Color Study 6 - Best of Show, Gracie Award

Paul Gravett I explore the intersections of photography and contemporary art, where light and color become the subject matter, revealing rich palettes, layered rhythms, and textures. All my images start in the camera, looking beyond the object itself to explore unseen elements and abstractions. As reality recedes, light, color, and pattern create fragments of a mysterious otherness in these painterly images. 'The Color Study' series is based on one of the most essential of photographic techniques: depth of field. Colored papers and transparencies are carefully arranged on glass shelves, stacked three to six deep to create a three-dimensional collage. Each layer is captured in focus, with the other layers softened or out of focus. The multiple images are then stacked and blended in Photoshop, but the manipulation is minimal so that the images can remain spontaneous. Each image is fully planned at the beginning, but the experimental technique allows shapes, colors, depths, and light to interact in ways that are entirely unpredictable and joyfully unexpected. Photography, archival ink, paper, frame, acrylic 22 " x 22" US$500.00

Consonance and Dissonance

Rick Rogers Over the past two years I have begun to explore universally recognizable symbols. By re-imagining these symbols I hope to present their idealistic beauty, while also examining the current real-world issues. I want to re-contextualize the symbol, giving viewers space to respond aesthetically and emotionally, and to form their own interpretations and opinions. This new body of work began during the 150th anniversary of Canada’s confederation in 2017. What began as a simple aim to deconstruct and reconstruct the Canadian flag resulted in an exploration of the power of symbolism. For artists, symbols provide access to shared emotional connections and compelling concepts, which are already embedded in the psyche of viewers. 'Consonance and Dissonance' uses a wide range of experimental media. Layers of original collage materials were created by mixing, pouring, and curing acrylics. I used a combination of many techniques and tools that I have been developing over the past six years, discovered through research, methodical experimentation, and the occasional accidental discovery. The experiments rely upon research into my materials and many scientific principles: density, immiscibility, surface tension, dissolution, Brownian motion, Rayleigh-Taylor instability, and media properties - including a pigment’s specific gravity, media density, and transparency. I have developed my own designs for a four point mechanically balanced glass pouring tables. I also employ several novel techniques, including one that uses two types of oil-based additive, two concentrations of isopropyl alcohol, polyethylene films, and a butane torch. With experimentation comes obstacles. I wanted to avoid crazing in the dried media, while finding the most effective acrylic paint release mechanism, as well as reliable information about the pigments used in my paints. As with many experimental artistic processes, the ability to reliably reproduce an effect is its own challenge. Mixed media - acrylic, paper 36" x 36" x 2" US$2,075.00

Springs ’n’ Things

Jules Silver I consider my work to be experimental in nature. I may have a general notion of the ideas, colors, or materials that I want to incorporate, but as I progress the work seems to take on a life of its own. I like combining various found or recycled objects into my works. Sometimes they end up being whimsical. Other times a political statement emerges, or a statement about life. I consider most art to be an experiment - especially abstract art. My art is always an experiment, testing the boundaries of what I do, or do not, know and what I can create. I am often surprised when I take a step back and see the piece unfolding into something totally unexpected. I like following the greats of abstract art, seeing if I can incorporate something of their styles, or expand upon their thinking as I create something of my own. Taking a rough idea of something Jackson Pollock or Robert Motherwell might do and then making it into a 3-dimensional piece incorporating new materials and found objects. Experimental art is a challenge and I love a challenge. I love the creativity and I love the freedom it brings to me. And to that end my business name is Ipaint2bfree. Acrylics, found objects, magazines, photographs, music sheets, and springs 40" x 30" x 3" US$1,250.00

Great Balls Of Yarn - Honorable Mention Award

Trish Zimbalatti While I work with photography, I endeavor to imbue the flat images with the 3-dimensionality of their original subjects. To bring a photo back to life, I deconstruct an image and then rebuild it layer upon layer. I am experimenting with different types of photographic papers, as well as various techniques and tools used to manipulate each piece, be it realistic or abstract. Mixed Media and photography 22" x 28" US$3,000.00

Bobbles - Third Place Award

Jan Filiarski To bring this work to fruition, I used over 30 different procedures and materials, many of which I had never worked with before. It has acrylic paint, oil pastel, newspaper printing techniques, paint applied with a roller, newspaper strips with paint applied between the strips, charcoal lines, sanded charcoal powder, watercolor pencil, paint applied through a cardboard printing process, Caran d’Ache pencils, graphite pencil, watercolor and acrylic sprays, and much more. Acrylic paint and mixed media on canvas 16" x 12" x 1.5" US$525.00

Kintsugi Earth II

Rajul Shah With the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, I have been looking for ways to inspire others through my artwork. I have quite a few paintings that I have put to the side, pieces that do not work or that I consider to be damaged goods. After living in Japan for 8 years, I was inspired by the Japanese art of Kintsugi – the art of repairing broken pottery using gold. It is a practice that embraces flaws. By repairing such imperfections, we are taught that broken objects can be healed and embraced, renewed to be even more precious than they were before. I wanted to mimic this in paintings, considering what this pandemic has shown us regarding humanity and climate change. I cut up my paintings, gathered up acrylic skins (left over from previous poured paintings projects), created new acrylic skins, and glued all these materials onto wood panel using acrylic medium. I filled in the cracks with 23 kt gold leaf - much like a kintsugi artist does with broken pieces of pottery. Coating the surface using layers of transparent medium and paint provided depth. Lastly, I applied bits of gold leaf, connecting the various sections of the work. The result - a 2D version of the art of Kintsugi, capturing a vision of the Earth, waiting to be mended and healed. Acrylic and 23 kt gold on wood panel 20" x 16" x 1" US$2,500.00

Fiesta

Patricia Abraham Large and small shapes scattered throughout the composition create the feeling of confetti. I experimented with color to achieve an intense, dramatic black. Together the colors and shapes of all sizes evoked, for me, the feeling for the title: 'FIESTA'. Watermedia 20" x 15" US$1,200.00

Lifelines Bracelet

Whitney Hampton With this bracelet, I wanted to create my own interpretation of the myth of the Three Fates, exploring what a lifeline could look like using metal and wire. I used forging techniques as a metaphor for those moments of falling backward, spiraling, twisting, and stretching, all while we have other lifelines coming and going from our own. The wire dances above and below the bracelet and taking different forms with each new chapter. The lifeline is unique to the wearer. Brass, copper, and silver 6" x 1" x 1" US$1,800.00

Garden Tapestry - Merit Award

Bette Lisitza I have been experimenting with new processes to create my own collage materials, resulting in works which are more personally meaningful. For much of my work, I use close-up photos of sections of my previous paintings, as well as my own photos of interesting patterns that I have found on flowers and personal objects. For ‘Garden Tapestry’, I began to experiment with stitching images using black thread on fabric to create original drawings. Both the photos and fabric drawings are scanned and then printed onto tissue paper, which is then used in my artworks. With these two processes, the possibilities for my collage practice are limitless. Acrylic and collage 30" x 30" US$816.00

Kimono

Judi Coffey This painting celebrates my affection for oriental pottery. Using only gouache and circle mats, the shapes just evolved. I love the bright colors and their joyful feeling. Gouache 22" x 22" US$500.00

I'LL BE THERE IN TEN - Merit Award

Ingrid Albrecht This painting was created on a Yupo synthetic paper surface. In order to emphasize the movement of the main character, parts of his legs were blended into the background to indicate rapid movement. Transparent watercolor 20" x 26" US$5,600.00

Coronavirus Series #2 “Despair”

Patsy Tidwell-Painton After more than a month of being confined to my home I decided to experiment, and to paint how I felt. I have since completed 8 paintings that are completely different from anything that I had previously created. Acrylic and collage on canvas 18" x 18" x 1" US$500.00

We're in This Together

Kat Masella The work began as an emotional response to the current pandemic. I threw wax paint onto a hot plate and began to work. The image revealed itself as I manipulated the monotype further, adding in oil paint and cold wax. Oil and mixed media 24" x 18" US$1,000.00

Red Means Stop - President's Award

Michael Goldman Part craftsman, part entertainer, and part teacher, my role as an artist is varied. I observe and question the environments around me: natural, built, or cultural. This happens while walking in the city, reading the news, or browsing online and begins the design process for a new piece. I then experiment with a series of graphics and materials to create art that responds to what I have learned from those experiences. Perhaps, my interpretation may benefit someone else and bring about change? I use industrial materials, objects, and graphics as the palette for my work as they are common, eye catching, and easily approached by the viewer. Like mass produced objects, my pieces have clean lines, durability, and an economic use of resources. The works appear as industrial objects, but they express ideas rather then services. I am constantly experimenting with different media to transmit the most effective message. A newly created piece must uphold strict standards. It must grab the viewer’s attention, make them smile, and after some contemplation, change their point of view. These are very big expectations to put on artworks, but I have a responsibility to be diligent. The project- 'Red Means Stop' People spend a large portion of their day on their phones. Social media, texts, surfing the internet, and taking pictures keeps them isolated from the physical environment they inhabit and alters its reality. How they perceive the world and their relationships with others are greatly effected by these devices. Signs are designed to make us pause and refocus our attention in order to follow a rule, avoid hazards, or gain information. Pictograms on signs provide a common, nonverbal language to transmit that information regardless of the viewer’s native language. 'Red Means Stop' is intended to snap you out of that filtered cyber world and asks you to rethink where you are and who may be standing right next to you. Aluminum, reflective vinyl, galvanized steel, cap and concrete base 84" x 24" x 14" US$1,150.00

I See You - Fourth Place Award

Cheryl Kellar I paint scenes from fashion, focusing on strong colors, and contrasting areas of light and dark. The emphasis is generally on the model, the fashion runway, or the store window and mannequins. But with this work I wanted to place emphasis on the viewer, as well as the subject being viewed. I incorporated an element of whimsy to surprise the audience, drawing them further into the scene. Watercolor 15" x 11" US$400.00

Chicago

Maricarmen Pizano My practice thrives on mixing materials and techniques. For this specific work, I did an architectural sketch in ink on a napkin while sitting in a coffee shop. Later, that image was incorporated into a canvas that I had prepared with marble dust, Gesso, and acrylics. Mixed media on canvas 40" x 30" x 2" US$2,000.00

Weapon Of Mass Destruction - Merit Award

Daniel Wiebe I have been a ceramic artist for several years, and desire to grow and expand my creative practice. This sculpture is the catalyst to my exploring the possibilities of combining steel and found objects with my clay. Clay, steel, and found objects 25" x 11" x 12" US$2,500.00

Somebody’s Daughter

Kimberly Grace Gill After learning about the growing plight of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in the United States and Canada, I felt compelled to create a painting that would bring more awareness to this tragic issue, while paying homage to the victims and their families. The color red is used for MMIW campaigns, marches, social media postings, and many artistic projects and installations. The color red is also considered sacred and it is believed that it is the only color that spirits actually see. Public installation artist, Jamie Black, created the ongoing “REDress project”. Her riveting work has inspired other artists, including myself, to use red to draw attention to the issue of MMIW, and has prompted the creation of REDress Day. A red hand print across the mouth has also become a symbolic representation of the violence that affects Indigenous women across the US, Canada and beyond. With all of this in mind, I began this piece by painting my hand with red acrylic paint and covering the surface with my hand prints. Next, I carefully placed many images of missing persons posters to the surface. As I worked on the piece, my prayers were with these nearly 6,000 women. They are all someone’s daughter, mother, granddaughter, friend, aunt, sister, or cousin. However, the central portrait that I created is not one of the actual missing or murdered women. I did not feel that would be appropriate. My intention was to capture a proud and strong woman who could represent all of the victims, while allowing the background message of the piece to shine through. The fabric was incorporated into parts of the face to be symbolic of the red dress. Yellow, I have learned, often stands for courage and determination. To complete this piece, I loaded an extra long brush with yellow acrylic paint and bravely and intuitively applied it to the painting. My prayers continue for the victims and their families. Acrylic, collage, pastel and varnish 40" x 40" US$1,900.00

Fire in the Rain Forest

Junco Norton Pursuing originality, I follow a path strewn with experiments and discoveries, using ancient and modern techniques (artistic or structural) to define a visual destination. Spending my early years in São Paulo, my work was been heavily influence by the visual culture of Brazil, and then later, that of Japan. When starting a new piece, I use Procreate to sketches on my iPad. I experiment with color and texture, shaping and reshaping the elements of the composition. Each step informs the next visual choice until an image emerges that matches my concept in structure, mood, style, and color. During this stage, the flexibility of the technology enables me to experiment freely. Even so, I exercise restraint when adding or subtracting visual elements, wanting to conform to my initial concept. I also experiment with styles, materials, and painting techniques, trying to meld them with my own to achieve originality. My gestural marks are influenced by Shodo (Japanese calligraphy); the collaged hand-painted rice papers use Suminagashi (Japanese paper-marbling), and I employ Katagami (Japanese stencil cutting) for my mono-printings. 'Fire in the Rain Forest' is part of a larger series titled 'Save the Amazon'. I am inspired by abstract expressionism, and the deep emotional responses embodied in the abstract forms. The imagery of this series is meant to direct my viewers to the Amazon's Indigenous ways of life, their tribal arts, and to the brilliant emerald hues of the millions of trees still standing. Acrylic and collage with hand-painted rice paper 30" x 36" US$1,200.00

Field: Other Power

Giang Pham Blending painting and embroidery, 'Field: Other Power' challenges the notions of perception using text and image, negative space, and positive shapes. The title for this series, 'Abstract Anxiety', addresses the structural oppression on the body and the psyche. I abstract these words to the point of near illegibility, presenting them as an ambiguous visual puzzle. Since the answer to each puzzle is provided in the title, the works aim to reorient the viewer, pushing them beyond mere appreciation of surface elements. By destabilizing conventional visual and verbal modes of communication, I want to provide an opportunity for viewers to navigate toward deeper understandings. Acrylic paint and hand embroidery 12" x 17" US$800.00

Childhood Memories

Linda Vroegindewey My art is an attempt to blend animal forms with an industrial aesthetic. The work is experimental, blending the softer natural curves of the horse with harder industrial materials, mainly metal. Ceramic and mixed media 10" x 7" x 10" US$425.00

Finding Direction

Kathleen Conover I pushed my technique and knowledge by combining watercolor, acrylic, graphite powder and charcoal. A vortex of movement keeps the eye swirling through the composition, despite all the darkest value being weighted to the right. (Finding an unusual composition is a favorite challenge of mine.) Most important to me is an artwork’s concept. The symbolism presents a horse, representing the journey, the raven as a messenger, and finally, a stylized person. The work is all about searching for and 'Finding Direction'. Watercolor, acrylic, graphite and charcoal 22" x 22" US$900.00

Lost Dreams - Merit Award

Beverly Bley My artwork is experimental because of my approach. Working with a variety of materials I print, use line, shapes, and odd bits and pieces, continually turning the paper until a composition emerges. Looking at it, I ask: “what if I add this or subtract that?” until I come to a point where the work is finished. I paint for me. Mixed media 15" x 15" US$800.00

Light and Dark II - Merit Award

Deann Stein Hasinoff In my photography I am interested in shadows, shapes, and movement. I do not set out to compose an image, rather I take many photos and then look for abstract compositions within the image. Nature and ice are my preferred subjects: they are always changing, and you must adapt. What you see one day will not be there the next. It may even be gone in the next moment. Abstracting photographic images allows me to experiment in ways I cannot otherwise do, having severe sensitivities to traditional art making materials. Photography 18" x 24" US$192.00

Windswept

Barbara Weisenburg To me, the inhale is the beginning - that "Aha" moment - that inspires me. It could be a thought, a protest, a dream, or a moment of beauty. Each year I create a painting honoring my Mom. 'Windswept' is a tribute to her favorite season: Autumn. I wanted to play with new forms, creating a multilayered story of Mom's love for Autumn, without being too literal. It is a fragmented inventory of Autumn: the colors, the leaves, walking with the leaves with the wind swirling around us, and the trees getting ready for winter. Watercolor, gouache, acrylic, collage 20" x 28" x 1" US$450.00

Hyldemoer

Carroll Charest When I first learned to sculpt, it was the figure in wet clay. Initially my focus was mastering the anatomy of the body, while also learning the medium. How the clay moved, what it could tolerate, how it adapted to my hands as I molded and shaped it, and how the various standard tools left their own marks. This resulted in representational figures with smooth surfaces. I eventually advanced both in gestural expression and mark making, stylizing the figure, and experimenting with different patinas to give a faux finish of other media or glazes. Wishing to make my figures even more impressionistic and expressive, I have begun to utilize different non-formal tools such as bone, stones, bark, sea shells, and incorporate found natural objects that mirror the tools used, all of which result in more dramatic pieces. For 'Hyldemoer' I used a piece of tree bark to form, shape, and mark the clay. Soon the figure began transforming its essence into a tree. After it was fired, I added tree bark to further convey the impression of a tree and its surface. I find this new method has pushed me to look and process faster, creating more dynamic, imaginative pieces that capture the movement, emotions, and energy that the figure can convey. Fired clay, tree bark, acrylic patina on a stainless steel rod 14" x 6" x 6" US$300.00

Upstairs Relections

Carolyn Epperly I used transparent watercolor, layering the composition to fool the eye, creating the illusion of several reflections. Watercolor 22" x 15" US$1,800.00

Dare I call you Father

Joanna Coke I created this diptych to be 3D with a low relief, using sand texture in the background, molding paste for the hands and multiple layers of paper to make the female's garment. Mixed media- acrylic, sand, collage, molding paste 12" x 32" US$1,295.00

Cartoon

Laraine Wade I work with various media, including water, ink, and collage. Beginning with painting, I then add collaged and drawn elements, weaving the new materials into the composition. Mixed media 28" x 23" US$650.00

Eye On the Finish - Merit Award

Sue Martin For this piece I experimented with both process and materials. I began by focusing on shape and texture, using oil paint and cold wax medium on cradle board. My palette was limited to black, white, yellow ochre, and ultramarine violet, adding in a few pieces of torn newspaper, which are barely visible in the finished work. I wanted to capture the mood of this confusing pandemic: the fear, loneliness, loss, and disorientation. As I worked, a lone figure emerged, embodying the isolation many of us are experiencing. The words are ones that we see everywhere - Covid, emergency, time, serious. They are a significant part of the ambient noise of our lives. At the same time, I count myself fortunate to be an optimist by nature. It was important for my to include a sliver of that optimism to balance the darker emotions. Mixed media 12" x 12" US$450.00

Where Orange Grass Grows

Samantha Williams-Chapelsky My 2-dimensional works challenge space and physicality through texture and abstracted representations of the prairie landscape. I reference textiles and woven patterns, presented alongside a dynamic color palette, crafting a unique style and vision. Acrylic on birch panel 36" x 36" x 1.75" US$2,500.00

Where the Crawdads Sing - Merit Award

Larry Moore The crushed and battered shells left at the tide's edge have always fascinated me. I knew that they had a story of adventure, pain, beauty, and endurance to share with the world. I also knew that these stories would, for the most part, go untold. I want viewers to know exactly what they are seeing in my sculptures, and to begin to question how and why these beautiful shells were broken. I want viewers to see the real, if tragic, beauty of these wonders of nature. I believe that my material, clay, is a living entity, it knows what it wants to become. Facilitating that creative development is both experimental and meditative. I become aware that I have taken the ball of clay and have shaped it to capture the struggles of the shells. These shells once contained living beings. Working through the clay, I want to channel the strengths, weaknesses, fears, joys, and eventual loss found in each shell remnant. Against all rules of ceramics, the edges of the pieces are left raw and unfinished, some are torn or overlap. Marks and flaws are left on the body. Conventional rules in ceramics dictate that all pieces should be smooth and unblemished. However, my pieces could not reveal the stories they have to tell without these marks. As ceramist, we must learn to give up what we want to make and wait for the clay to tell us what it wants to become, pushing against the traditionally accepted norms to capture a wider range of emotions and narratives. Stoneware 5.5" x 8.5" x 13.5" US$475.00

Eons Ago

Helen Wheatley This piece is entirely different than anything I have done before, taking a good bit of trial and error. I tried several new media and materials for the first time, including a light molding paste to create texture and dimension. I used cold wax to add depth to the image while allowing for a softer, more transparent blend of colour. I tried using things from my yard. Printing with ferns was more challenging than I expected. It was important to get exactly the right amount of paint, while very carefully placing and removing the ferns for the desired result. I used the side of an old shower brush to create the tiny dotted lines, and a wire to make the solid lines, all of which resulted in more interesting marks than I could have achieved with a brush alone. Acrylic and mixed media 27" x 27" x 1" US$1,200.00

The Fabricated Landscape 2

John Labots This painting was a part of a series that explores themes of man's influence upon the landscape. I wanted to differentiate the man-made structures and nature, choosing acrylic paint for the natural elements, and paper collage for all the elements that were man-made. This was my first attempt at highly detailed collage work. I experimented extensively, exploring how to best capture the form and texture of the buildings. The landscape is a patchwork of shapes and colors, while still being somewhat realistic, further emphasizing this tension between the nature and man made. Acrylic and collage 18" x 24" US$425.00

11.9.19_13:45_78704

Matt DeMartino With a background in art history, and a deep interest in and knowledge of critical theory, philosophy, and neuroscience, my passion is considering the manifestation of thought through acts of art making and writing. Traditionally used as a medium for recording the natural world, I have utilized cyanotype as a medium for recording time – for capturing specific moments on paper that can theoretically never be recreated. This is due to the variability and chance of cyanotype as a medium: each print is uniquely influenced by solar conditions based on geography and time of day. I am interested in considering specific moments recorded objectively, with an intentionally limited palette of objects (pieces of glass, lenses, semi-translucent plastics, etc.) to capture light. Light is an objective, universal constant, but it is also the means with which people subjectively create images of their own worlds, as the act of seeing is inherently a complex and individual experience. Time, memory, and even truth are all experienced differently person to person. The subjectivity of all experiences, then, may mean there is not an objective truth to reality, and that we can never truly see or understand something that someone else sees and understands. My practice is experimental because it challenges a notion of time as a subjective experiential dimension by creating specific moments of time and capturing light on paper. Cyanotype 8.5" x 11" US$2,500.00

Prevailing Winds

Jenni Bateman “What is your medium?” is often met with a look of horror when I respond, “Watercolor." Some perceive working with watercolor to be a dreaded and uncontrollable mess, giving it up before they ever really begin. During my early explorations with the medium, the work of precision watercolorists demonstrated a discipline I longed to achieve. But, despite being a good student, and having reached a certain level, something just did not seem right. This precision-discipline was not my story. It was not my voice. The conflict needed harmony. I sought to experiment. Beginning with a sloppy-wet surface (either clayboard or 300# hotpress watercolor paper), I add richly pigmented tube watercolors, allowing their luminous transparency to blend with the water. With a slow hand and a rhythmical tipping of the board, I work without using a brush or other traditional painting tools. Research. Long days in the studio. Testing my hypothesis. Duplicating the process to improve the results. What is the heart of experimental work? Wash. Rinse. Repeat…over and over and over again. 'Prevailing Winds' demonstrates a persistent search for freedom in the discipline of watercolor. Emerging from my current series 'Smokestacks,' this piece is inspired by the oil refineries along the Huston Texas shoreline. By letting go of the quest for precise brushwork, the dissident chords have found resolve. Merging harmony and conflict, I lean into gentle, rhythmical control. I’m touched by the comments of one gallery curator who recently defined my work as a “truly experimental approach to traditional watercolor medium. Bateman has achieved precision control over what could end up as a sloppy mess of mud!” Watercolor on clayboard 6" x 18" US$1,500.00

Autumn Dreams

Paul Messink I began to learn some simple enameling techniques on glass in 2009. It took 2 years of trial-end-error to begin to produce simple landscapes. Throughout study and experimentation, I developed a painting and kiln processes that allows me to create works that are truly unique and original. Since 2011 I have been further refining my techniques; teaching them across North America and Europe. I have pushed the boundaries of enameled and kiln-formed glass - creating work that I had been told were impossible. Enameled and kiln-formed glass 14" x 18" x 5" US$8,500.00

OPP.No.161 - Honorable Mention Award

Qian Jin 'Utopia' My memory of zoos as a child are that of a perfect Utopia. A safe enclosure, sufficient food, natural environment, and carefree playfulness. But when I returned to the zoo thirty years later, I saw much of the conflict: insecurity, anxiety, fear, and callousness. It is difficult to determine which of these experiences is the more realistic. Piezography archival inkjet print 25" x 25" US$1,500.00

Alarm

Karen Blanchet 'Alarm' is part of a series exploring the clash of geometric structures and natural forms in an urban setting. We as a society, often assume that natural foliage is the intruder in our organized societies. Yet, given the persistence of plants, I wonder who the real intruder might be? By including found objects such as candy wrappers or plastic onion bags I question the viability of our position. Pollution is not a natural problem. Gold, silver, and copper embellishments, while beautiful, point to the rapid exploitation of the world’s natural resources. However, natural paths of paint persist. The composition attempts to stabilize the geometric and the organic, suggesting that harmony with nature is possible - as long as we do not insist on always having our own way. To emphasize this fragility, I chose to paint 'Alarm' on paper. Hopefully, by using unusual materials in unusual ways, an ephemeral beauty can endure. Mixed media on Arches 140 lb watercolor paper 36" x 28" US$825.00

Hilly Town

Aeris Osborne I am a minority Canadian, a visual artist, and a registered social worker in Alberta, Canada. My artwork aims to educate the public, encouraging them to use their own unique perspectives, and to see things differently. I want to lead by example. “The sky is always blue, the snow is always white.” These facts that are ingrained when we are little. This common sense is accepted by nearly all people without any need for debate. But, in my paintings, the sky can be lemon yellow. The snow can be green, orange, and yellow. I enjoy rediscovering common objects in my paintings and giving them a whole new identity, all while staying true to the subject’s soul. Adding a new layer or redefining the subject is a great learning process. My painting 'Hilly Town' took more than 3 months, on and off, to reach the ideal result. It pushed the boundaries of my experimental painting. I wanted to create a dramatic scenic with an unusual color scheme, something that people would not easily forget. As an independent thinker, my artwork present my thoughts and messages, creating a new lens to view the world. It takes courage to have your own thoughts and enjoy being different. Acrylic on gallery wrap canvas 20" x 20" x 1.5" US$1,200.00

Stratified Twist - Merit Award

Frank Morbillo The prevalence of plastic pollution prompted me to create sculptures from recycled plastic. I describe my process as up-cycled casts and forged plastic. I view it as experimental because with each new sculpture that I produce, a new set of potential options are presented, generating the need to continue my explorations. Up-cycled cast and forged plastic 4" x 16" x 5" US$1,800.00

Urban Surprises

Karen Blanchet Doris Charest Daniele Petit To create 'Urban Surprises', artists Daniele Petit, Karen Blanchet and Doris Charest took turns working on a single canvas. Each artist practices in a different style and method, and none had previously attempted a similar collaboration. Showing the wild in an urban environment was chosen as a guiding theme. One artist started by creating a foundation for the work and adding some personal marks. The second artist then added more to the canvas, blending in her own style. The third artist added another layer to unite the whole. Lastly, final touches were done during a single meeting, collaboratively completing a tapestry of interwoven styles. The completed work channeled each artist’s personal expression, melding three visions into one. Mixed media on gallery wrap canvas 30" x 30" US$870.00

Free Play - Honorable Mention Award

Joy Schroeder Blank paper. Black ink. I began to create. Without realizing it, I was transported by the work, and the play, of creating. Quite quickly my passive mood died out and new life showed up. The movement in the piece reflects the movement that resulted in me. Oil monoprint 36" x 30" US$900.00

expansion, exhale - Honorable Mention Award

Kevin Baldwin My works utilize musical elements and aesthetics such as notation, texture, and the listening experience as a means to derive visual artworks. When I create music, I experiment with the visuals of the musical score, while remaining bound to the semiotic understanding that certain symbols provoke defined actions in performance. In my visual artworks, I can free those symbols from their predefined direction, allowing for a more fluid and gestural relationship among the same symbols in different structures. The process is rooted in the idea of the Graphic Score - a type of musical composition made up of graphics instead of traditional notation, stemming from the New York School of Composers in the 50's-70's. I have utilized the ideas that John Cage and Cornelius Cardew put forward, taking things further by removing traditional interpretations of the symbols. Ink on paper 15" x 15" US$250.00

Inwards - Merit Award

J.B. Nearsy Wright 'Inwards' is experimental in many ways. Firstly, I worked ambidexterity, using both my right and left hands for the application of paint. The piece also marks a new composition in my practice. While is cloud-like, it has a defined and limited form, reminiscent of a nebula. Contrasting colors are used atop base colors, applying color theory to create a sense of depth. The viewer is presented with both a sense of weight and weightlessness. All the marks are counted and used symbolically, in line with Tesla's law of attraction, and the theory that our universe is based on the numbers 3, 6, 9. I make it a point to stick to these three numbers, and sometimes 12, to examine if Tesla's law of attraction theory will apply to such paintings. Spray paint and acrylic on stretched canvas 42" x 37" US$1,500.00