COLOR Magazine's 26th Annual Member Show

The Understory
Lois Garrett

Judge's comments: The colors in this artwork of a dense woodland caught my eyes and I wanted to explore more and dive deeper into the brush, then hopefully get to the trees. When I zoomed in deeper I was very surprised by the simplicity of the strokes. This was a rendering of scribbles and colors that was very well done, Lois.

Best Friends
Jennifer Bateson

Judge's comments: Let’s just say this artwork makes you feel good. The position of the dog resting on the little girl’s shoulder and the girl leaning back, saying to herself, “He’s my best buddy,” is beautiful. I liked that the rendering was not photorealistic and was done tastefully to allow us to take in the image, feel the friendship. Nicely done, Jennifer.

Horsing Around in the Snow
Ria von der Warburg

Judge's comments: I love the use of foreshortening in this artwork; it adds to the playfulness of the horse’s head. By not adding the muzzle, the artist has left us to imagine what the horse is doing with its mouth. The composition of the three horses is funny, too: we don’t see any of them rendered fully.

Anja Smiles
Lynda D Frailey

Judge's comments: The gaze of Anja caught my eye. It’s as if she is saying, “I’m waiting for something from my owner,” a treat maybe for performing an order. What impressed me was the technical way the colored pencil is used, how the base color is laid down first followed by the the strokes following the form of the dog.

That Knowing Look
Fiona Fox

Judge's comments: Portraits are always a challenge to tackle, and I take my hat off to Fiona. This subtle portrait displays composition balance, color balance, and she makes one wonder what the subject is looking at. The detail in the hair, eyes, eyebrows, and lips play an important part in believing something has caught her attention. Such a nice soft touch. Great art piece.

Pink Water Lilies
Philip Ridge

Judge's comments: The artist has composed his subject so we see the water lilies right away. I like that the three flowers are not all opened the same, plus his off-center arrangement of the flowers is very smart. The lily pads are a great background to the three stars.

Early Morning Essence
Deborah Peters

Judge's comments: I enjoyed was the overall technique on black. The lights and shadows really suggest the sun coming up. As your eyes work up from the horse to the cowboy the detail is outstanding, but his face sells it all. I can imagine closing my eyes to feel the warmth of the rays on my face. Well done, Deborah.

Love at First Sight
Francesca Comparin

Judge's comments: Most of us have experienced this moment in our lifetime so we know the feeling, but in case you haven’t, just take a close look at the subject’s gaze, her cheeks lifting with her slight smile. Her hands hold onto her face softly, yet ready to give herself to that lucky person. Wow! This could be a cover for a romance novel. No matter where you look at this portrait it is pleasing to the senses. Thank you, Francesca.

Old Style
Susanna Bottiglieri

Judge's comments: I enjoy surreal paintings, where reality is presented in a dreamlike way, not quite making sense, and totally bizarre. I enjoy every aspect of this artwork: the foreground, the bowl, the chicken, the chick, the landscape background. This artist has essentially invited us to step through the looking glass and be part of their wondrous and imaginative story. My hat is off to you, Susanna.

Hurry, I’m Late
By Chantal Marcotte

Judge's comments: I believe this is an egret, known for its elegant appearance, graceful movements, and hunting skills. Chantal has rendered the bird with such care and elegant detail. The blue ocean background was rendered with care that the water seems to be moving. The added touch of the sea sparkles that are not as white as the egret is a smart touch. Congrats, Chantal.

Oh My Gourd!
Carolyn Comras

Judge's comments: When I looked at this piece of forty or so gourds (which, by the way, have a very lifelike appearance), I asked myself, how was Carolyn suspended? Seriously now, the shape of each gourd, the bumps or “warts,” the light stripes, and the shadows look so realistic. But what I like that when you get up close you can see subtle hints of color that represent a naturalistic and artistic expression. Way to go, Carolyn.

Memories of
Uncle Toby’s Farm
Kevin Rogers

Judge's comments: I am a fan of narrative art. I like an image that draws from personal experience, that invites the viewer to live a cultural story, and I love the pastel look that colored pencils can get at a master’s hand. This artwork has all the elements: composition, a descriptive figure, a setting, to convey this beautiful memory. Thank you for sharing, Kevin.

Floats and Reflections
Cathy Heller

Judge's comments: When I looked at Cathy’s artwork I knew for her to pull off this subject she had to have an understanding of how light interacts with transparent objects; how to make sure the same values and shades were in the cast shadows. Cathy’s choice to not render every detail is important here, too. Bravo, Cathy.

Fireworks of Flowers
Kirsty Power

Judge's comments: One look at these ball dahlias and you understand the title, which is one of the best in this contest. We all like those huge fireworks, especially at the end of a show where they cover the sky. This piece really asks you to use your imagination to see and feel the blasts. Very nice, Kirsty.

Gemstones
Alma Cartaya

Judge's comments: How can I not give this an honorable mention. I looked up why gemstones reflect light, and it’s due to their polished facets, which act like tiny mirrors that allow light to bounce around. I just enjoy the rendering of these gemstones, Alma. You should be proud of your artwork.

Gracie’s Golden Glow
Linda Jordan

Judge's comments: I always wondered why golden retrievers have a blank look at times, and the best reasons I found were that at those times they are in a relaxed state, fatigued, or processing information. Linda has captured the very essence of the look. The golden-brown colors, the highly detailed depiction of hair, the darks and then those highlights, just breathtaking. Bravo, Linda.

Kumul and Kedera
Carol Taylor Reid

Judge's comments: The spots on wild cats is natural camouflage for hunting, and these two blend in with the logs and each other. But that gaze sends chills down your back. They seem ready to pounce at any moment. When you look closely at this rendering you see the subtle strokes that define the cats. Very nice, Carol.

After the Hunt
Linda Bishop

Judge's comments: I love rendered closeups of anything, with those nicely-done blurred bokeh backgrounds, and to find such realistic details on any subject such as After The Hunt, is a treat. Very nice rendering, Linda.

The Snuggle is Real
Kathryn Hansen

Judge's comments: Wow! Oh wow! Let’s talk about artistic merit. This piece is an accomplishment in form, content, and execution of work. Kathryn’s skill level is through the roof. This piece has a pleasing quality: its use of colors (or lack of) and technique in colored pencil, skill, originality, and capturing the stare. Bravo, Kathryn!

Pieces of Me
Scott Krohn

Judge's comments: You can’t say Scott’s awareness of his subject matter is rocky. Artwork floors me when the main subject matter is in focus and the background is blurred. Scott has rendered the glass jar to perfection, and the rocks inside are of very fine detail. Bravo, Scott.

Milo Baggins
Kristi Branch

Judge's comments: This piece is one of my favorites in this entire contest. This rendering conveys a message of great seriousness, but that stare is just too funny. I believe the photographer has caught Milo’s bad side (or is it his good side?), then there’s the reflection in the eye that says, “Freeze, Jack!” But what makes this image work is, of course, that messy hair. Very nice, Kristi.

Ladybug, Ladybug,
Fly Away Home
Bonnie Sheckter

Judge's comments: This is such a great piece of artwork. The artist has captured a soft and beautiful subject matter, and the skill of the artist is highly apparent. The little girl in the foreground is in focus and the background buildings blurred, and this style has been applied with such artistic merit. I take my hat off and say thank you.

Beauty and the Beast
Wende Fink

Judge's comments: This artwork shows a red flower in the foreground rendered with such great detail, surrounded by thick green foliage and the background foliage blurred. All of that is where my eyes went at first as I was judging this piece. Then I finally looked to the bottom right corner and there was the surprise: a wild cat just staring back. Well done, Wende.

Misty Morning Observation
Mark Neuherz

Judge's comments: This artwork brought back memories of hiking in Yosemite; those long, long hikes where I could see the next turn and then hike some more just to find another turn, then to come upon a small creek and rest. I zoomed way in to see all the detail that I was waiting to see, but I was surprised, scribbles, yep, Mark pulled off the treat of the contest. Thank you, Mark.

Catskill Memories
Anne Bernstein

Judge's comments: Subjects that can transport us to another place and maybe even another time, as Anne has created here, make me smile and remember my younger years when I drew my first wooden covered bridge. I zoomed in and to my surprise there was so much detail in this rendering, but I really enjoyed the river. I remember a similar river where the leaves are floating above the water casting a shadow to show you how deep the water was. Bravo, Anne, for this delightful image.

Her Mamma’s Socks
Christina Bond

Judge's comments: I imagine Christina being asked over and over how long did it take her to draw the nose, the eyes, the socks, the ears, the hair and did she find it therapeutic. With this piece, I would speculate that the artist has done her due diligence in making sure the original image was beautiful. I thoroughly enjoy all the details, the light and shadows, the background, and foreground. I hope you took step-by-step photos of your work in progress, because this would be a great story to read. Thank you, Christina, for creating such beautiful artwork to admire.

I live in Oxnard, California, with beautiful beaches, great weather and lots of rich farming land. I was born in Oxnard in 1954 but moved away after four years and grew up in Azusa, California, (The city’s actual Native American name is Asuksa-nga.) I grew to love my neighborhood and friends. Here's where I learned to ride a bike and play baseball, basketball, and football. I also enjoyed collecting and drawing characters from comic books.

My love for art started at the age of nine in 1963. I discovered television artist Jon Gnagy, drawing along and learning the principles of art: composition, shape, value, form, texture, and perspective, which gave me the confidence and skill to draw anything. My parents bought me his “Learn to Draw with Jon Gnagy” art kit, and I credit Jon Gnagy with getting me hooked on art forever.

My formal art training started in high school where I took art classes for four years. I found that commercial art was what I wanted to pursue. At Ventura College, I used my scholarship from high school to buy my art supplies along with art books of the great masters. My instructors introduced me to graphic design, color and design, structural design, and advertising. I was hooked, and graphic design was now my field of specialty.

After college, I worked for the Navy at Point Mugu, in California, as a graphic artist. I designed logos for all the weapon system departments. I also designed a logo to fit on a jacket worn by the F-14 squadron at Mugu. I worked for several ad agencies, honing my skills to take on several jobs at a time and complete them on time. I worked freelance for a while and found I was not cut out for that. My best jobs were for companies that had their own internal graphic and photography departments. I have fond memories of all my accomplishments, awards, and friendships along the way.

After a forty-year career in graphic design I retired to embark on a new adventure, using colored pencils to create amazing pictures for everyone to enjoy. I have been told that my colored pencil paintings all have a graphic design appearance. I would say to that, graphic design is and will always be in my blood.

In my new artistic journey, I learned early on that my love for colored pencils would only grow if I broadened my knowledge and skill in this field. I became part of the Colored Pencil Society of America and then joined the Los Angeles chapter. Twelve years later, the greatest tool I received from CPSA is the numerous CP artists who make themselves available through teaching and by writing helpful instructional books to help me advance and reach my full potential.

My reason for creating colored pencil paintings is the pleasure, stimulation, and satisfaction I get from making colored pencil pictures. It comes down to choice of good paper, craftsmanship, techniques, and layering strokes with colored pencils. I must say using colored pencils is a slow process, so cutting time is important to me. I found the best tool to use to cut time off my colored pencil paintings is the Icarus Drawing Art Board which allows me to blend colors through its heated surface.

I describe my images as I call them “Snapshot Realism.” I’ve become a snapshot photographer with a smartphone. Taking snapshots of images that strike me as subject-worthy is my goal, maybe even one day becoming a finished colored pencil painting.

Phil Zubiate