from all of you and feel a sense of gratitude that you trusted me to evaluate your paintings.
A word on awards: I recently judged the PSC 19th Annual Mile High International Pastel Exhibition. After the show was hung I took my workshop students up to see the work. Though I had selected the awards, the winners wouldn't be announced till later that evening. So, I conducted an experiment: I asked each student to pick a "Best of Show" and explain why they selected that particular painting. (I made sure not to hint at any of the paintings that I had selected for awards.) To my surprise and delight, nearly every artist picked a different painting as their favorite. They all elucidated insightful reasons for their picks. I learned so much that afternoon. I share this for the artists that are disappointed they didn't receive an award. Keep painting and keep entering. Though I do my best to be open and thoughtful in my selections, I'm just one imperfect artist among many. The next judge just might zoom in on your painting and ask, "how did they pull that off!?"
Aaron Schuerr: AIS, PSA, LPAPA, PSWC
Dakota 2nd Quarter 2023 Competition Judge
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ESTABLISHED ARTIST WINNERS
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FIRST PLACE
Anna Lapygina
Carnival Evening |
SECOND PLACE
Fabio Cuffari
Quando Ascoltavamo |
THIRD PLACE
Yael Maimon
Repose #3 |
FOURTH PLACE
Corey Pitkin
Some Days |
Honorable Mention
Andrew McDermott
Chinatown |
Honorable Mention
Mike Barret Kolasinski
Hot Streak |
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Honorable Mention
Joseph Mancuso
Turning Cold |
Honorable Mention
Francis Huffman
My Kitchen Windowsill |
Honorable Mention
Kathleen Newman
Cardamom Cookies |
Honorable Mention
Nancy Nowak
Taking a Breather |
Honorable Mention
Peter Seltzer
Alchemy |
Honorable Mention
Deborah Shea
Hey Sunshine |
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1st Place -Established:
Carnival Evening
"Carnival Evening" peeks into the imaginative world of two friends with delicacy and honesty. I can't help but be moved by the narrative and awed by the technical skill. (Just have a look at the interlocking fingers!) The draughtsmanship is exquisite, the calligraphy expressive, and the palette is cool and consistent. While this pastel evokes the tenderness of a Mary Cassatt pastel, the overall impression is distinctly contemporary.
2nd Place -Established:
Quando Ascoltavamo
Often the best part of judging is the surprises. "Quando Ascoltavamo," translated as "When we Listened" brings us into a fantasy world as rich as anything Tolkein described. I couldn't help but zoom in on the details- the silver broach, the sparks of firelight, the seam on the boots- to name a few, that I nearly missed the wizened face on the tree! This is a story that I could imagine staying up late into the night to read, exquisitely and imaginatively rendered in pastel.
3rd Place -Established:
Repose #3
The bold gesture of a cat on a purple cover immediately caught my attention. "Repose #3" captures the incidental moment of a cat looking up at its owner. The warm light and careful touches in the face and eye give movement and grace to a dynamic composition.
4th Place -Established:
Some Days
"Some Days", whose title is taken from a Billy Collins poem, is an arresting self-portrait. It is both contemplative and assured. The artist accurately depicts the planes of the face and the texture of the hair, but nothing is over-rendered. There is not a superfluous mark in the portrait.
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EMERGING ARTIST WINNERS
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FIRST PLACE
Patti Arbino
Origin |
SECOND PLACE
Stephanie Brown
Andorra Gold |
THIRD PLACE
Michele Noiset
Iron Maiden |
FOURTH PLACE
Mike Ishikawa
Cottonwoods of the Owens Valley |
Honorable Mention
Diana Farrell
The Beach Police |
Honorable Mention
Masoud Habibyan
Harvest Sisters |
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Honorable Mention
Kelly Hine
Cat in Light |
Honorable Mention
Kevork Cholakian
Reflections |
Honorable Mention
Rachel Pearson
Endurance |
Honorable Mention
Shannon O'Dunn
The Rock Slide |
Honorable Mention
Sarah Rose
Longtime Companions |
Honorable Mention
Julia Lambright
Smokefall |
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1st Place- Emerging:
Origin
"Origin" is based on a detailed view of a Nautilus fossil shell. This creates a dynamic spiral composition that could just as well depict a distant galaxy as a detail of a fossil. By zooming in the artist creates a richly detailed surface that is both fully abstract and richly representational. The touches of surface texture add to the dynamic and mystery of the painting.
2nd Place- Emerging:
Andorra Gold
"Andora Gold" is a quiet, subtle, delicate depiction of low light shining through trees. It's a painting to come back to for a second and third look. The transition from warm light shining through the trees to the cool greens, blues, and purples, is deftly handled. The bright touches of yellow flowers in the foreground tie the composition together beautifully.
3rd Place- Emerging:
Iron Maiden
"Iron Maiden" is a painting of invention and whimsy. I don't know what to make of it, but I am totally charmed and intrigued by its effect. The cross-hatching in the face and the design of the hair elevate the overall effect. Part of me wants to know the story, the other part wants to invent my own!
4th Place- Emerging:
Cottonwoods of the Owens Valley
"Cottonwoods of the Owens Valley '' uses the landscape as a vehicle for design and bold color. I especially love the bold strokes of yellow in the foreground and the purple and turquoise in the sky. This is a painting about movement and impact, and it is both exciting and arresting.
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DAKOTA STAFF PICK
Dakota has the unique privilege of supporting artists in their artistic journey every day. The Staff Pick is an Emerging artist who has made strong choices in design, color, and composition, and is taking great strides in their use of the pastel material. This quarter we congratulate Carol Muth - keep painting!
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WINNER
Carol Muth
'Canyon Outlet' |
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