2021 Utterly Unfathomable and Powerfully Profound
First Place Award, Out of Time
By KW Bell Clay Sculpture 22"x19"x4" $1159 "Out of Time" is experimental in many respects. Reliefs are when the subject is sculpted out of a solid background of the same material. When caring for aging parents lots of my time was spent waiting, but ready. I needed to explore ways to keep working in clay requiring less space and more flexibility. This piece provided time to admit that my mom’s time here on earth was winding down, and time with mom was limited. • perhaps it shows triumph-life is ending and she did her best • perhaps it indicates defeat- precious moments stolen that I longed to spend with my mom •To remind me to be in-the-moment • Perhaps showing time wins. We waste it and it is gone. • But most importantly it said mom will step out of time to be in Forever. This sculptural relief experiment was a therapeutic emotional process for me. I used it as a reminder that Forever is waiting, but I should not allow the clock to steal time from me.
Second Place, The Silence is Deathening
By Joy Schroeder Handmade paper collage integrated with texture 32"x40"x1.5" $900 Like devastation resulting from a hurricane, news about huge numbers of children who are abused, maimed, tossed aside, and murdered around the world led me to integrate child-like heads in this piece -- cracked, broken, and missing. The black, textural, fibrous material attracted my attention as I walked along the beach after a violent hurricane in Florida. These horrid yet beautiful, post-hurricane composite textures appeared discarded, so I rescued them. I immediately thought to integrate them with handmade paper that is often discarded and left as refuse."
Third Place, Garden of Diversity
By Judy Lyons Schneider and Alice Harrison - Collaboration Collage on Scroll 64"x21"x.1" $1000 What makes our piece experimental is that it is a collaboration, between Judy Lyons Schneider and Alice Harrison, two member artists using an unusual substrate. The substrate is a scroll brought back from a trip made to China. There, traditionally, the space above the image is symbolic of heaven and the area below is shorter, representing earth. Non-traditionally, we have broken into the spaces of heaven and earth. In our work we are representing the diversity in the world. To us, each color and pattern expresses the range and variety of the human race. Experimentally combining the many colors and different patterns that might not go together, we are creating a cohesive whole. Together, we bloom.
By Diana de Avila Video $4900 I am a digital artist who works primarily with artificial intelligence and fractal geometry. I create my art using a combination of both parametric and generative methods. Most often, the inspiration for my creations arrive as a synesthetic vision which is an artifact of a brain injury. I use software tools and combine workflows from over 100 different applications and multiple devices to get the images out of my head and into the real world. I am a synesthete and acquired savant artist with no art training or experience prior to 2017. Every venture to express my synesthesia onto a digital canvas is a journey into experimentation with algorithms, texture and color. “Splinter Man” is a result of using 4-6 applications, an iPad and an iMac computer. The work is even more experimental in that "Splinter Man" is being minted into an NFT and will be part of an International 250 NFT artist collaboration on the OpenSea NFT marketplace.
Merit Award, Going Up the Down Staircase
By Ingrid Albrecht Transparent Watercolor 20"x26".5" $4500 Creating on different surfaces, involving textures, and allowing the fluid watercolor paint to mix and mingle on the surface fascinates me. I am an intuitive painter and therefore, do not draw on the surface of my paper before hand, leaving the door open for me to change my mind during the painting process. I however, do create a value sketch exploring my ideas before I tackle the painting, so I do have a preliminary idea for my story. I'm always open to new ideas for my story telling in paint. I like to create a mystery in my work and allow the viewer to participate in the story.
Juror Award, Even Spiderman Can't Save You
By Mark Mehaffey Mixed Media $3,300 36" x 24" x 1" We are at a tipping point. Climate change, political upheaval, shortages of resources...the list goes on. We search for a way out. The civil in civilization also seems to be on the way out. This mixed media work (acrylic and ink) symbolizes US, the looming danger and the search for a super hero solution. The title, 'Even Spiderman Can't Save You' implies that WE will have to find a way to save ourselves. This work combines three of my components, representational, figurative work, Non Objective design and....Social narrative. One big experiment for me.
Merit Award, Echoscapes Vol. 6.0
by Haley Joseph and Kendra Postma - Collaboration Mixed Media Video: 1:25" $2,000 5.5" x 6" x 11" This book structure was created as a joint artistic effort to incorporate as many types of mediums into one work as possible, we counted 13 total in this finished work.
Merit Award, I just dropped in, to get a new hairdo on my way to....
By Jayson Randall Interactive Sculpture 72"x36"x36" $3500 This conceptual interactive sculpture combines a surplus US military missile with an original 1930's Permanent Wave Machine. Inside of the missile a blue spotlight illuminates an iridescent humanoid head as it stares outward. This sculpture features ambient lighting, which is sound activated, and changes color depending on the ambient noise level. This piece is experimental because I am attempting to use an anthropomorphized surplus military missile getting a new hairdo as I explore the indifference to violence in modern society. This sculpture portrays a customer at a hair salon getting their hair done as a part of a busy day. Everyone wants to look good for their 15 minutes of fame. Stopped in mid-air, a short distance from impact, they have simply dropped in to get a new hairdo before their final destination of destruction. Things to do today: - Shopping - Milk - Bread - Pick up dry cleaning - Bake muffins - Get new hairdo - Destroy town
By Barbara Shore Acrylic and Mixed Media 36"x36"x2" $2080 This painting was created from a dream- haunted by recent events and the constant bombardment of information or dis-information, The Triad - Beginning, Middle, End came to mind. Evoking the Japanese Proverb ""See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil"", and skewing the order represents the way I presently interpret the world. Next, The Three Graces, portrayed with florals symbolizing the brighter more playful side of life, and with the yellow colour breaking through suggesting the dawning of a renewed existence. By energetically injecting pink (love), green (growth), and finally yellow (disease), I have personified emotions, the way I perceive the world to be. The gel transfers represent the bombardment of constant information of media that seems impossible to escape. The idea of a conceptualized painting is unique to me as it is based on present emotion and how it relates to the external world,. This is something which I have recently come to entertain.
Merit Award, Communication in Chaotic Times 4
By Sandy Stratil Mixed media collage 12"x12"x2" $200 My work is somewhat autobiographical. From a long-standing series called "Family Matters" in which I used phototransfers to a series called "Journey" about my travels, I have incorporated images, feelings, ideas that I see with the reality of the world around me. A more recent series, "Messages." reflects my love of language and text combined with texture. This latest series "Communication in Chaotic Times," concerns the way we communicate in these troubling times. I have done many of these in the months many of us have been "sheltering in place." The collages have become self-portraits, my statements about time, life, and relationships. Even though they are personal, I hope that viewers will respond to them as paintings and infer what they mean based on their experiences , and thus engage in a visual dialogue of their own with the works.
By Christine Alfery Acrylic and Watercolor on Paper 40"x30"x0" NFS "Ripples We Make"and" Listen To The Music" I have never been able to color in the lines, am not a fan of coloring books, never make chocolate chip cookies the same way twice, so it makes sense that I have a hard time following rules when it comes to making art. Rules have a function though. They establish a foundation from which an artist can expand, experiment and explore ideas in the pursuit of creativity, discovery and art. If creativity and discovery are what art is, and I believe they are, then art needs to fall outside of established foundations, lines, rules and boundaries. In my paintings "The Ripples We Make'"and "Listen To The Music'" I am exploring and inventing a new way to create and see ourselves and our soul with my marks, with the color and shapes I used to represent life and it’s many different colors. The goal when I was painting these two works was to be able to think differently about how I wanted to think about these objects and then share them with others.
By Ruda Anderson Fabric and Acrylic paint on Canvas 24"x20"x1.5" $500 This piece was experimental for me because of the challenge of combining fabric and paint in order to create a finalized painting. More than a collage using fabric, I wanted to use the fabric in a painterly way, therefore having it become an integral part of the painting rather than just an add-on. To this end many of the pieces of fabric were hand painted. The other experimental part of this particular painting was the color combinations I chose. Mixing the colors in an experimental way gave me some unusual (for me) color combinations, and then presented the challenge of balancing these colors for the overall painting.
By Kim Arntzen Mixed media linoleum block drawing paper and photo print 20"x20"x1" $500 I experimented with one of my hand carved linoleum blocks by placing it on drawing paper and extending the design by sketching additional highway. I photographed the result and used Photoshop Elements to add a 2nd photo of an old board from the shed as the background. This gave the piece depth and focus for my center of interest.
By Marilyn Bachelor Mixed water media 19"x13"x0" $225 I experimented by changing the texture of yupo paper. I used a bristle brush to apply cold press ground. When watercolor was applied, it ran into the crevices caused by the bristles giving the marks soft edges. I used acrylic to make harder edges on the painting.
By Mary Bamborough Collage 14"x11"x0 $250 In my mixed media collage, “Flight,” I applied unusual techniques and worked to shed light on the theme of flight. I used watercolor with stencils, added photos, applied graphite, and experimented with tissue paper. After painting tissue paper, I tore, layered, and placed it to add depth and interest to the composition. I arranged the elements of this collage to help move the eye toward a very prominent bluebird that signifies the king of flight – the bird. Astronauts represent the science of flight, William Shatner symbolizes tourism associated with flight, while the bird signifies the apex of flight. I included levels to symbolize the delicate balance of the Earth’s ecosystem. A subtle image of the Earth reminds us of the very small presence it has in the universe. In addition, I experimented with scale. The large bluebird dwarfs the humans, while other birds appear in larger scale as well. Flight, indeed, represents exploration, discovery, and freedom.
Smokestacks Along the Illinois River
By Jennifer Bateman Watercolor on Claybord 16"x20"x.25" $600 As an abstract expressionist, I fall upwards while seeking to convey the influence of the mid-20th century artistic movement comprised of diverse styles and techniques through my innovative quiver of nontraditional and usually nonrepresentational means. The act of inside-the-box thinking continues to surprise and delight as I seek to solve tough problems with experimental and breakthrough ideas. In limiting options, I open an inquisitive discovery with a whole new process of innovation, resulting in seeing solutions that may simply be hiding in plain sight. Moving away from traditional watercolor paper was a way to push through self-imposed creative ‘boundaries’. Painting on the buttery-smooth claybord surface with a plastic credit card inspired a new way to tell my story of smokestacks along the American waterways. I push forward: I etch with a #11 xacto blade. A smidge of ink applied with a calligraphic ‘dip pen’ completes the process creating work that makes people “feel”.
By Frances Bourne Acrylics, metallic markers, watercolor 31.5"x39"x0" $250 This painting is the result of an experiment with my creative process. I wanted to try a different, spontaneous approach. I normally start with something definite in mind but this time I wanted to start from zero and simply see what evolved on the canvas. I chose primary colours and applied them with a variety of tools. I let go of any controlling processes or thoughts and tried not to be serious and judgmental. I put the “painting” aside, where I could see it regularly. I began to see birds, animals and fish hidden on the canvas. The more I looked, the more I found. I overpainted with acrylics and markers and watercolour pencils to draw out and define these images. I called the finished painting “Creation”. Firstly, because the concept is related to the imagery in the painting. The second reason is more personal. It’s about letting myself go, releasing my pre-conceived ideas, letting everything flow freely. Above all, it’s about developing and innovating my creative experience.
By Anita Burgess Mixed Media 12"x12"x.25" $250 While I was doing some things with resin, the pieces left over on the sheet reminded me of ice. I thought about doing a winter landscape and use the resin, but decided to go a little further. I ended up with a person trapped under the ice.
By Jean Burnett Digital Art from my Photographic Image 40"x27"x2" $950 My work begins with my image which I then digitally alter to create a story or an emotion. The end result is an image that does not look like photography. The original photographic shot was of an old clapboard siding on a historical church in Louisiana. I loved the combination of the alternating teardrop & diamond patterns. For me, the repetitive patterns are calming. The title of the series “Gingerbread House” comes from when I was a little girl , my father would always identify a “Gingerbread House” as one with multiple façade styles. I wanted to preserve the “calm”, and also have a piece that showed flow & movement. I experimented with distortion filters until I found one that allowed me to create a distortion without loosing the original patterns of the siding. Adding the color allowed me to highlight the movement within the piece.
By Beth Bynum This is a collage on canvas featuring text and painted paper 20"x20"x.75" $425 “WordPlay-Subtly” was created with the idea of presenting understatement and caution. Picking an idea to express is new to me , so it was all very experimental. The color palette was new as I was working to set the mood. The painted papers and text are concealed with a soft layer of paint making it difficult to describe what is being said. Dealing with different types of paper, from magazine to vintage, is always a challenge since papers react to gluing differently. " WordPlay" is one in a series of twenty pieces of art playing with text and abstract shapes.
Never Ending Circle of Uncertainty
By Norma Callicott Mixed Media 18"x14"x.75" $250 I have been experimenting with collage for about 4-5 years now, creating mostly representational subject matter and surreal landscapes. My intention was to create an interesting, fun mixed media piece. I have made a conscious effort lately to create art that is uplifting, colorful and fun, to help with my depression and anxiety. But during Covid, I made a few pieces that had a strong political slant, expressing my confusion, frustration, anger and loneliness. I have used crows and ravens in much of my art, and when I placed the birds on the background all of those feelings came out again. For me, this is a very experimental piece due to the message, content and selection of materials. I look at this work and feel my anxiety all over again. In time, I hope to look at this work and remember this period in history and what changed forever.
By Alisa Clark Acrylic, metal, foil, cardboard, torn paper, ink, scrabble letters 18"x14"x.75 $1700 My choices are about expressing my inner experience. I could care less about being conventional. I need a color for all my uncertainty and a texture for all my grief. What can I find for my canvas that points me towards new understanding? I have this jacket that was Mom’s. I slip pieces of it onto my canvas. I draw the front door from my childhood home and I tuck it away in the shadows of my work. I draw these funny little birds that squawk, tumble, spin, and teeter on the surface of my creation. I see that each bird is me as I tumultuously try to find solid ground. I do this all for hours: choosing colors, shapes, objects, and significance. Words wrap the canvas, but they are garbled and seemingly senseless. I wonder if others will think I have lost my mind? These are odd choices, but I didn’t mean to do something out of the ordinary. I was just lost in the process. I guess you could say this work was one big experiment, but that wasn’t the plan. This is simply what came out of me.
By Judi Coffey Mixed Media 29"x20"x2.5" $900 This is my art. The photos were left in water after a hurricane. The cross was in my studio waiting for the perfect creation. Creating is always a challenge but forever gratifying.
By Joanna COKE Watercolor on paper 20"x14"x0" $1595 To me, the female nude is the purest form of emotional expression. To capture her in a modern context is the challenge, and to experiment with other approaches breaks with expectations that have been painted for hundreds of years. In this experiment, opposites have been combined together, such as the flat pattern of the clothing and background against realistic rendering of the female's form and skin. There is also the subtle body pose of the opening of her hoodie contrasting with the direct gaze of her face. These contrasts along with a strong RED dominant palette is meant to abruptly halt the viewer's gaze.
By Kathleen Conover transparent watercolor 22"x30"x0" $3200 "For over 4 decades I have painted in series moving from one stylized image to another, each very symbolically representative. The horse is a universal symbol of the journey. The dragonfly is a master of transformation and change. The blackbird is my messenger. Origami cranes signify my prayers for peace. The “experimental” for me, more conceptual than technical, is ""Searching"" which includes one female figure, a first-ever self-portrait. Also experimental was my goal to unify all my ""assistants"" in the same painting. They are here now to help me navigate my journey with flexibility, sensitivity and the pursuit of peace."