February 2012 Finalist
Award Sponsor: RayMar Art
Judge: Michelle Dunaway
Change of Seasons by SM Botstein
16 x 20 Oil
Judge's Comments: simplicity can be so captivating.. this painting reminds me of a quote by Robert Henri from the book The Art Spirit “The sketch hunter moves through life as he finds it, not passing negligently the things he loves, but stopping to know them, and to note them down in the shorthand of his sketchbook.” I think it's powerful how the artist chose to depict only the essential . The muted green color choice of the background and golden hued underpainting also lend themselves well to enriching the rust color of the the dried leaves. The design of the shadow is essential to the three dimensional aspect of the painting and was handled very well. It is a study of subtle light as much as a study of the forms in nature and is a beautiful blending of finished brushwork while retaining the freshness of a spontaneous painting sketch. - Michelle Dunaway
RayMar 6th Annual Art Contest Judges
December
2011--John Burton
January
2012--Kathryn Stats
February
2012--Michelle Dunaway
March
2012--Tony Pro
April
2012--Joshua Rose
May
2012--Warren Chang
June
2012--John & Shannon Watts
July
2012--Jennifer McChristian
August
2012--Michael Godfrey
September
2012--Sherrie McGraw
October
2012--Kathy Anderson
November
2012--Jill Carver