Blue

Our second Art competition “Blue” started in September 2022 and concluded on October 20, 2022. Art Room Gallery received entries from many countries around the world: USA, Ecuador, Canada, Philippines, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Spain, Poland, Germany, Mexico, Finland, Australia and Lithuania. The Blue theme in this competition included a diversity in types, styles and mediums (oil on canvas, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, digital painting, photography). 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 130 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!

First place

Statement:

Originally from Beloeil, Philippe Giroux has lived for almost 50 years in Matane, at the gates of Gaspésie, in Quebec. Rather interested in sports as a teenager, his interest in the arts only appeared in college, around 1977. He took a few courses there, but his initiation to painting was self-taught in the early '80s. He produced his first murals in the early 1990s, then learned decorative painting techniques, faux finishes, patinas and imitations of various materials. Drawing, graphic design, copy art, painting on furniture, specialized painting, decoration and muralism will have quietly led him to painting on canvas. In 2014, he definitely turned to a professional career as an artist-painter. Since then, he has made a name for himself on the internet in North America and Europe. In 2018, he was awarded Academic Knight at the Mondial Art Academia and in 2022 was elevated to the rank of Academic Officer. Also in 2022, he becomes a signatory member of the Institute of Figurative Arts (IAF). Giroux paints with acrylic in smooth applications, realistic canvases, see hyperrealistic with strong contrasts. He paints the music of crystal clear waters, streams and rivers. The streams particularly inspire him by the quantity of micro-landscapes he discovers there during his hikes and his fishing trips. The combination of the elements, water, wood, rock, vegetation, is an inexhaustible source of inspiration. Occasionally, he also devotes himself to animal art as well as portraiture. And when the possibility of a muralism project looms, the appeal of the large format is felt.

Statement:

My geometric abstract constructions break the plane of two-dimensional painting and are composed of colored, textured, and multi-layered elements made from common materials such as wood, copper, and aluminum. I create their visual complexity by varying the depth, color, and texture of each piece to draw the viewer into the work. I never sketch before I start a new piece but trust my intuition and the materials at hand to guide me as I create works of spatial balance and harmony. Prior to 2016, when Fischer exclusively committed to his fine art practice, his 9th pop-up book was published. His published works include the bestsellers, Christmas in New York, (Little, Brown & Co). and Great American Houses and Gardens (Rizzoli/Universe). His designs are in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian’s Cooper Hewitt Museum and Museum of American History, and the Artist Book section at the Library of Congress. Fischer’s work was recently featured in the literary and fine art magazine, Woven Tale Press.

Statement:

Maja Wolf was born in Grudziadz, Poland on February 13, 1981. She is an artist, owner of an art gallery Maya in Torun, painter and drawing instructor, art dealer, organizer of art exhibitions and auctions. She completed a study of advertising, interior design and pedagogy.  Since 2013 member of Association of Polish Painters and Graphic Artists in Warsaw.  MAYA GALLERY Since 2009 to now she has its own gallery in Toruń ( Maya Gallery ). Since 2011 she has organized nearly 100 exhibitions of Polish artists. She organized three art competition for children and adolescents: Casting for Mona Lisa ( 2011 ), My Mona Lisa ( 2015 ) and Mona Lisa in Torun ( 2016 ). She organized and participated in numerous auctions and charity exhibitions. MAYA ATELIER Since 2013 she has been teaching drawing and painting. In June and September 2019 she organized 2 art workshops where she was also an art instructor. Since August 2019 to october 2020 she ran her own drawing and painting school in Toruń Maya Atelier. The school was closed as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic. In the early years, she painted for institutions, companies and private persons. However, he paints surreal paintings all his life. She loves to use her imagination in art and create her world. For many years she has been known for drawing realistic portraits and caricatures by pastels, charcoal and pencils.