Animals 2017 Show

This show will run November 1-30, 2017. Artists from around the world were called to submit their work. There were 103 accepted entries and they came from 16 different states in the USA as well as 11 other countries: Canada, Germany, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, Malta, Romania, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, and United Kingdom. A variety of styles and mediums were entered, including but not limited to, acrylic, beads, colored pencil, digital, fiber, glass, gouache, graphite, ink, mixed media, oil, pastel, photography, and watercolor. The judging criterion was originality, interpretation, quality, demonstration of ability, and usage of medium. Other factors, such as the clarity of the images provided and their ability to be viewed online, also contributed to our decision. “Best of Show”, “First Place”, and “Second Place” winners received a monetary award in addition to special recognition.

We were very happy to donate 10% of all entry fees from this show to the Bedford County Humane Society, located in Bedford, PA, USA. For more information about BCHS please visit their website. http://www.bchsonline.org/ Colors of Humanity Art Gallery, LLC is not affiliated with the BCHS. It is our hope that this small act of kindness will blossom and grow to help someone else.

Thank you to all the artists who participated! Your talents and skills gave us a diverse body of work to create this attractive show.

Buyers- Please contact the artists directly for sales. Colors of Humanity Art Gallery does not handle any part of the sale or collect any commission, it is solely between the buyer and artist. You may find a link to the artist’s website or email address below their work.

My name is Samantha Conrad, and I am currently working on my MFA in painting at Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids Michigan. I earned my BFA from Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne in the spring of 2016 with an emphasis in painting. My personal goal and career directive is to continue my passion for painting by teaching at the college level. My motivation in this pursuit is to grow as an accomplished artist and learn to master the skills I will need to become a professor of painting.

During my summer semester I participated in a study abroad program to Europe. While traveling throughout Italy, I was inspired by the vast array of historical masterpieces. Studying the old masters and their painting techniques is a passion of mine, and I try to incorporate this into my artwork. It is important to me that my work tells a story, whether it be fictional, or a chapter from my own life. I am drawn towards the mystical imagery of the zodiac and the tarot, as well as the symbolism of life and death. Exploring my spirituality always gives me the concepts needed to complete a new body of art. I am constantly striving to understand my abilities, what drives me as an artist, and discovering how my emotions will affect my finished project.

The painting “Taurus” was the first completed piece in my zodiac series. I have an immense love for all animals, and I am deeply saddened by the abuse they experience daily, specifically in the factory farming industry. I wanted to show just how beautiful a Bull is and how they possess many humanistic qualities linked through the zodiac. I chose to crown the bull in moonflowers. This is a rare flower that only blooms at night and many people aren’t aware of its beauty.

ARTIST STATEMENT

I am an experienced chemical engineer, a mother, a wife, a full time award winning international artist. My art expresses the places I’ve been, the people I’ve met, the challenges I’ve faced. My paintings tell stories of a mother sending her grown children out into the world, a creative soul with a burning passion, and an unpredictable journey through life. Living this dream is my most significant artistic accomplishment.

Using oil or acrylic paints, I paint in a tightly rendered realistic style with classical, fantasy and Trompe L'Oeil influences. I strive to share my art with as many art lovers as possible. This is my goal and the reason I create art, the reason I am represented by several fine galleries, and the reason I enter international art exhibitions.

I specialize in small and miniature paintings, ranging in size from two feet down to two inches. Part of my process for creating miniature fine art involves the use of magnifying lenses and close range binoculars. I enjoy demonstrating these techniques.

BIOGRAPHY

Debra Keirce, born in 1961, is a contemporary American Realist painter. With a love of narrative, her paintings tell stories of joy, desire, challenge and encouragement. Recognized for her highly detailed paintings, her work is crafted using tools such as magnifiers and close range binoculars. Debra enjoys demonstrating her techniques for art lovers.

A signature member of The Miniature Artists of America, The Miniature Painters Sculptors Gravers Society of Washington D.C., World Federation of Miniaturists, Cider Painters of America and The Hilliard Society in Wells England, Debra is also a juried member of The International Guild of Realism, an Art Renewal Center Living Artist and the mother of three.

Debra and her family now live in Northern Virginia. Originally from Detroit, she earned a degree in biochemical engineering and worked as a corporate engineer at pharmaceutical facilities for fifteen years. Many of her paintings are influenced by time spent in mazes of pipes, tanks and equipment.

Jodie Kain’s first studio experience was in Robert Beverly Hale’s anatomy class at the Art Students League of New York, just a couple of years before his passing. This experience set the base of her artistic approach: an emphasis on strict anatomical modeling and other elements of the classical method. The highlight of working towards a BFA at Pennsylvania State University was studying under Artist in Residence Rob Neffson, a photorealist using the then-new methods of Richard Estes, building on the classical academic tradition. Later the opportunity to live in London and attend The Heatherley School of Fine Art arose. This training was supplemented by figure study classes at several artist’s studios, most notably the studio of June Collier. After a career in high-end graphics systems, the Bargue & Cast curriculum at the Academy of Realist Art in Boston refreshed Jodie’s passion for realist pastel painting. Jodie now works full-time in her Leather District, Boston, studio.

Colors of Humanity Art Gallery

"Animals" 2017 Show

Best of Show

First Place

Second Place

Honorable Mention

Noteworthy

"Animals" 2017 Show