Darrell Beauchamp, Executive Director of the Western Art Museum, has revealed his selections for the winners in the February 2024 PleinAir Salon.
“I believe that every art competition results in the growth of the artist,” said Darrell. “First, it requires the artist to ask serious questions about the overall quality of a work and how it will hold up against other works of its genre. It requires an artist to take a chance, to let the work, and by extension themselves, be thrown out there for judgment.
“If approached with a positive attitude, competition can allow an artist to grow by looking at the works of others, knowing all the while that art is subjective and beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder.” Continue reading to see more of Darrell’s comments on the top-winning paintings, and his advice for entering an art competition.
PleinAir Salon Winners Preview:
1st Place Overall: “Looking East”
“I chose ‘Looking East’ because it is both compositionally well done and the palette and subject matter appealed to me. It is atmospheric, well lit, and evokes a sense of place and peacefulness.”
2nd Place Overall: “Fall Tilling”
“My second choice is a subject matter that is often ignored and it is very well painted. It is masterfully composed, showing migrant workers in the background working a field while the two main subjects, one at rest with fruit in hand and the other pausing work to talk on a cell phone, [perhaps] causes the viewer to wonder why they have stopped work while the others continued.”
3rd Place Overall: “Port Clyde Co-Op Cove”
“My third painting was selected because of its atmospheric qualities, its depth, and the overall execution and mastery of the watercolor medium.”
Best Plein Air Landscape: “Morning Orison”
Best Plein Air Acrylic: “Near West River”
Best Plein Air Oil: “Rabbit Brush”
Best Plein Air Pastel: “Spring Creek at Fisherman’s Paradise”
Best Plein Air Watercolor / Gouache: “Spring Peeking Through”
“I would advise artists to be very conscious of the category in which they enter a piece,” Darrell added. “Several times I saw works in one category when they would have been more appropriate for a different one. And, several times I didn’t choose a painting to advance because it was in an inappropriate category.”
First place will receive a cash prize, plus all winners will be entered into the judging for the annual cash prizes, including the $15,000 grand prize for the best painting of the year, and they’ll see their painting on the cover of PleinAir® Magazine. Could you be the next winner?
Enter the PleinAir Salon Today
The next round of the PleinAir Salon has begun so hurry, as this competition ends on the last day of the month. See the rest of this month’s winners and enter your best art in the PleinAir Salon here.
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