Our annual animal kingdom themed show presents 102 pieces from local artists in Tampa Bay, featuring all media. The judge certainly had a challenge in selecting winners out of such a diverse mix of talent! The judge for this year's Fin, Fur and Feather Show is local Tampa artist Joan L. Garcia. She is a member of the North Tampa Art League and Oil Painters of America. Joan's painting "Tampa Bay Tarpon" was selected for the first ArtPop Tampa, a competition organized by the Arts Council of Hillsborough County and hosted by OUTFRONT Media where winner's artwork was featured on billboards throughout the Tampa bay area.
Judge Joan Garcia with her "Tampa Bay Tarpon" on an Artpop billboard.
This is an exceptionally diverse show that accurately represents the title and subject matter. There is much to educate and entertain the art viewer. The various mediums present an exciting selection of the art talent in the Tampa Bay area.
Joan L. Garcia
Presenting the winners and feedback from Joan:
Focused by Linda Reynolds
FIRST:
Focused by Linda Reynolds
The first thing that garnered my attention in this painting was the depth of field. The artist was masterful in the use of defused “focus” to draw the attention to the bird. Then the viewer is attracted to the detail, accuracy and beautiful strokes of the bird itself. The warm color tone of the painting gives it an old world feel and makes it stand out among the surrounding works.
Anhinga Love Knot by John Guiseppi
SECOND:
Anhinga Love Knot by John Guiseppi
This is a beautifully executed colored pencil piece. The various tones of black, blue and gray give a wonderful depiction of this particular bird. The detail of the feathers and reflected light show the artist’s effort to make an extremely accurate wildlife drawing.
THIRD:
Stephanie by Steven Mullins
This small scratch board piece kept demanding my attention from the surrounding pieces. Of course the contrast of dark and light is striking, but the composition and detail captures the viewer’s interest. The delicacy of the strokes enhances the representation of the fur and the artist’s ability to capture the cat’s eyes in this medium is incredible.
AWARDS OF MERIT:
Front Gate by Joose Hadley
Beautiful strokes and movement in this painting. While the horse is the main subject the composition draws the viewer into the whole story of the painting. The value of the background versus the vibrancy of the main characters enhance their action.
Coral Rest by Ron Deel
The bright primary color contrasts make this a compelling piece with great depth and good value. The painting/stroke quality gives it an interesting contemporary look.
Cheetah Sunset by Randy Matthews
Not the ordinary photo of a wild animal. The digital enhancements enliven the cheetah. Also the horizontal background waves contrasts with the graphic nature of the cheetah’s coat.
White Egret Prowl by Donna Morrison
Beautiful use of color contrasts to capture the essence of this heron on the hunt. The movement of the watercolor keeps the painting alive around the white bird. The reflection of the bird provides a striking element of the composition.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
It’s Not About the Cat by Margret Thomas
The use of light and value is exceptional in this painting and the elevated point of view sets it off from the rest. Though the vase is the strong color in the painting, the artist uses diagonals to draw the viewer’s eye to the cat.
School of Fish by Judy Pence Milsaps
The graphic design of this small painting draws the eye to capture the fishes’ habits. Despite the partial subjects the artists keeps the viewer’s eye moving within the painting with the background actually providing the color.
Seriously by Deborah Biasetti
The unique monochrome of the subject as well as the artist’s ability to capture the comedic quality of this particular bird made for an interesting painting. The vibrancy of the watercolor strokes adds to the personality.
Bear in the Woods by Gina Stark
The symmetry of composition, color contrasts and layering as well as the primitive look make a compelling painting.
Red Tails in the Sunset by Clarita Scioscia
The strokes of this painting really intrigued me along with the color and value combinations.