Botanicals 2016 Show

This show will run August 1-31, 2016. Artists from around the world were called to submit their work. There were 81 accepted entries and they came from 19 different states in the USA, as well as Washington DC, and 7 other countries: Australia, Belarus, Canada, Lithuania, Mexico, Russia, and United Kingdom. A variety of styles and mediums were entered including acrylic, colored pencil, cut paper, gouache, graphic, graphite, ink, latex, 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 Nature Conservancy. The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.Colors of Humanity Art Gallery, LLC is not affiliated with The Nature Conservancy. 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.

In 2009, I started painting to relieve myself from the daily stresses of life. I would paint portraits of my family members, but a few years later while visiting the national US Botanic Garden and I became inspired to paint flowers. I found that a flowers beauty, color, and texture evoke deep emotions. I try to convey this emotion through the color and artistry of my botanical renderings.

I create with acrylics paints, because I am sensitive to chemicals. I love color and acrylics give me the ability to paint with a brilliancy that makes my subject matter pop from the canvas visually. The advances in acrylics facilitates the blending and drying times making it easier to create believable textures.

My main subject matter over the last year has been bearded irises. A bearded iris displays a heart-pounding beauty in its splendor. The velvety texture of the falls, the papery lightness of the standards, and the colorful splash of the beard combine to make a deeply inspiring portrait of this gorgeous flower. I have planted a garden bed full of them that I can work from.

The inspiration for “Yearning” came from a family friend. She suggested that I paint a peony, a flower that she is deeply connected to. A few weeks later as I went out to groom my irises, I noticed this incredibly beautiful magenta flower reaching for the morning sky. I did not know that I had peonies in my garden. It did not take me long to decide to paint this challenging flower.

I have a Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design from the University of Dayton and have studied “Painting Through the Lens” at The Compass Atelier in Maryland. I have exhibited in several juried exhibitions including at the Maryland Federation of Art “Strokes of Genius”, Ellington-White Contemporary Gallery, Montgomery Arts Association exhibitions and Hill Center Galleries. My work has also been featured in online juried exhibitions including Light, Space, and Time Online Gallery, Art-Competition.net, Fusion Art and Linus Galleries.

I live in Washington, DC with my husband and two daughters.

Pam Harp is a Contemporary Realist fascinated by the intricate detail she observes in natures beautiful flowers. From the lacy petals of a peony to the folds of a rose, her tightly rendered watercolors capture their exquisite beauty that she loves to share with others.

Her passion for flowers inspire her watercolors: “Have you ever stopped to really take in the amazing detail offered in a flower garden? The more closely you look, the more their intricacy unfolds. It's my hope to capture these features in a way that allows you the opportunity to enjoy their incredible precision with me.”

“Growing up in Colorado and now living in Iowa, art in one form or another has always been a part of who I am. One of my greatest challenges was finding the time to devote myself fully enough to further develop my abilities. I am so pleased to have found the focus needed to return to my first love and I feel like I have come full circle and re-engaged the watercolor media that I enjoyed so long ago.”

Pam is an Iowa based artist whose work is currently represented at the Le Mars Arts Center in Le Mars, Iowa as well as the Summerwind Gallery in Arnold’s Park, Iowa.

She is proud to share some of her upcoming and recent honors with you:

· Upcoming - “The Earth Laughs in Colors” A Collection of Floral Watercolors by Pam Harp. A solo exhibition at the Le Mars Arts Center in Le Mars, Iowa that will be running for through the month of August.

· Upcoming - 2016 Iowa State Fair. Two pieces, “Coastal Rosa” and “Woody” were juried into the fine art competition and will be on display at the fair from Aug. 11 to 21, 2016.

· Upcoming - 2016 Artisans Road Trip, an open studio tour of Northwest Iowa artists on October 8 and 9, 2016.

Her work has also appeared at the Orange City Art’s Regional Exhibition at the DeWitt Theatre Arts Center at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, Witter Gallery in Storm Lake, Iowa and The Denver Discovery at Highlands Ranch Mansion in Highlands Ranch, Colorado

I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois I currently reside in Searcy, Arkansas.

As a child my mother gave me an autographed book of photography by Ansel Adams. I immediately fell in love with landscape photography. I have been hooked ever sense.

Residing in Arkansas allows me to capture images of small mountains, rolling hills, plains and the delta. Within these landscapes there are steep canyons and hollows, white water streams, bayous, lakes, swamps, caves, flowers, trees, old structures and bridges along with my favorite subject, waterfalls. All of this is within a two hour drive of my home. When not capturing images in the “Natural State” I focus my photography on the American Mid-west, an area diverse with natural beauty and four distinct seasons.

My hobbies include hiking, biking and gardening which provide me ample opportunities to follow my passion.

As the subject matter dictates I will use several different types of cameras and lens. I focus on the art of photography rater then its technical aspects.

A social and financial conservative I am a radical environmentalist who believes that this planet, this “Garden of Eden” was provided to us by God to care for and preserve, not destroy. My life’s work has been dedicated to efficient recycling and environmental preservation. Daily, I thank the Lord for providing such a wonderful environment that allows me to capture images of his creation.

You can view additional examples of the images I have captured at: http://lynnreinboltphotos.smugmug.com/