The Overall Winning Artists Category consists of the 10 Best Entries received from the 3 media categories of the Painting & Other Category, Photography & Digital Category and the 3 Dimensional Art categories. 

The winning artists will now be featured on the Light Space & Time website for the month of May 2021 and thereafter, the artworks and links to the artist’s websites will remain online in the Light Space & Time Archives for 5 years.

The overall winning artists’ category of the 11th Annual "Botanicals" Art Exhibition will receive extensive worldwide publicity and promotion.  In addition, the overall winning artists will also receive extensive worldwide publicity in the form of email marketing, 550+ press release announcements, event announcement posts and social media marketing. 

Winning artists will also have their art exhibition results posted and promoted on ArtJobs/ArtWeek. Artweek/Artjobs produces 800,000 page impressions per month, 280,000 website visitors per month and has 30,000 newsletter subscribers.  

Congratulations to our artists who made our 11th Annual “Botanicals” Art Exhibition so successful this month. At any time, we invite our winners and other interested visitors to link their websites to the Gallery’s Archive section for further ongoing promotion.

The Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery will have digital “Botanicals” Award Certificates, Event Postcard, and Press Releases sent to the winning artists within the next few weeks. Thank you to all of the artists who participated and for being a part of the gallery.  To return to the “Botanicals” Home Page click here.

To view the artwork in the image gallery’s below, click on a thumbnail image and that will take you to the Slide Show, which will then contain larger images. Artists can now post their images directly to their social media networks (See lower left-hand side of the Lightbox).  In order to leave the Slide Show at any time, just click on the X at the upper right side of the Lightbox in order to escape and that will take you back to the thumbnails images.

1st Place – Overall - Cher Pruys - "Coneflower”

Cher Pruys was born in Regina. Over the years she lived in many places including Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Fort Frances, settling into her present home in Devlin, on the banks of the Rainy River with her husband Mark, 4 dogs and 2 cats.

By age three, Cher was seldom found without a drawing tool in hand. She worked in pencil, charcoal and ink over the years, until, she picked up a paintbrush at the age of 35. Beginning with oil paints, she found her chosen mediums in acrylic, watercolor and gouache.

Although self-taught, her dedication and talent has seen her work juried into 99 International exhibits, as well as exhibits in numerous non-juried shows. She has won 75 awards for her work at the International Juried Exhibits. Included in these awards, the first recipient of a major Canadian National Award, The Mary Pratt Crystal Award of Excellence at the 2014 SCA Open Juried Exhibition, The SCA 1st place award of distinction twice respectively, 2016, and 2017 at The Canada’s 150 show. The Gold Medal recipient for Figurative Painting in The Mondial Art Academia’s International 2018 Competition. The Aviation Week & Space Technology Award Best of the Best, and the ASAA Award of Distinction for the best painting in the ASAA International Space & Technology Exhibit & Competition, consecutively for 2 years. She has had 14 solo exhibits. Cher is also an avid fused glass artist, and a certified teacher of piano and guitar.

Her painting “The Bubble” had the honour of being part of the Masterworks from The International Guild of Realism Tour. She was elected to the American Society of Aviation Artists as an artist member in 1996, and eventually was elected as a Foreign Affiliate Artist Fellow, one of only two Canadians receive this honour. Her work has graced the covers of 3 books, 14 magazines, and has-been featured in over 50 international publications. Cher’s works have found a permanent home in private and public collections worldwide.

Cher’s artistic style can be described as Realism with a hint of Abstract in her latest works.

Cher’s website is www.artbycher.ca.

2nd Place – Overall - Robbi Ling Montgomery - "Hidden”

Robbi is a photographer and a digital artist. Creating an image may be as simple as a few enhancements to a photograph or it may involve complex technical manipulations that abstract one or more photographs into an image that is her version of altered reality. Abstraction allows her to show the potential that her mind perceives, not just what her eyes and the camera see.

Robbi lives in Northern Illinois. She lived in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota for most of her life until retirement led to the move to Illinois. She earned both a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree from the University of Minnesota. She worked in healthcare for forty years as a Medical Laboratory Scientist and Educator. Between family life and career she didn’t have the time or opportunity to explore her artistic side until after retirement. She thought of herself primarily as a scientist during her working-life, but used her creativity for problem-solving in the laboratory and designing education units and methods.

Although she had an interest in photography she didn’t get beyond the point-and-shoot stage until after she retired from her career. She bought a DSLR camera and enrolled in photography classes at the Regenstein School of the Chicago Botanic Garden. She started out in a program for documenting nature but soon discovered that she enjoyed the courses in fine art and abstract photography. She has now completed two certificate programs at the school.

Through these courses, she explored techniques for post-processing using computer software to create works of art from her photographs. Her science and technology background now enhance her creative skills. She finds great joy in shooting a beautiful photograph but also tremendous fulfillment when she finds hidden beauty in her photographs through post-processing and digital artistry.

Robbi’s website is www.robbilingmontgomeryimages.com.

3rd Place – Overall - Louise Williams - "Bright Bird”

Louise Kleinsorge Williams has been photographing people and places in the San Francisco Bay Area for much of her life. Originally inspired as a child by the 19th century portraits in her grandmother’s albums, she became a portrait photographer early on. She first worked in black and white film, processing the images in her darkroom and selenium toning them. Her portraits took on a dreamy, timeless quality as she clearly was influenced by the images from her childhood. She also photographed still lives, concentrating on flowers, shells, and nudes portrayed in glowing evocative, light.

Williams received her BA from UC Berkeley and her MA from Stanford University. Her emphasis at that time was English literature and history. She was not encouraged to pursue a career in art, which was deemed impractical. Her direction was always aimed at gaining viable employment. During her first years of teaching she began taking photography workshops and studied with Jack Peltz, Ruth Bernhard, Paul Bishop, Judy Dater, and Mark Citrit. She taught for many years and while teaching, maintained a successful portrait business specializing in children and families. She compiled GENERATIONS, a coffee table book containing portraits of children and their grandparents which included brief statements from each about their relationship.

With the advent of digital photography Williams began working in color and processing her images in Photoshop. Before long she found that Photoshop gave her a voice. She began to create multi-layered narrative images, drawing from a large collection of material from her archives. Ambiguity and surrealism appeal to her as well as whimsy and humor. She has published two books: SQUATTERS, a collection of wild animals in domestic settings accompanied by humorous titles and A SILVER LINING, A BEASTLY BAGATELLE, a picture book for adults whose inner child is alive and kicking, featuring a variety of animals dressed in vintage garb, going about the business of life. During Covid 19, Artist Maggie Taylor and illustrator Michael Brunsfeld mentored her. Currently Williams is wielding an iPhone 12 Pro and processing the images in both Photoshop and apps.

Although Williams primarily creates complex photomontages involving images from her personal archives and scanned images, she is also drawn to the natural world for her subjects. Her Instagram page is filled with images captured on her daily walks, featuring wildlife, plays of light on objects, and reflections. She is an avid gardener, finding the sensual quality of flowers captivating. Still lives and close up images of flowers in evocative light inspire her. She finds animals of all sorts wonderful subjects to animate and include in her art. In general, Williams imbues her work with complexity, beauty, and joy. However, on occasion, when she has strong feelings about a subject, her images can take on a somber and serious tone.

Williams has exhibited in many local galleries, including Artworks Downtown, the West End Gallery, Falkirk Gallery, and the Bartolini Gallery. Her work has appeared in exhibits held by the Mill Valley Arts Commission, the Arts of Point Richmond, the Marin Photo Club, and Marinwood. Out of state venues include Denver, Colorado, Laguna Beach,California, and Barcelona, Spain. Online her work has been displayed by Light, Space & Time, Exhibitions Without Walls, Art Business Institute, and Manhattan Arts International. Her work has earned many awards including Best in Show, First Place, Special Recognition, Best in Competition, Award of Excellence, and the Jack Fulton Award. Williams has also appeared in online magazines: Professional Artist Magazine, “The Art of Articulating in 60 Words or Less” and interviews in ACS Magazine and Artsy Shark.

Williams lives in Point Richmond, California, a hidden village on the edge of the San Francisco Bay, with her husband whom she considers her collaborator and best critic. She maintains an enviable garden which draws many birds, butterflies, and mostly friendly bugs. A yoga devotee, she also is a believer in early morning walks and never goes anywhere without her camera.

Louise’s website is http://louisewilliamsimages.com.

4th Place – Overall - Xizhao Zhang - "My Orchard”

Painting is a pleasant thing. Fortunately, I like painting. During the time when I was holding a paintbrush, I painted all the beautiful things, beautiful sceneries, beautiful people, and beautiful world. Some people can write the days as poems, but I use the paintbrush to record the bits and pieces.

Xizhao can be reached via his email.  

5th Place – Overall - Pauline Clay - "Sunflowers”

Pauline Clay lives in a rural area of Virginia, in Dinwiddie County, which gives her unlimited opportunities to experience the subtle, quiet beauty of nature. Her love of nature and travel are the inspiration for much of her art. From the setting sun on an unopened sunflower to the majestic beauty of a large, old oak tree, she sees nature's beauty everywhere. And that is what she tries to convey through her detailed colored pencil work. She wants people to stop and enjoy the splendor of nature in a way that they may not have previously experienced, such as the intricate pattern that makes up the center of a sunflower. She strives to give the viewer a “wow” moment and a greater appreciation for the beauty in nature. Pauline has been working in colored pencil for about 10 years and her work has been recognized by Color Magazine, the Colored Pencil Society of America and in various art competitions.

Pauline’s website is www.paulineclay.com.

6th Place – Overall - Laurie Snow Hein - "Morning Glories”

Laurie Snow Hein has been painting since first grade when she first picked up a paintbrush and watched the bright paint colors dripping down the paper. It was love at first stroke. Her parents had convinced her that it was impossible to make a career as an artist; but it was in her DNA. Both of her parents, her brother, and her grandmother were multi-talented in the arts. At age twelve she started studying with Graham Ingels, a retired illustrator, famous for “Tales from the Crypt.” Her high school teacher encouraged her to apply for a scholarship which she received from Columbus College of Art and Design. She decided to major in Industrial Design to be practical. At the end of her first year, Laurie was the first freshmen at CCAD to be awarded the Katherine M. Tuttle Scholarship.

After college, she married considering art as a pass time. Six children later at age 40, she was suddenly in need of supporting her family by herself. Her strength was the arts, portrait painting primarily, so she immediately started advertising to paint portraits. Her garage was converted to a teaching studio. She took a job instructing art in all mediums, teaching at two local country clubs. When her paintings of children and animals were noticed by a national publisher, her career in art licensing and reproductions was launched. God blessed her and provided the opportunities and ability to support her family with artistic talent. Had it not been for the necessity of using her artistic abilities she would have never grown to be the artist she is today.

Working 30 years as a professional artist, teacher, licensed artist, illustrator, showing at art festival circuits, Laurie now shows primarily in Florida. Her subject is concentrated on local landscapes, beaches, botanicals, wildlife. The beauty and variety of God’s creation is all the inspiration needed when exploring the amazing world there is to enjoy. Large paintings making you feel in the moment are her forte. Although very realistic, her brushstrokes are bold, rich with colors, transparent glazing, textures, and energy. You feel like you could almost step into the painting. The pace was so fast and demanding for many years that there wasn’t time to consider entering competitions for awards. Now at 70 plus there is a focus to share her art more with her peers and enter competitions creating greater value for her many collectors.

Traveling is a passion, while she searches out the heart of locations to paint. In 2019 Laurie traveled across the US on a 90-day trip starting a new collection of artworks representing our National Parks. She has recently returned from white water rafting down the Colorado River and has created several more plein air paintings of the Grand Canyon during that trip.

Laurie’s website is www.laurieheinartist.com.

7th Place – Overall - Shelley Benjamin - "Cherry Blossoms”

Shelley Benjamin, a resident of southeast Florida, is an award winning digital artist. She has been published in “Living the Photo Artistic Life”, Somerset Digital Studio and “Awake Photography magazines. Her work has received Best in Show, and top 10 in the “Fusion Art” online gallery and top 10, Honorable, Mention and Special Merit in the Light Space and Time Gallery. She has exhibited in group shows at the Louvre, the Cornell Museum, and Grounds for Sculpture.

She received a BS in Textile Design from Cornell University. After a career as a textile designer and weaver, she became interested in mixed media, and ultimately, photography. Ms. Benjamin’s experimentation and involvement with digital photography began after she purchased her first DSLR camera. During the learning process, she joined an international group of digital artists. With the advanced training she was able to develop her skills, which has allowed her to transform her images to reflect her vision. The inspiration from the group opened up the possibilities of taking photos into a new realm.

She is motivated by the art she sees in museums and galleries. From the time she was young she has always been an avid museum visitor. Her background in weaving exposed her to the art of fine crafts and the masters in those fields.

Shelley uses her photos as the foundation for a digital painterly approach, utilizing modern technology to enhance and transform the original image. Drawing upon her textile design background, she imparts a tactile feeling to her work. She is inspired by color, reflections, light, the changing seasons, nature and architectural elements.

Shelley is always searching for extraordinary visual imagery in very ordinary environments. Ms. Benjamin states that her goal is to share the beauty around her and impart the uplifting feelings to the viewer that are the source of her inspiration.

Shelley’s website is www.shelleybenjamin.com.

8th Place – Overall - Julie Powell - "Protea & Berries”

Working with beautiful Protea from the garden for this month's Botanical competition. I love the softness of the flowers, the texture and the structure, make for such a sticking subject, whether for photography or for digital art.

Julie’s website is www.juliepowellphotography.com.

9th Place – Overall - Marek Krumpár - "Cherry-tree 2”

Marek Krumpár is a Czech visual artist. He was born in Prague, where he lives and works. Although he is currently inclined to Impressionism, he has tried a number of different techniques and styles over the course of his creative career. He transitioned from classical brush painting to painting with a pallet knife on black canvas. When choosing a theme, light and shadows are most important to him.

The paintings of Marek Krumpár have been sold to private collections around the world. You will find his work in countries such as the US, France, Italy, Great Britain, Germany, Belgium, and Croatia. This is what Marek Krumpár says about his work:

“Painting has taught me to stop every now and then to notice the moment and the ephemeral beauty that is all around us, which we often do not perceive at all in today's hectic world. It is these ephemeral moments that I try to capture in my paintings."

Marek’s website is www.marekkrumpar.com.

10th Place – Overall - Ruth McCully - "Water Lily after the Rain”

After a 32-year career in applied sciences, I found my passion in photography. I am enjoying a long-term, love affair with light. The interaction of light with the natural world intrigues me, particularly at the macro level. More recently, I am exploring the use of intentional camera movement to interpret the essence of garden scenes and botanical subjects. Through these images, I am trying to convey what I feel when I am in the natural world.

Ruth can be reached via her email.