Human Nature 2022 Show

This show will run April 1-30, 2022. Artists from around the world were called to submit their work. There were 77 accepted entries and they came from 22 different states in the USA, as well as 19 different states in the USA plus Armed Forces locations, as well as 10 other countries: Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, and Ukraine. A variety of styles and mediums were entered, including but not limited to acrylic, bronze, charcoal, collage, digital, encaustic, graphite, ink, mixed media, oil, pastel, photography, printmaking, tempera/egg tempera, 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, as well as relating to the theme, 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 Your Safe Haven, a nonprofit agency that serves victims of all serious crimes and their families. For more information, please visit their website http://www.yoursafehaven.org/. Colors of Humanity Art Gallery, LLC is not affiliated with Your Safe Haven. 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.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

JAMES (JIM) L. FOSTER married to his partner for life, best friend and supporter Patricia Foster, he was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. Self-taught, Jim has always had a fascination with facial expressions and capturing those thoughts via oils and/or graphite. His love for art started many years ago, as a young teen, drawing and attempting to realistically capture the faces on TV Guides. Then as a young adult his interest took a turn to learning realism with oil on canvas. He self-studied artists and their techniques such as, Caravaggio, David, Ingres among others as well as his favorite, William Bouguereau. Realism portraiture drawing continues to be a big part of his art life as well.

Jim’s art experience consists of being commissioned for portraitures, reproductions, restorations, murals, illustrations, etc., over the past 45 years. His work includes portraiture in oils, graphite and charcoal.

ABOUT THE PAINTING - “THE VIOLINIST”

“The Violinist” which was recently completed March 9 th , 2022, was inspired by a time about 18 years ago when Jim’s daughter and he toured a music circuit to renaissance fairs. A time Jim says he will always remember. Jim and his daughter Erica played Adult Contemporary music and Celtic folk during their time playing together. Erica on the violin and Jim on the acoustic guitar. The photo leading up to the “The Violinist” painting was one of many pictures he took of her during the Four Winds Faire in Tyler, TX. Jim says of all the photos that he took of Erica, on their tour, this photo best represents Erica and the emotions she gives to music.

Liao Jiliang, male, a native of Binyang County, Nanning City, Guangxi Province, is a student in the Oil Painting Department of the Central University for Nationalities, and is now an art public welfare ambassador of the China Children's Culture and Art Foundation.

In 2021, his work "Pan" was included in the compilation of "China Creative Design Yearbook 2020-2021" and was awarded the Annual Silver Award

In 2022, his work "Pan" was selected for the Pastel Art (China) Annual Exhibition, the 2021 China Watercolor Pastel Annual Academic Exhibition, and the 2022 Shanghai Spring Online Works Exhibition

In 2022, his works "Dolma" and "Pan" were selected for the 2022 International Art Competition - the Third Figurative Online Competition, and won the honorary nomination award

Introduction of artwork:

The theme of the work "Far Away" is selected from the Tajik people of Xinjiang and the Pamir Plateau as the main components of the work, and the Tajik people living in the Pamir Plateau of China have always been known as the "Eagles of the Pamir Plateau".The Tajik people are optimistic, positive and strong in the face of life, they have a kind heart, and just like the Tajik people in the work, their eyes are full of yearning for a better life.The light in their eyes reveals their tenacious and tenacious spiritual qualities, and the mountains in the background of the work and the blue sky in the distance symbolize that no matter how difficult the life in front of them is, the Tajik people are like eagles on the Pamir Plateau, soaring over the mountains, constantly pursuing a better life, and overcoming difficulties with a tenacious and tenacious spirit.

I have been drawing all my life but over the years I experimented in many mediums such as acrylic, oils, watercolor, pastels, ink and pencil. I found charcoal to be my best fit. I love the contrast I can achieve from charcoal, from the lightest grey to black. Charcoal is so versatile and can be used to create so many different textures and effects.

I am self-taught with no formal training. I have learned a lot over time by trial and error, and continue to learn new techniques and discover more tools and materials that help achieve the realism I strive for.

In my drawing, ‘Misbehaving’, I worked from a photo by Ferdinand Studio, through Unsplash, a royalty free photo source. I loved the mood, which reminded me of pulp fiction. There are so many textures and challenges in this piece—the lace in the bra, the plaid skirt, the folds in the white shirt, the hair. It was exciting to see it all come together.

I have been fortunate in my art career to have received so many great opportunities. In 2010 I was commissioned to do 23 drawings that are permanently installed in the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas. (18 in the public areas and 5 in the executive offices).

In 2012 my work was part of an epic event in New York, called, Art Takes Times Square, which took over the digital billboards and turned them into a huge art slideshow, featuring many, many artists from around the world.

Two of my drawings were also featured on a digital billboard display in 2015, on Hollywood’s, famed Sunset Boulevard.

My work has been published in many art magazines and books, both domestically and internationally, helping my client base expanded around the world.

Now, I am exclusively represented in Europe by my agents at Premium Modern Art, based in Germany. I travel to Europe each year to do shows and I work live at every show, so people can come and see my unconventional tools and techniques. The live shows also help verify that my work is actually charcoal drawings, as they are often mistaken for photographs at first glance.

I put in the time and work to get where I am today, and am fortunate to have reached this level and am proud of my achievements. I continue to look forward to see what the future holds.

Colors of Humanity Art Gallery

"Human Nature" 2022 Show

Best of Show

First Place

Second Place

Honorable Mention

Noteworthy

"Human Nature" 2022 Show