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 April 2019 and thereafter, the artworks and links to the artist’s websites will remain online in the Light Space & Time Archives.
The overall winning artists’ category of the 9th Annual "Figurative" 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 9th Annual “Figurative” 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 “Figurative” Award Certificates, Event Postcard, and Press Releases sent to the winning artists within the next week or so. Thank you to all of the artists who participated and for being a part of the gallery. To return to the Figurative Home Page click here.
1st Place – Wayne Claypatch – “Out of the Pot”
Inspiration drawn from, often-times, obscure nostalgic memories reincarnated in Wayne's fertile imagination. TV programs, colorful plastic toys and cigarette ads are rendered in swirling oils or controlled graphite. Like the tethering ropes on a giant Macy's Parade balloon, Wayne's imagination is harnessed by his mastery of Medium. His work is FUN, but there's nothing funny about his technique. Schooled in the ways of figurative realism, Wayne can breathe life in human form as easily as his two-dimensional models. Either way, Wayne's academic, disciplined approach and outright skills are incomparable. Wayne Claypatch received his BFA and MA from St. Cloud State University. In 1977 he attended a Fine Arts Study program in Europe and apprenticed under Phillip Pearlstein in 1980. Claypatch has been in numerous solo and group exhibitions over the past 30 years. His work is housed in several private and public collections nationally.
Wayne’s website is www.wclaypatch.com
2nd Place – August Naude – “Defenseless Against Time”
After retirement from a successful career in the ICT world, August quickly discovered his immense passion for artistic photography, digital art and low key & grunge photography. Therefore, it was no surprise when he joined the various training programmes of the “father of digital art”, the famous Sebastian Michaels based in Arizona (USA) who has influenced the artwork of August to a large extent. August also graduated at the New York Institute of Photography with distinction, specializing in Intense Portrait Photography.
August almost got molded in a record time, becoming a master in low key studio work, grunge photo art as well as full blast digital art and artistic photography. He was selected as one of Photoshop Artistry’s international Top-500 which is called “Kaizen” and this group of top digital artists produce the most magical works of art. His work has been published in over 30 international publications all over the globe of which the latest was a full-blown biography of him in the Austrian based Fine Eye Magazine.
During his artistic journey, August participated (and is still participating) in various group exhibitions and he has received numerous honorary mentions and international prizes for his work. He was invited by Eikon Culture Visual Reflections, being the only South African between artists of over 70 countries to participate in three international exhibitions in Italy. You will recognize his name as Auguste Naude on their page. During 2017 to 2019, August has been exhibiting at the Heaven Art Gallery which was based in Arizona and he is still exhibiting at the Blank Wall Gallery, in Athens, Orenda Gallery in Nevada as well as various online exhibitions like Fusion Art Gallery. His work is on display and is accessible internationally. August’s exhibition at Fusion Art during August 2018 walked away with Best in Show in the 3rd Artist's Choice International Juried Art Exhibition. He is also a fully affiliated member of the Lyon based Circle Foundation For The Arts. Photography and the creation of art is not a job for August. It is rather living an artistic life which he is extremely passionate about.
August’s website is www.augustnaudephotography.com
3rd Place – Laara Cassells – “Sisters!”
I paint figuratively in series of paintings using acrylics on canvas. Using the figure and a harmonious balance of shape and color, I determine how the image may best be used to express broader social issues. I have a theme in mind and take many photographs to work from as I work out how the composition will best express my idea. The visual layout and variations of texture and lighting are resolved on the computer before the image is committed to canvas. My style is realistic and I bring a contemporary perspective to traditional portraiture with modern subjects, materials, poses and with the scale of my work. The social themes of feminine identity as well as the influence of modern technology on our lives have been foremost on my mind for the last 20 years and have formed the basis of my work in both sculpture and painting.
These images are from the series “becoming” which depicts girls between 12 and 13 years old. As this is a liminal stage when the individual is “neither here nor there; they are betwixt and between” (Victor Turner) the portraits include moments where the model shows a pensive, thoughtful moment, or is being goofy, silly or bad-tempered as well as images of the girls being competent and powerful. Being a teenager has never been easy and I wish to portray some of the inconsistencies I have noted as these young women deal with the challenge of feeling invincible and invisible at the same time.
Laara’s website is www.laaracassells.com
4th Place – Merrilee Soberg – “The Guardian”
After retiring from a successful career as a potter, Merrilee turned to digital art to fulfill the need for a creative outlet. Just as Merrilee did with her pottery, she took the "teach yourself through trial and error" approach to her digital art. This was a time of discovery and joy as the exploration unfolded. However her digital skills and artistry took off with her enrollment in Sebastian Michael's Photoshop Artistry online courses. As a result she has been published in many editions of "Living the Photoartistic Life" magazine. Many of the photographs used in Merrilee's compositions were taken at home on Vancouver Island on the west coast of Canada or during her world travels. She is passionate about photographing wildlife in their natural habitat. Other elements in nature frequently find their way into her artistic creations: trees, grasses, leaves, feathers, flowers, textures and so much more. Parts of these photographs combined with digital painting are the building blocks used to create inspired, unique works of art. Merrilee currently teaches photoshopping techniques to seniors as a way of paying forward her enthusiasm and knowledge in the photoshopping field.
Merrille’s website is https://artboja.com/art/p41f0u/
5th Place – Skottie O'Mahony – “Dedrik | I'm So Sorry”
Skottie O'Mahony is an emerging digital artist in Austin, Texas. His professional background spans publishing, branding, marketing, fashion, flower hybridizing, e-commerce as well as interior and garden design. His new passion is creating digital art that's been heavily influenced by his career and his love of gardening.
His technique starts with an original photo and he uses filters and layering to enhance colors, textures and composition to create something truly unique, sometimes bizarre — often lending themselves to pareidolia, a psychological phenomenon that causes people to see patterns in a random stimulus, such as seeing animals in clouds.
In some cases, Skottie digitally manipulates his works to a point where they are no longer recognizable and become more kaleidoscopic than literal. Others stem from portraits or combine multiple photos of people into a hybrid, a new and unique creature, that's then combined with other photos of nature and found objects.
The intention of Skottie's work is to open minds to the endless possibilities of digital art, to enhance people's homes with works that spark conversation and imagination, and to inspire others to explore their own personal creativity.
Skottie’s website is shop.skotoart.com/
6th Place – Shara Vilagi – "Premature"
Biography: Shara Vilagi grew up in Sonoma County California. She recently graduated from Sonoma State University, receiving a Bachelors of Fine Arts, with an emphasis in painting. She also completed a minor in museum and gallery studies. Though her focus may be painting, she is equally enthusiastic and passionate towards drawing, lithography, and ceramics.
Artist Statement: My work deals with the interaction between light, water, and the effect that occurs upon the surfaces that they come in contact with. It is an exploratory process of creating a dynamic surface between the two. Light has the ability to transform what is already there; altering its appearance, and bringing out the details that would normally be left unnoticed. Light also plays with the movement and layers of water as it pushes through its depths. Like light, water has its own capacity to amplify the surfaces that it interacts with. The human body is greatly affected by water, both internally and externally. Currently, I have been observing water’s interaction with the body’s natural curvature, muscle definition, and the defining shadows that are created as it runs over the skin. Along with the effect that water has on the human body, light displays a strong visual perception magnifying every aspect captured in each particular moment.
Shara’s website is www.sharavilagi.com
7th Place – Deborah Tomasowa – “Old Fruit Vendor Lady in Yogyakarta”
Deborah Tomasowa is a Jakarta-based amateur artist with a passion for drawing people, objects, animals, with a specialty in drawing portraits with the ballpoint pen. Deborah likes to draw figures that reflect her Indonesian heritage and variety of interests, as well as subjects that reflect her musical and cinematic favorites. Deborah spent her childhood in the tropical city of Jakarta, mostly drawing everything she could get her hands on; from cartoon characters to pet animals her family had. However, her love of human figures and portraits remains central to her art. Early on, her favorite media included pencils and watercolors. A good birthday present for the young Deborah was a stack of white paper for typing so she could practice her drawing skills. While she loved drawing from early on, Deborah never liked taking art classes as a child, because she felt a bit restricted. When she finished high-school, she further developed her skills to draw caricatures.
Deborah was given the opportunity to study at an American university after the completion of her high-school education. While never allowed to take art as a major of her university education, Deborah had the opportunity to take basic art classes towards the completion of a degree in Interior Design. When she returned to Asia, motivated by her graduate study and research in housing policies, she immediately began a career in development in Manila in the Philippines in early 2000 and worked for Habitat for Humanity. She then started her work in improving housing for the marginalized groups. She also spent some time working for the same organization in South Korea. Afterwards, she had the opportunity to work for non-profit organizations, focusing on responding to natural disasters and the general improvement of lives of the poor communities. Later, she started working for donor projects supporting development of her region in Southeast Asia. Throughout her career however, Deborah kept her passion for drawing alive and even accepted friends and colleagues’ requests to draw their portraits.
Having been born and raised in Indonesia, studied and worked in the United States, as well as in the Philippines and South Korea, Deborah has the ability to create pieces of two-dimentional art that reflects the unique combination of the inherent values of her native country and her experience of living in other cultures. Her favorite medium was pencil as the pencil allowed her to draw in an extremely detailed fashion. When she didn’t use pencils, she would use watercolor and acrylic to that allowed her more versatility. When she was still using a lot of pencils, in the 2009, Deborah learned about a Spanish painter called Juan Francisco Casas who produced the most stunning and detailed images with the ‘simple’ ballpoint pen. She immediately got very intrigued and wanted to learn more about the ballpoint pen use. Not long afterwards, she decided to use the ballpoint pen as her main medium going forward. Deborah feels that the ballpoint pen possesses specific qualities that allow her to best express her art with extreme detail and precision. Importantly to her, the ink from ballpoints would last forever on the paper, unlike the fading colors of pencils after a longer while.
‘Old Fruit Vendor Lady in Yogyakarta’ is a take on the colorful depiction of an elderly female vendor in a traditional market in Central Java, Indonesia. In the area, traditional market is a place where elderly ladies—often older than 60 years, still work, as sellers of a variety of items, including fruits, vegetables, foods (snacks) and even clothing items. The lady depicted here symbolizes a woman’s strength years beyond her youth; from her fragile frame and smile to the lines on her elderly face. While there are numerous creases on her face from living as long as she has, with a seemingly meek smile, she does not appear to be slowing down in her daily routine of selling fruits. What the artist also wants to feature is the attire the old lady vendor wears. Although the top part of her outfit consists of a bright green t-shirt, she still wears a traditional sarong—or a wrap fabric around her tiny waste. The sarong features a specific pattern, called batik, native to the area of Central Java. The combination of modern and traditional attire provides a unique sense of progress and tradition in her assumed life.
Deborah’s website is www.dtomasowa.wixsite.com/debs-artbox
8th Place – Overall - D.O.M. Art Studio – “I Can See a Rainbow”
Dominika Zurawska, aka D.O.M., is an award winning international artist. Originally from Poland, she has made her home near Glasgow, in Scotland. As a child, she loved art. Dominika found immense pleasure in colours, patterns and making shapes - drawing anywhere she could including using her fingers to create patterns in the snow, the sand or even on misty windows. She followed her passions and studied fine art at The Academy of Fine Arts in Poznan, where she knew that her future was in painting. Prior to finishing at academy, Dom won her first prestigious award - Poznan Artist of the Year 2005. Dominika’s first exhibition was at The Green Goose Café, where she worked. The café allowed artists to stage exhibitions. Dominika sold all her work in one night, revealing to her that this dream had the potential to be a career. Moving to the UK in 2006, Dom put her dreams on hold for a few years but in 2014 the decision was made to pursue her lifelong aspirations and she became a full time artist. D.O.M. is currently one of the best emerging female artists in the United Kingdom. Over the past five years, she has exhibited her work around the world, including Poland, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Spain, United States and Dubai. Dom’s art works have been sought worldwide by private collectors, and one of Dom’s paintings has joined Madonna’s private collection. Dominika says that “paintings should send out a clear message – stop and look at me! They should attract and seduce, and make us lose our sense of time, even for a short moment." Her artwork is expressive, dynamic and unapologetically loud. Using bold strokes and her signature bright colours, Dominika mainly showcases empowered strong woman. Dominika says "To be one woman, you must be every woman. I try to capture women's complexity, power, passion and form. I express my thoughts and feelings in colour, working until the model's image takes centre place and expresses her verve and her victory”. Dom follows her natural instinct and intuition and backs them up with technique and raw talent transferring her thoughts and feelings onto the canvas using strong contrasting colours to show energy, emotion and exuberance.
D.O.M.’s website is www.domart.co.uk/
9th Place – Sheri Emerson – “Contemplation”
Sheri has been a photographer her entire life, from a child snapping pictures with her 110 camera, to her first SLR, and finally into the digital world. She also has been an artist her entire life, winning her first art competition at the grand old age of five. In the past few years, she has intensively studied both Photoshop and Lightroom to learn how to enhance her photography and turn it into digital art. She has been published in “Living the Photo Artistic Life” magazine, “Photoshop Creative UK” magazine, “Conceptual Images” magazine, “A5 Magazine”, “MagazineGSPDigital”, and “Fine Eye Magazine” for fine art photography. She was recently named a finalist in the Photographer’s Forum 38th Annual Spring Photography Competition and was one of 40 artists selected to participate in a year-long exhibition celebrating ACLU of Arizona’s 60th Anniversary. She has placed in the top ten in seven Light, Space and Time competitions, has received several “Best in Show” awards, placed second in the SINWP “Creatures Great and Small” competition and earned a Gold Award in their member competitions, and has been exhibited at galleries in Pennsylvania, Nevada, Arizona and Greece. Sheri splits her time between Arizona and Labrador, Canada, and is dedicating herself to pushing her photography and digital art even further.
Her work is currently being sold on the curated ArtBoja website, and can be seen at www.sheriemersonphotography.com. Her regular website is www.sheriemerson.com.
10th Place – Thalie B. Vernet – “Icone”
Biography: Thalie B. Vernet’s childhood in the French nobility was a bruising one under the tutelage of her career military father and her submissive mother. Her education was classical. Her relationship with her father was difficult from the beginning. Her artistic nature and his military one were perpetually at odds.
She was a studious child but Thalie’s creativity was frowned upon so she read books in secret and wrote poems that baffled her father. She felt stifled. Her older siblings left the house as soon as they could, abandoning Thalie to her parents.
She only became free with the death of her father when she was 23. She moved to Argentina for four years returning to France at age 27. She moved to Paris and fully committed herself to photography.
Through her photos she translates living with her father, the unspoken… She relates to the outcasts of society, homosexuals, abused women… At the same time, she has succeeded in the man’s world of business building a real estate portfolio. She is proud of what she has done. A revenge on life.
She lives near Paris in an old mill that dates from the Middle Ages among animals and surrounded by friends.
Artist Statement: An accomplished artist, actress, lover of books, animals and nature, Thalie B.Vernet long strolled the world of the arts without positioning herself. In 1992, at the suggestion of a photographer friend, she turned to photography and discovered her passion.
Each of Thalie’s photographs samples her days. She reworks her photographs like paintings until she achieves the pure emotion of their original concept.
Thalie uses the overall look of a photograph and her intimacy with her models to transmit the emotion she seeks. Her sensibilities give life to her photographs.
A feminine and elegant woman, Thalie is unafraid to express her masculine side in the man’s world in which she takes part as an artist – nor does she spurn darkness. Her work freely explores themes of anger, indignation and sorrow. Her photographs are the reflections of a divided and tortured soul. Thalie B.Vernet emancipates taboos.
Thalie’s website is www.thalie-b-vernet.com
