Americana

Dan Marshall, Juror

Best of Show–
Jeff Velarde- Comanche-oil
A very strong composition, and subdued color palette, save for the mid century design on the drive-in theatre marquee brings us back to a bygone era that’s pure Americana. The strong foreground shadows and placement of the screen and marquee lead us right into it a wonderful sense of vastness and feeling of Buena Vista. Again, great composition and strong use of shapes to lead the eye throughout the piece. Incredible amount of detail is balanced out nicely by the simple flat shape of the sky.

Best of theme
Peggy Dietz – Daniel Station in Wyoming -photography
Peggy’s choice of subject matter instantly harkens back to the old soul of americana. The use of desaturated color, bringing the focus to the green broken window frames and red of the pump are just enough to remind us of the vivid colors of days gone by. A remembrance of simpler times that have long faded into the complexities of the current state of America. I chose this as best of theme because of the chosen subject matter, the strength of composition and the editing required to evoke a certain emotion through photography. It brings a feeling of the way things were and can never be again.

Second Place–
Merrie Wicks- Hollyhocks- watercolor
Hollyhocks employs a wonderful use of control with watercolor. The crisp light in the flowers is balanced nicely with lost and found edges, a very pleasing mix of abstraction and representation. Leaving the eye through and around the painting and holding the viewers’ attention.

Third Place–
Lorraine Herrera Bonilla – Maria Was Here- oil
Coming from New York (and experiencing many Puerto Rican day parades), I love that this theme was chosen for the Americana show. The multi-cultural aspect of what is America is often overlooked. I chose this piece for the composition with the strong graphic elements, both color and graffiti as well as the design path of the wires. The shadow play against the wall is very interesting and adds more movement to what could have been a very static subject.

Honorable Mentions
Pat Hartman- Tribal Pride-watercolor
This piece shows a wonderful use of the medium in the attention to detail in vibrant colors throughout the patterns, and his shirt. The glowing smile in the portrait and the handling of aging skin on the forearm, set against a soft, focus abstract background brings all the attention back to the wonderful colors of the subject.

Teresa Maone- First Summer at the Lake – oil
You can feel the warmth on the skin and the connection between subject and painter in this beautifully rendered slightly graphic piece. I love the pairing of the sharp edges set against the soft focus of the background.

Kathy Myers – Box Kites-oil and cold wax
this is a very interesting piece, although abstract reads as a landscape and the simple representation of box kites add to the abstract qualities of this unique piece.

Talia Johns- American Jackalope- sculpture
The careful design of the ears and the creativity of how the horns are rendered both beautiful and slightly sinister at the same time make this a very unique and interesting piece. The patina and slight use of color add to the overall shamanistic feel.