The October-November contest in the PleinAir Salon wraps up November 30 (get your entries in now!), and the judge for this contest, Joseph McGurl, explains what he’ll be looking for in a submission.
“When judging art competitions, I first look for artwork that is technically proficient in terms of drawing, composition, and color,” says McGurl. “From these, I select those works that have a unique vision and are not derivative of other artists or reliant on photography. The photography issue is especially important for this competition because it is sponsored by PleinAir magazine. Additionally, for me the process of transferring our multi-dimensional world into a two-dimensional representation of it is an amazingly abstract thought process. This is what makes art magical.”
Next April $21,000 in prizes will be awarded to the annual winners at the 2015 Plein Air Convention & Expo. The PleinAir Salon consists of six bi-monthly contests, with the First, Second, and Third Place winners of each contest, and the category winners, automatically entered into the annual competition. First prize in the annual competition is $15,000 cash and the publication of the winning image on the cover of PleinAir magazine, along with a feature story. Second Place earns an artist $3,000 and an article in the digital edition of PleinAir magazine. Third Place yields $1,500 in cash. Three additional finalists win $500.
Joe McGurl working on location; McGurl is the judge for the October-November contest in the PleinAir Salon.
Aside from First, Second and Third Place overall, categories include Best Oil, Best Pastel, Best Watercolor, Best Acrylic, Best Plein Air, Best Building, Best Figure in the Landscape, Best Floral, Best Landscape, Best Outdoor Still Life, Best Nocturne, Best Water, and Best Emerging Artist.
The winner of each bi-monthly contest is featured in this e-newsletter and profiled on OutdoorPainter.com. Enter now at the Salon’s website.
