Botanicals

Our first Art competition “Botanicals” started in November 2019 and concluded on December 19, 2019. Art Room Gallery received entries from many countries around the world: USA, Germany, Canada, Italy, France, Sweden, Portugal, Australia, Japan, Montenegro, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Czech Republic. The Botanicals theme in this competition included a diversity in types, styles and mediums (oil on canvas, acrylic, oil on linen, photography, pastel, mixed media, handmade paper, fiber glass, collage, alcohol ink, watercolor, scratchboard, ceramics, colored pencil). The following evaluation criteria has been used for judging the artwork: creativity, interpretation of the theme, originality and quality of art, overall design, demonstration of artistic ability, and usage of medium. Jury decided to select 116 artworks for inclusion in the exhibition. Aside from First, Second, and Third place Jury also presented Merit awards and Honorable Mention awards.

Thank you, and enjoy the exhibition!

Statement:

Marcello La Neve of Windlesham (GB), is an artist interested in national criticism, especially in recent years. Painter sought and applauded by the world of entertainment, he has thousands of works to his credit, distributed in important galleries in the European Union. He made the portraits of: Anna Oxa, Rossana Casale, Patty Pravo and Michele Zarrillo and on May 6, 2015 he made a gift of one of his works, entitled "Rosa Mistica", to His Holiness Pope Francis. He currently lives and works in Cerisano, in the province of Cosenza, the city where he graduated from the "Umberto Boccioni" State Art School. Countless prizes were awarded, as well as prizes, which deservedly placed him on the international artistic podium.

Statement:

Born to artist parents, Ray Besserdin began his passion with paper in childhood, about the time he also become fascinated with nature. Graduating from La Trobe University in Biological Sciences, 1982, he immediately returned to his greater passion for art and soon began developing sculpture techniques with paper. Ray’s work ranges from miniature to gigantic, from abstract to ultra-realistic. His signature work is a style he terms “Impressionist Sculptured Paper”, associating it with the painting style of that name because it is only loosely representative, and concerned with capturing emotive responses, not realism., “I want my work to speak to the viewers’ hearts”. Ray uses mostly handmade and mould-made, sheet formed cotton and mulberry papers from Europe and Asia. Nature is still his most beloved subject matter. Ray has been recognised both in Australia and internationally with 24 awards to date, including two gold from New York, one for a Macquarie Bank corporate commission, a First in the Nature Exhibition of LightSpaceTime Gallery, Florida and was winner of the People’s Choice Award, National Works on Paper 2018, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Victoria. In January 2019, he was awarded a highly prized “Gold Medal for Creativity” by the Mondial Art Acadamie of France. Corporate clients include Macquarie Bank Australia, Spicers Paper Australia/KPP Japan, Ford Motor Company and Northern Territory Government of Australia to name a few, while private commissions hang in London, Munich, Manhattan, New Zealand and throughout Australia. He has been artist in residence for Umbrella Contemporary Art Studio, Townsville and was appointed the Australian Ambassador for Mondial Art Acadamie, France in 2018. He is one of three international artists selected to be artist in residence at Banditto Gallery, Tuscany, Italy in 2019. Conducted masterclass in his art for professional artists at Maison des Metiers d’Art, Quebec, September 16 -20, 2019, fully sponsored by the institute. Exhibited in the Carrousel du Louvre, Paris October, 2019 with Mona Youseff Fine Art, Canada.

Statement:

After growing up in Montreal, Canada and spending 10 years in the Cayman Islands, Monique and her husband made East Tennessee home in 1999. Monique worked as a graphic artist for over 20 years prior to becoming a full-time fine artist. Ever evaluating and evolving her style, Monique has continued throughout her professional career to study under many well-known artists. The style that emerges in Monique’s work bursts with energy as she combines expressive colors and intriguing textures. “My contemporary paintings are a fusion of experience, experiment and emotion”, Monique says.