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CONGRATULATIONS THIRD QUARTER 2024 WINNERS!

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ENTERED.

Judging Statement and Award Comments

Even though I pour as much of my heart and soul into judging a show as I do into creating my own artwork, I always offer this advice: Take the judge’s decisions with a grain of salt. I switched my award decisions back and forth many times. As with any juried show, to pare it down to the number of winning spots, many strong paintings were not awarded. So, for anyone who wonders why their equally strong painting didn’t receive an award, know that it’s unsettling to the judge as well as the artist of that painting. I find it to be a crushing feeling when I must put a great painting aside because I see only mildly stronger elements in other entries, which could easily be outweighed by other aspects of the piece when viewed by a different judge, or even by myself at a different time.

So, what aspects swayed my judgement? Of course I start with the basics (such as values, composition, and color use). Sometimes a winning piece simply had cleaner mark-making and more confident handling of the pastel medium. Or it had to do with how edges were handled. Or exceptional drawing skills. And with a few of the winners, the painting simply had clearly defined striking elements that grabbed me. I know from my own painting struggles that there are those few paintings of mine that rise above my typical work, even though the skills and methods are consistent. That’s what I find both wonderful and frustrating simultaneously about art…there’s that certain magical element that comes into play that isn’t always controllable.

There were many incredible animal/wildlife contenders in this competition. As an animal lover, it sure was delightful to view all of them! Beautiful portraits and figures were also prevalent. I had to get especially picky with these categories. Those that went beyond a “snap shot” appearance in some way won me over.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve as the judge of this show. Congratulations to the winners! But whether or not you received an award, please don’t let it get you too up or down, and paint on!

Barbara Jaenicke, PSA-MP, IAPS-EP, AIS, OPA
Dakota 3rd Quarter 2024 Competition Judge
 

ESTABLISHED ARTIST WINNERS
 
FIRST PLACE
Christine Swann
Dervish		 SECOND PLACE
Glen Maxion
Low Tide		 THIRD PLACE
Tony Allain
Sunlight and Shadows		 FOURTH PLACE
Qingquan Zhang
Watch
 Honorable Mention
Fabio Cuffari
St Anthony the Great		 Honorable Mention
Terri Ford
Last Light
           
Honorable Mention
Lon Brauer
An Honest Man		 Honorable Mention
Zartakshtai Babai
Midnight		 Honorable Mention
Yael Maimon
How About Milk		 Honorable Mention
Nancie King Mertz
Sunlight on St. Marks		 Honorable Mention
Susan Lyon
Fiesta Breaktime		 Honorable Mention
Brian Sauerland
In the Calm of Winter
           
 

1st Place - Established:
Dervish
I awarded this piece the top honor because it went far beyond a typical portrait, and it did so by creating a focused design that zeroed in on the serendipitous, momentary occurrence happening here. The painting is clearly about the effects of the backlighting and wind on the figure, rather than simply the figure itself. Each stroke of pastel pulls its weight masterfully without more marks than needed. The woman’s expression also wonderfully captures her delight in the playful wind swirling about her hair.

2nd Place - Established:
Low Tide
Over the years I’ve seen many versions of this artist’s recognizable style of paintings of kids on the beach. You’d think I would tire of them, but each one captures a lively and clearly conveyed moment of the interaction between the young figures (and in this case, the dog, too). The strong composition and color palette is so well orchestrated, inviting the viewer to jump right into the scene, hear the sounds, and smell the ocean. The mark making also nicely mimics the joyful moment.

3rd Place - Established:
Sunlight and Shadows
When an artist can convey an exceptional design, using well-orchestrated value structure and shape variety, with a minimal amount of rendering, it holds my attention. Not only is each shape varied and positioned very purposefully, but if you look closely, you’ll notice the well-planned stark contrast versus the minimal contrast, and how each of those areas is placed strategically so that your eye glides through the composition in a delightful manner. Though it looks random to the untrained eye, it’s anything but.

4th Place - Established:
Watch
This piece excels in quite a different way than the 3rd place winner. With the contrast of the minimalist background to the tight rendering in the old man’s face, the message of contentedness that the man feels about where he is—in his life and in his surroundings—is clear. The artist leveraged exceptional drawing skills to achieve this visual contrast. The well-defined wrinkles that surround the pleased mood in the man’s eyes drive home the overall message of peacefulness that’s only felt after a lifetime of challenge and knowledge.


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EMERGING ARTIST WINNERS

 
           
FIRST PLACE
John DeSpain
But a Moment's Sunlight		 SECOND PLACE
Angela Lafreniere
Sofia		 THIRD PLACE
Lisa Barnett
William		 FOURTH PLACE
Brooks Filonow
Sweetie Pie		 Honorable Mention
Patti Arbino
Garden Party		 Honorable Mention
Mike Ishikawa
The Movement
           
Honorable Mention
Patti Nebel
Fleurs des Rouge		 Honorable Mention
Ashley Mortenson
On the Cusp		 Honorable Mention
Cindy Berceli
Luke		 Honorable Mention
Yilun Zhang
Little Zhaxi		 Honorable Mention
Sarah Rose
The Splendor of New Mexico		 Honorable Mention
Natalie Richards
JoJo
 

1st Place - Emerging:
But a Moment's Sunlight
The artist was clearly going after dramatic light on the landscape in this piece, and succeeded amazingly. The unified color palette, clean rendering of restrained mark-making, and well-designed shape variety all contribute to a strong, striking landscape that grabs the viewer. I was especially fascinated by the pops of blue shadows in the mountain that are subtle, yet at the same time, a very special element of the painting.

2nd Place - Emerging:
Sofia
It’s obvious that the technical rendering of this piece is exceptional. But I awarded it because its merits go beyond just the rendering. The artist also captured a distinct mood. The dog appears watchful and on guard, but calm and serene, allowing the viewer to know that all is well. I’m also impressed by the subtle color palette that’s well harmonized between the dog and the background elements.

3rd Place - Emerging:
William
There were several exceptional portrait entries in this show, and it was challenging to choose the best ones. I chose this one for the artist’s strong handling of edges (a great variety of lost/found and hard/soft edges), restrained use of mark making, and unified color palette to convey a clear image of this baby’s moment of contentedness.

4th Place - Emerging:
Sweetie Pie
This one’s got attitude! Clearly. With a limited variety of colors, and confident, clean mark-making and edge variety, the artist successfully captured this fun, quirky, whimsical subject in a manner that’s focused on in-your-face-fun. It’s an immediate visual pounce, captured quite adeptly.

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 Laura Lovett - keep painting!

WINNER
Laura Lovett
Along the Fen		          

 

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