The Finger Lakes Plein Air Competition & Festival celebrated its fifth year in Canandaigua, New York, last week, and PleinAir magazine editor Steve Doherty had the duty of awarding prizes. Who did he choose?
Chuck Marshall won Best in Show for his oil painting “Rolling Sojourn.” Marshall reports that the event was a pleasurable experience for him, and it wasn’t just because of that nice ribbon he received. “From the start of the competition to the very end, one thing struck me — everyone was so kind and willing to go out of their way to be helpful,” says Marshall. “I mean everyone, too — the staff at the gallery, the volunteers, the public, and all the artists. My hosts were the best. I made new lifelong friends with them. My host Chris Sophoclides said one day, ‘You are working 18-hour days! Is that normal?’ I said, ‘All the artists are.’ I can’t say enough great things about the views and the people of this event. I can’t wait to paint there again.”
Keith Gunderson. Photo by Karen Sorce
Other winners included George Van Hook, Second Place for “Passage,” and Elizabeth Rhodes, Third Place for “Davidson’s Landing.” Tarryl Gabel, Andre Lucero, Carlton Manzano, Paul Martin, Patrick McPhee, and Adriana Meiss won Honorable Mention.
“Passage,” by George Van Hook, oil. Second Place
“Davidson’s Landing,” by Elizabeth Rhodes, pastel. Third Place
“Canandaigua Main Street,” by Olena Babak. Winner of the Quick Draw
There was a Quick Draw; Olena Babak won the Grand Prize with “Canandaigua Main Street,” Kari Ganoung Ruiz won Second Place with “At First Glance,” and Julie Riker won People’s Choice with “Market Day.” At the Paint-Out at Granger Homestead, Olen Babak won People’s Choice for “Wheels of History.”
PleinAir magazine editor Steve Doherty. Photo by Karen Sorce
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