  Our Juror - Alyona Nickelsen
Alyona Nickelsen is the author of “Colored Pencil Painting Bible. (Techniques For Achieving Luminous Color and Ultra-Realistic Effects)” which is slated for release this winter from Random House Publications. She is the founder and primary instructor of Online Colored Pencil Painting School . Alyona has exhibited and won awards in numerous prestigious national and international shows such as CPSA (Colored Pencil Society of America), American Artists Professional League, Allied Artists of America, The Salmagundi Club, Audubon Artists, Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club and many others. Her work has been featured in major art publications such as The Artist's Magazine, American Artist Magazine, American Artist Drawing, International Artist, American Art Collector, Art Business News, Art Calendar, and others. Alyona is a Signature Member of CPSA, Juried Member of International Guild Of Realism and Full Member of The Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club.
Notes
It is my great honor and pleasure to judge this show. I was thoroughly impressed with the quality of entries and I couldn't resist but to ask Ann for additional Honorable Mention awards. I felt that this was a necessary response to the outstanding work submitted.
Please consider that even though a judge must attempt to be very objective and avoid personal preferences, any artistic judging is ultimately subjective. Nonetheless, I have endeavored to measure only the merit of the work and pay particular attention to composition, technical execution, value interpretation, colors, edges, textures, proportions, perspectives, etc. However, there is a human and artistic element in a judge's decisions.
With every new show colored pencil unveils its hidden glory in the artist's work. Additional artistic method, subjects and decisions are added to the colored pencil artist's toolbox. This wonderful process shapes colored pencil to be the dynamic and magnificent medium that it is. Thank you all my fellow CPers for all the enthusiasm and efforts that lead to such spectacular results!
Sincerely Yours,
Alyona Nickelsen, CPSA
Honorable Mentions:
Angela Bartlett: This a case of a true appreciation of the intricacies of color and textures without the accompanying smell.
Holly Bedrosian: You can even smell the frosty fresh air and the brightness of the snow that makes you want to squint your eyes.
Nicole Caufield:
A great example of when less says more. An artist's point of view manifests without the finishing touches. Holly Mahla: Order and meticulous planning are behind this seemingly disarrayed and abandon game.
Tess Miller: The sincere curiosity of a young mind brings a special touch to newborn sibling relationships.
Susan Moyer: Unstoppable wild forces of nature captured with the keen eye of an artist who understands. Janice Norton: An impressive combination of high contrast, genuine shapes, values and of course color make this an elegant and lifelike composition.
Marlene Piccolin: A startling expression and natural textures indeed produce a remarkable statement about the serious side of animal life.
Cathy Ward: This piece renders a thought behind a thought and not just an ordinary episode from the family album. Awards:
3rd Place -
Dee Overly: The universe shown in a drop of water depicts the love and admiration of the artist for the magic of light and shadow. There is life, light and motion captured at the edge of shapes morphing into each other. Realistic rendering demands from the artist a clear understanding of the laws of physics. Here such factors as surface tension, gravity and optical properties are all demonstrated in this excellent piece.
2nd Place - Juno Kughler Carlson: This work is a great example of why cliché's about eyes speaking or eyes being the window to the soul are so prevalent. Once you look into these eyes you can just about read the story of the woman's life. I also appreciate that the colorful compositional entourage doesn't distract from the focal point but supports it and brings a dynamic feel to the portrait.
1st Place - Richard Childs: Besides the adorable focal point and the illusion of an enormous depth of field, the handling of textures is simply breathtaking. Also, the colors and values used here create an atmosphere where one can almost hear approaching thunder and oh boy! Isn't grass just the sweetest this time of year? Best of Show - Ester Roi: This is a hymn of life, light and color; the ode to creators and creations; the glory of the instant and the triumph of eternity.
This work has everything. A fresh idea that uses spectacular effects to achieve a dynamic and moving composition. Brilliant colors culminate in a superbly executed and masterful piece. Bravo Ester!
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