A Few of my Favorites...

I've spent most of today moving this year's CP Magazine Member Show from the old website to this brand spanking new one. It's meant that I've really had a chance to re-visit the show...and I just felt like I had to say a few things about a few of my favorites.  I didn't envy Julie Podstolski at all, for her task of having to judge the show. Having been honored to be a juror more than a few times, I know how gut-wrenching those decisions can be, particularly when most of us have been on the opposite side of the art show fence - being judged!

And judging is more than just choosing your favorites...I've given awards to pieces that I don't personally love and wouldn't much want hanging in my home - but I can still appreciate the skill, composition, technique and idea behind a work that is a cut above the others.

But I digress!  I actually just wanted to talk about some of my favorites that didn't win awards.  I have loads of favorites...but here are a handful:

Janice Norton's Rosemary in Winter

Mood, mood, mood.  Janice's work always feels to me like it comes so directly from the heart that it almost feels like voyeurism to look at them.  Of course, her lighting is gorgeous and her values are wonderful, and her drawing skills are excellent - but somehow her style is so emotionally laden that it feels like peeking into a gentle soul.

Linda Barnhill's Stages of Cotton

I'm a big fan of botanical drawings, but generally they are super crisp, almost hyper-real detailed drawings that can sometimes tip toward the cold, or unfeeling, even when strikingly beautiful.  Linda's piece is so uniquely warm and fuzzy and approachable, for a botanical, that I just fell in love with it.  It's funny...because I'm somehow who generally loves lots of contrast in values, but this mid-tone piece really speaks to me in a warm and gentle way.  Love it!

Sheri Rubin's Illuminating Spring

Did you see the delightful computer generated movie "Up"??  I saw it 3 times and each time it made me feel young and hopeful and happy...and somehow, every time I look at Sheri's piece, I think of "Up" and have those same feelings...like the world is a wonderful, beautiful place and all is possible within it.

Dean Rogers' Tis the Season for Fashion

Are you kidding me?  This one blows me away.  Dean takes life, renders it super-realistically, then evidently sprinkles on some kind of pixie dust so that a layer of hyper-glamor, hyper-perfection lightly settles over all.  I could stare at that hair forever, except then I couldn't stare at her face forever. Such luxurious skin tones! Not to mention that perfect lettering.  Amazing.  Gorgeous. wow.

Donna Schwatz's The Glorious Changes and Transformations in Life

A study in light, shadow, values and textures, Donna's piece, with it's stark black and white background is a beautiful, quiet still life that shows such mastery of the medium.  I am most drawn to those gorgeous and unexpected orange shadows under the eggs.  They are a stroke of genius addition to this otherwise nearly monochromatic theme.  

I could go on and on...I have many more favorites.  So many favorites, so little time!  :-)  I hope you enjoyed the 14th Annual Member Show as much as I did.  Do you have a favorite or two??