2020 Online Juried Show - Vermont Pastel Society

Jury of Selection: Lyn Asselta and Jeanne Rosier
Judge of Awards: Alain Picard

See Alain Picard comments on how award winners are selected.

AWARD-WINNING IMAGES

BEST IN SHOW: Last Light by Patti Braun

Last Light received best in show. As I view this elegant landscape, the design, color harmony, mood and atmosphere all coalesce to create a moment in time that connects with the heart and speaks to the soul. I can feel the air hovering over the mountains and the warm late day light as it moves up the tree line until it’s gone. This wonderful celebration of nature reveals the artist’s admiration for and connection with the scene. I admire in particular the use of color deployed to convey emotion and atmosphere. We feel the moment, and we are rewarded greatly.

SECOND PLACE: Tractor Study #5 by Robert Carsten

Second place went to Tractor Study #5. This piece is a truly unique vantage point on the art of abstraction. Rooted in direct observation of an antique tractor, the artist has transformed the surface environment of this machine into a technicolor delight of texture, light and shadow. Ultimately, it is the compositional drama, created through the play of light and shadow on the surface and conveyed with highly chromatic hues, that won me over. No one else has observed a tractor in such a unique way and shared their unique artistic vision with such joy and celebration.

THIRD PLACE: Nearing Twilight by Katrina Thortensen

Nearing Twilight took 3 ^rd place in this exhibition. The sky in this subtle and restful landscape is painted with such elegant restraint that it creates a sensory experience for the viewer. The depth of atmosphere is felt as much as seen through control of value and edge as well as the unity of color harmony. The soft light dances across the grass and rides over the clouds through sublimely rendered color. The moon is now in view, such a tender and skillful touch revealing thousands of miles of atmosphere and space between the viewer and this lunar sighting. What a beautiful scene, and a sense of place the artist has created for us here.

FIRST HONORABLE MENTION: The Blues by Shelli Duboff

Pure joy. That is the direct emotion I encountered when setting eyes on this painting entitled, The Blues. It’s a clever composition that emphasizes energetic diagonals to evoke a musical celebration of the genre. The artist has captured a feeling of music so well. I can’t as much hear the sounds as I can feel them resonating in my body in cadence with the fingers of the musician’s hand. That’s what makes this painting more than a portrait of a man or a description of a jazz player. It is a true visceral expression of joy.

SECOND HONORABLE MENTION: A History of Baseball #3 by Monica Hastings

A History of Baseball #3 is a narrative still life painting that sensitively and lovingly observes articles of our national past time. The surface effect of the leather gloves, well-worn and aged, is treated with great care. The color and value of aged and crackled leather depicted with wonderful grace. I enjoy experiencing the meandering line created by the outside edges of the gloves as you travel from one old soul to the next. What a special homage to the game of baseball, and to the art of pastel.

THIRD HONORABLE MENTION: Felicity by Alla Hiser

Felicity takes the 3rd Honorable Mention in this show. Nestled between the trunks of a tree, this compositional v-shaped design rivets our attention upon a beguiling young princess. She is treated with great dignity, using the site line vantage point of just below the subject to create a sense of power and poise in this little girl with great aspirations. From the eyes to the hands and tenderly rendered mouth, the artist has given us more than a skillful likeness, but a painting that invites us into a story. We are left wondering, “who will she become…?” And this willful participation with the art nourishes the viewer’s mind as well as heart.

ALL ACCEPTED IMAGES