39th Annual Art Competition: Meet the Landscape/Interior Winners
We are pleased to have below the winners for the 39th Annual Art Competition in the Landscape/Interior Category. For the full list of winners overall and in all other categories, please see the links at the end of the post.
First Place: Jacqueline Buck Donadeo
A heavy snow ha d fallen the night before. Looking out the window abovemy bathtub, I saw a play of shadow and light in gorgeous values of purples and blues. The scene was poetry to me. Balancing an easel in a bathtub is challenging, but I quickly mixed piles of color, blocked in the geometry of the scene with a palette knife and used sable bright brushes to define what was most important to me.
“At first glance, this painting may seem a simple collection of abstracted shapes and colors, but the artist expertly orchestrated the dynamics to create a work deep in meaning and emotional resonance.” — Thomas W. Schaller, Juror
Second Place: Deborah Tilby
I loved the soft blue-grays, violets, rusts and ochres I saw in this scene. When depicting winter foothill landscapes like this one, I use a particular process. Starting at the top, I apply paint with a knife and brush, then remove some paint with a squeegee. I then go back in with the knife, moving the paint until it feels right. Getting the foreground to relate to the middle area was difficult until I glazed grays over the ochres and siennas, which brought everything together.
“When technical skill is coupled with a deep feeling for the subject matter, magic can happen. Every decision made by this artist worked together to create a meaningful work with emotional resonance.” — Thomas W. Schaller, Juror
Third Place: Benkui Wang
I painted A Ray of Sunshine en plein air. When facing the scene, the first thing that struck me was the light. I thought about the impact of the sun on all life on earth. There is light in life, whether it’s physical or an inner desire, and the light in the heart is the most needed. I hope the sunshine of life can shine on everyone who needs light in the dark. The light of life can go through all darkness.
“The title of this work sets the stage perfectly for all we experience with the painting. Every element of this work has something important to say about the effects of light and shade, and it does so in a beautifully direct and economical way.” — Thomas W. Schaller, Juror
Full List
For the metal winners and the top three in each category, please see below: