Skies

Our second Art competition “Skies” started in August 2020 and concluded on September 10, 2020. Art Room Gallery received entries from many countries around the world: USA, Oman, Taiwan, Singapore, United Kingdom, China, Italy, Israel, Sweden, Russia, Australia, Japan, Canada, Austria, Germany, Poland, Brazil and New Zealand. The Skies theme in this competition included a diversity in types, styles and mediums (oil on canvas, acrylic, photography, pastel, mixed media, digital, watercolor, crayon, gouache and pastel). 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 96 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:

I am a primarily self-taught photographer who migrated to digital photography about fifteen years ago. This transition marked a qualitative shift in both my interest level and satisfaction with the results, due to the advantages of digital over traditional film photography. The ability to take a large volume of images without the expense of film and the ease of edits in the “digital darkroom” has encouraged me to experiment and expand my skills significantly. After retiring from a professional management career, I have taken advantage of my time in retirement to more fully explore the technical and creative sides of this media. At this point in my development, I seek to share images with which I has a strong and instinctive personal connection. Images may be simply documentary, invoke a sense of time and place, or resonate as an abstract blend of color, shape or form. Others provoke an indefinable question that does not readily yield answers without further study and reflection. My creative process follows an intuitive yet patterned path, from capturing a digital image through the process of interacting with and refining the image, searching for the combination of elements that produces an instinctive but undeniable connection. Most often the images that provoke the strongest connection are those that do not produce an immediate reaction but provoke a response through repeated contact and consideration over time. I have exhibited widely in local, regional, and national exhibitions and have been published in national fine art photography magazines. My photographs have won commendations for merit ranging from Honorable Mention to Best in Show. My photographs were also selected to hang in the Michigan Governor’s Mansion as part of a year-long exhibition highlighting the State of Michigan.

Second place

Statement:

Educated as a mechanical engineer, I have been making stained glass and mixed media sculptures for over thirty years. The combination of my engineering and artistic experience has resulted in my original yet durable designs of robot sculptures constructed of recycled materials. The scrupulous care with which I create my characters gives them, despite their physical immobility, an engaging personality. In the past, my exhibitions have focused on custom glass creations, such as stained glass, decorative objects, sculptures, prints and murals. The sculptures of mixed media robots, in particular, have become very popular with consumers, due to their unique fusion of human and animal characteristics. I have exibited my sculptures all over Quebec,Canada and have won several awards.