“Sunflowers and Gladiolus,” by Jim McVicker, oil, 36 x 30 in. First Place winner

Another influential art expert judged the bimonthly entries in the PleinAir Salon competition (www.pleinairsalon.com). He picked award winners and offered comments that can help every artist.

Most art contests are judged by artists, but PleinAir knew it would be helpful if we asked influential art experts to judge the bimonthly Salon competitions. That’s why we invited Greg Fulton, managing partner of Astoria Fine Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to pick the prize winners and semi-finalists in the November/December contest.

Dr. Gregory Hedberg, the distinguished art historian, dealer, and collector, will judge the entries in the January/February PleinAir Salon competition, so be sure to enter TODAY and qualify to win the $20,000 in cash prizes that will be awarded during the Plein Air Convention & Expo in April! (www.pleinairsalon.com)

This month, Greg Fulton awarded First Place in the November/December Salon competition to Californian Jim McVicker (www.jimmcvickerpaints.com) for a still life painting titled “Sunflower and Gladiolus.” In commenting on the 36” x 30” oil painting, Fulton said, “This beautiful and complex still life stood out for its wonderful execution. There are fantastic qualities of depth and dimension, and the artist maintained a painterly style. This is a very refined painting with nice soft edges, great color choices, harmony, and contrast, and it is a well composed painting in terms of the interesting objects and furniture.”

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“Beauty and Beast,” by Dave Santillanes, oil, 15 x 30 in. Second Place winner

The Second Place award selected by Fulton went to Colorado artist Dave A. Santillanes (www.dasanti.com) for his dramatic landscape titled “Beauty and Beast.” About the 15” x 30” oil painting, Fulton said, “I love the drama in this painting of smoke-filled skies contrasted with the pastoral countryside. The painting truly captures a wildfire on canvas, and that’s a very difficult image to convey successfully. The painting is at once beautiful and ominous, and the artist deserves credit for creating something both eye-catching and powerful.”

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“Late November Light,” by Mark Boedges, oil, 10 x 19 in. Third Place winner

Fulton’s choice for Third Prize in the Salon competition was Vermont artist Mark Boedges (www.markboedges.com) for his 10” x 19” oil painting “Late November Light.” The other paintings selected as semi-finalists in the contest were created by Evgeny and Lydia Baranov (“Michelle as Elizabeth R”), Stacy Barter (“Early Birds, Winter Park Farmers Market”), Jerolyn Dirks (“December Sky”), Wayne McKenzie (“Colors of Summer”), Jim McVicker (“Late Summer Garden”), Linda Mutti (“After the Storm”), Camille Przewodek (“Corner of Light”), Greg Scheibel (“December Cattails”), and Michael Situ (“Newport Harbor”).


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