This show will run June 1-30, 2015. Artists from around the world were called to submit their work. Multiple accepted entries came from across the USA and 3 other countries, Canada, Greece, and Italy. A variety of styles and mediums were entered including, acrylic, colored pencil, digital art, linoleum print, oil, oil crayon, pastel, photography, spray paint, 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 to The Water Project with 10% of all entry fees from this show.  The Water Project, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization unlocking human potential by providing sustainable water projects to communities in sub-Saharan Africa who suffer needlessly from a lack of access to clean water and proper sanitation. For more information, please visit their website, http://thewaterproject.org/. 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.

For as long as I can remember I have loved creating art. I mostly work with acrylic paint, but I love experimenting and creating things with a variety of different mediums. Painting makes me happy, and I like to paint places or things that make me happy or remind me of a special time or moment in my life. I love to do this for other people too - I have recently began painting the "happy places" of my friends and family. It means so much to me that I am able to share and create a piece of artwork that represents something meaningful and special to someone else. Life can be hard, stressful and sometimes monotonous; painting is my escape and my outlet.

I don't have any formal artistic training or education other than a few art classes in high school. I am self taught and have developed my own style and technique through trial and error.

This particular piece is of a beach in Indonesia on a tiny island called Gili Trawangan. I was traveling with a friend after we had just graduated nursing school and this trip was my first real taste of travel, and I was hooked. I absolutely love to travel and often my paintings are of my favorite places I have been to. I love the beach and the ocean and these are often themes in a lot of my work as well.

-Rachel Miggins

Jaye Ouellette is a recognized Canadian artist currently living on the ocean in Nova Scotia. She has shown her work extensively in Canada and the U.S. Jaye's work can be found in many corporate and private art collections. Her commission work is also extensive. Her current focus is painting the ocean.

'The constantly shifting pattern of colour and light of the ocean, ephemeral in every moment, is an increasing fascination for me. I find the mystery of this dynamic and ancient entity deeply compelling. Water embodies the concept of endlessness, of complexities repeated from one drop to the vast sea. Initially my work incorporated the sky and the ocean, but gradually my focus has shifted to the waves themselves. The intent of my paintings is about being immersed in this presence. I am interested in conveying how the ocean resonates, rather than a literal depiction, so power yet so fragile. Giving the work a decidedly contemporary immediacy and relevance. From one painting to the next, I attend to an ever deepening understanding and engagement with this subject that is ‘moving water’.'

Jerold Hale is Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the College of Charleston and lives in Charleston, South Carolina. He is widely published in the field of communication studies, but his passion is photography. His photographic interests have changed over the years. “I began photographing sports. I was a professor at the University of Georgia and had an opportunity to photograph just about any athletic event the University hosted. His sports photos appeared occasionally in media guides and newspapers.

While a Dean at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, a co-worker saw some of his landscape photographs and said “You should meet my friend Monte Nagler. He studied with Ansel Adams.” So Hale introduced himself to Nagler at an exhibition of Nagler’s photographs in suburban Detroit. Hale says that chance meeting changed his life. He notes “Monte was really approachable and over the next three years he helped me improve my fine art photography.”

Jerold’s photography is diverse but now focuses mostly on landscapes. He says, “photography is the perfect medium for me. I’ve always been an outdoorsman and landscape photography fuses my love of nature and the outdoors with my love of art.” Jerold’s photographs, and those of his brother Jim, are hosted on a website “J. Hale Fine Art Photography” (jhalephotography.zenfolio.com).

The “Lowcountry Dock” is a springtime photograph taken on James Island in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Of the photograph Jerold says “A cloud bank and rain were moving over the island creating an appealing combination of light and shadows, and the swamp grass created an interesting foreground for the dock and boat.”

"The Letter"

(colored pencils with watercolor accents)

by Titika Faraklou

titika.faraklou@yahoo.com

"Sea Shepherds"

(oil on birch panel)

by Janey Fritsche

"Galapagos Dreams"

(photography)

by Kirsten Fenton

"Connection"

(photography)

by Lisette Otero-Lewis