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Blakey Fine Arts Competition: Painting Entries
Blakey Art Prize: Paintings
Refer to your judging sheet for your group assignment. In the event that one of your school’s pieces fell into the category you are judging, please refrain from rating that piece.
Group A
A Trail Less Traveled
30 ” x 20″, Oil painting
This painting is a reflection of the beauty of the renewal of Texas in spring. The bluebonnets sway in the soft breeze, mimicking an ocean of blue. The hill in the background stands the test of time, a reminder of the vast hill country. The old oak, a sentinel, watches over the land below, providing shade for the traveler. The path invites the viewer in, beckoning them to experience and explore the world inside the painting. I chose to capture the Texas countryside because of the simple beauty it represents in our everyday lives. You do not have to visit mountains to experience beauty. We can pause and look around at the beauty surrounding us. We can take the trail less traveled and reflect on the beauty in our everyday lives.
The artist that inspired this painting was the Texas artist, Dalhart Windberg and his son Mike Windberg. Both artists capture landscapes that they see around them.
Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Entry B20in X 16in, Acrylic on Canvas Panel
I was inspired by the author C.S Lewis to paint a scene from my favorite book from his Narnia series, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
Winter’s Creek
11″x14″, Acrylic Paint
I have been painting for as long as I can remember. I love traveling the world with my family. When I see different parts of the world, I get new perspectives and deeper understanding of other regions. It is by doing this that I discovered my passion for depicting nature— painting landscapes has become a favorite pastime. I’m fascinated by the infinite designs, textures and colors in the natural world. I believe that landscape paintings can capture glimpses of the glory of God’s creation. An artist who inspires me is Feliks Kaparachuk. I have viewed many of his mentorship painting videos and draw many of my techniques, ideas, and skills from him.
When I am painting a particular landscape, I envision myself as actually being at that setting. It is through this process that I feel the most peace when making art. For example, when painting Winter’s Creek, I could almost feel myself standing in those bare woods. All was quiet except for the sound of the babbling brook running through the trees. I could feel the cold air, but at the same time, the light peeking through the trees shone on my face, giving me a warm and delightful sensation. It is small moments like these where I can really step back, relax, and enjoy the beauty that exists uniquely in each thing.
25 Hour Selfie
11″ x 14″, Oil on Canvas
This painting is a continuation of a series of portrait oil paintings that I have done. The reason I started this series was because of my art teacher who first encouraged me to explore new things and try new mediums like oil paints. The meaning behind this comes from how easy and fast it is to take something like a quick selfie with the technology we have today as compared to the 25 hours that were put into this painting with the details, textures, and colors. A photo is the capture of just one passing second in the day. The point being made is that with technology today, including phones, less attention is given to real art all because of the conveniences that technology offers. I painted this self-portrait using one of my selfies as a reference. It displays a goofy and carefree face being made after a long day of school. The goal was to capture the expression but at the same time elevate the picture out of photo form and into a detailed oil painting in which art is prioritized over the ease of a quickly snapped photo.
Steps of the Ufizzi
11″x14″, Oil on Canvas
N/A
Remembrance
13.5 x 13.5, Watercolor and a little bit of prismacolor
Georgia Okeeffe influenced my piece and she is reflected in the style of art and my choice of muse.
Moon Flower Barn Owl
11″ by 15″, Watercolors and ink
To capture light with a painting is an incredible thing. This, to me, is why the work of Johannes Vermeer is so beautiful. The frequency of pearls in his work, vessels of soft luminance, embody the women that wear them. In the famous Girl with a Pearl Earring, the girl seems surprised that the light decided to make her shine like her ornament. I sought to combine the penwork of ornithological art with this capturing of light in my watercolor work, Barn Owl with Moonflowers. The moonlight, which is manifested in the pale flowers, fully shines on the barn owl’s captivating features. I hoped, through this work, to combine style with light in order to reveal nature as something bathed in enchantment and glory.
Unseen Joys
9” x 12”, Oil paint on canvas
Inspired by famous Hyperrealism artist Fabiano Millani, this is a painting reflecting upon his work. For this artwork, I used oil paint on canvas, hoping to depict the most realistic portrait possible. My goal in this piece was to mirror Fabiano Millani’s artistry and techniques, while also expanding my knowledge on the complexities of Hyperrealism. Hyperrealism is a form of artwork meant to depict the subject in the artwork as realistically as possible, attempting to make it appear real. The subject in this specific painting is my sister, who willingly allowed me to make this portrait of her. I named this piece “Unseen Joys”, because of the way that she is looking away but smiling. However, the artwork itself does not hold any specific meaning or foreshadowing. My main intention for this piece was simply to expand my skills and broaden my ability to work with oil paint, as well as study the art of Hyperrealism.
Self-Portrait
11″ x 14″, Acrylic Paint on canvas panel
I have been influenced by Vincent Van Gogh’s self portrait. Van Gogh made numerous self portraits in order to reflect his character. Portraits have inspired me through my art journey because they demonstrate the painter’s interpretation over the personal perspective of the subject. I created a self portrait to utilize my skill to further delve into my personal painting style and it challenged the preconceived view I had of myself.
City Lights
16″ x 20″, Acrylic and Pallet knife only
This piece is inspired by a photo my friend, took while traveling in New York City. I loved the way the lights of the city danced along the storefronts and streets, bringing life to the photo. I was inspired by impressionism, specifically Claude Monet. The way Monet used vibrant and varied colors to bring life and depth to his paintings was something I wanted to emulate. Impressionists, including Monet, always wanted to capture the colors and lights in that specific moment. This was my goal as I attempted to capture the feel of a bustling city in acrylic paint. I painted this piece with a palette knife to keep the composition loose and true to the impressionist style, and I used saturated streaks of color to offset the dark background of the city. The juxtaposition of the empty night sky paired with the colorful life of the city below presents a balanced composition between two worlds.
A Kakapo’s Life
12″ x 16″, Watercolor Pencils, Watercolor
My piece is a Kakapo bird from New Zealand. A Kakapo is also sometimes known as an owl parrot or a moss chicken. They are almost extinct but they are by far my favorite bird species. I painted this realistic painting with watercolor pencils in order to get the very fine details. The media my artwork is made from is watercolor, colored pencils. I started with really light colors that I saw in my reference picture then I slowly added darker, more vibrant colors. After I was pleased with the main part of my painting, I moved on to the background. This took me a little longer because of the detail I wanted to show in the closest branches. I again started with light colors then added the dark brown. The darker branches consist of just dark brown and more and more black as I move farther away from the center. My final touches were the border of tan around the picture to add to the background. With permission, I used a reference picture taken by a photographer in New Zealand named Andrew Digby. He is extremely passionate about these birds. He actually named the bird in the picture. The female’s name is Alice which I found is really cute. There are 247 of these birds left as of 2023. I came across these intriguing birds when I was looking for a species to do for my art project at school. I tried to show how much these birds mean to many people around the world. In addition to the choice of bird, my choice of format was inspired by historical Natural History Illustrations. The artists and scientists who inspired my art piece, created drawings and paintings, before photography was invented, of animals and plants. These drawings were made for the sole purpose of recording details about various species. Some of the animals or plants drawn have gone extinct. This is the method I chose because the Kakapo bird is nearly extinct and I want people to fall in love with them as much as I and others have.
We will feast in the House of Zion!
24 1/2 by 15 inches, Watercolor
On the morning of March 27, 2023 the Lord took away three children and three adults in a
heartbreaking and soul-crushing way. One of the nine year old victims was the daughter of my mother’s best friend, and a loving soul that our close friends and family felt the warmth of whenever she was near. The painting I chose to submit depicts a scene from her celebration of life which my family and I tearfully attended. Job 1:21 says, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised,” this is a verse that has taken on a deeper meaning for me in the past year. As a senior at the school I attend, we choose a theme to guide the creation of our pieces completed throughout the year. My theme, comfort in the midst of sorrow, centered around my own personal grief as well as a community’s grief and events that affect them to this day. The composition of my painting includes thousands of God’s people crammed in and around the sanctuary singing “We Will Feast in The House of Zion.” Through our tears, we harmoniously declared we would one day be feasting with Hallie and our Father in Heaven. We as humans are uneven and imperfect, yet we are invited to come as we are and know the presence of the Lord in the context of His kingdom. I attempted to portray this imperfection through the use of messy, obvious brushstrokes and water movement with an overall sense of unity of the crowd. One of the clearest objects in my painting is the cross, reminding the viewer to keep our eyes on Christ and the comfort that we can seek in Him even in the most heartbreaking of times. I am sure that many of my techniques and artistic choices in this painting were inspired by artists I have learned about or looked up to, however I did not draw any inspiration from specific artists for this piece. As an artist and aspiring professional artist, I believe that art should depict heavy emotions such as these; art helps the creator and the viewer process and reflect on his or her emotions. True art reflects the True Artist, whether we are pointed to Him through the most heartbreaking grief or the most jubilant joy. I poured much of my time and emotion into this piece,
Woodland Path
11×14, acrylic on canvas
The artist that inspired my painting is God, the creator of all things. 1 Chronicles 16:33 “Let the trees of the forest sing, let them sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.” I wanted to convey the beauty and serenity of being in his creation.
Group B
Summer in Flowers
16×20 inches, Acrylic Paint on canvas panel
“I have always loved flowers. Their intricate details and vivid colors have inspired me since I was young. This summer, I found myself noticing them everywhere I went, spending time with friends and family, taking walks, and in my own neighborhood. In my piece I chose to recreate them by combining my favorite flowers I had seen into a collage. I hoped to reflect their beauty, and inspire others when they saw what I had painted. I think it is an honor to have the ability to recreate life, and I find inspiration from God’s creation daily. I have also taken inspiration from impressionist painters like Claude Monet, and I aspire to be able to paint like them; however, my greatest hope is that I could point others to God, the greatest artist of all, with my pieces, for He deserves all the glory. I love the verse 1 Corinthians 3:7, because it summarizes this, “So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.”
Be Still and Know.
12″x16″, Acrylic paint on stretched canvas
Over the course of my junior year, I have been overwhelmed with the thought of how little I truly know. This, for a time, was a roadblock in my faith, as I often felt unable to approach God simply because of how little I understood about his creation. One evening, during my Bible time, I was reminded of the book of Job. I remembered how frustrated Job was and how he demanded answers for his suffering. God responds to Job’s demands with one of the most powerful descriptions of his creation. Job 39 verses 1-4 says “Do you watch when the doe bears fawns? Can you number the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they give birth? They bow themselves, they bring forth their young, they end their labor pains. Their young ones become strong. They grow up in the open field. They go forth, and don’t return again.” This verse, and the whole chapter, inspired me to create a piece based on the intimate moments in nature that humans never lay eyes on. The goal of this painting was to draw the viewer in to the special moment between the mama and the baby deer. I played with light and with detail to create this effect. Although it was difficult to find references for this painting, it was also an encouragement. It proved to me that these moments were so intimate that few photographers could capture it. This piece challenged me to not rely heavily on one reference photo, but instead to combine what I know about light and nature to paint what I imagined, not what I saw. I pulled inspiration from different artists such as Rosa Bonheur who used farm and forest animals as her subject matter. This piece forced me to trust the process through each and every step, and to love my work despite its incompleteness. I believe that’s what God was teaching me the entire time. While God loves the person I will become, he also loves who I am now, and continues to work on me and to change me day by day as I grow in my understanding of him and his creation.
Walking in Your Steps
16 x 20, acrylic paint,
This painting depicts my sister and me in an Oregon vineyard where I grew up. I wanted to create a painting that demonstrates the love that I have for my sister. John Singer Sargent inspired every stroke I put into the dresses. Monet, however, inspired me the most. I wanted my painting to carry the same emotion in every stroke that you feel when you look at a Monet painting. Every grass stroke is meant to have movement.
Next Step
14”x17”, Ink, watercolor, and acrylic
Travel gives you inspiration for the next step in life. You see what others have done in the past and present, but it is up to you to decide your future. This drawing captures different aspects of life, romance, adventure, and tranquility. I hope this drawing is able to help others decide their next step.
Feeding the Five Thousand
11 inches x 14 inches, Canvas with oil paint
Over Spring Break this year, I toured an outdoor art festival in Florida and the oil paintings by Zhou Yu really inspired me. The flowers and shells that were depicted looked so real it was hard to believe they weren’t photographs. I’ve always loved realism, so I wanted to come home and try to create something life-like myself. I chose to depict one of Jesus’ miracles of the feeding of the 5,000. The intricacy of trying to create the basket and the fish really intrigued me and I wanted to challenge myself.
Lantern of the North
10″ x 12.5″, Watercolor
Elgin Cathedral was the “Lantern of the North,” an active sanctuary of worship before its deterioration. After experiencing the ruins myself, the architecture of what remains enlivened in my imagination a desire to create a watercolor of what it once was like, given few references of the exterior in its glory days. I constructed my own rendition of the stained glass, taking inspiration from Rowan LeCompte’s use of color and character in the design. Given that the structure is in ruins, I did not have references for the perspective that I desired, so the demonstrated perspective is of my own visualized interpretation. Through use of layered shadow, my hope is that the light illuminates a reflection on how our inner sanctuary is so dark without the presence of God’s light shining in us. What inspires me the most is God’s radiant beauty in creation, which invokes in me a desire to reflect to Him his glory in a structural response, just as those who raised Elgin Cathedral’s walls had done centuries before.
Still Life With Antique Kettle
11″ x 14″, Acrylic on Canvas
Still life is one of the greatest pillars of classical art. I painted an old tea kettle in this style in hopes of portraying its quaint antiqueness. Using acrylic paint in only the primary colors, I attempted to emulate the rich colors of reflections in the copper and the green-blue of verdigris. I also aimed to capture the luster of the ribbons and orange. This study of light on different objects was both a learning experience and a pleasure.
The Water Mister
9″x12″, Watercolor and Gouache
“While looking for inspiration for my art class, I began to water my terrarium with my water mister. As I misted my plant I noticed how the water reflected against the glass and the hues of blue that illuminated from it. At that moment, I realized this is what I wanted to paint. I loved creating this piece and am thankful to my art teacher who allowed me to take charge, but helped me when I needed it. George Bellows inspired me through his more realistic style, and use of neutral undertones with brighter colors shown throughout. Every aspect of this painting brought me joy. When something I’ve made brings me this much joy it reminds me that I have a Creator that has given man the ability to create just like him. I think back to Psalm 139:14 when it says, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful I know that full well.”
Forest Mushrooms
11×14″, Oil on Canvas
My painting, called “Forest Mushrooms”, derives its source and style inspiration from the Impressionist artist Claude Monet. He portrays nature and landscapes with simplistic colors, using the complexity of texture and shapes to give his work an acutely recognizable feel which I attempted to portray. I chose oil paint, as it is my preferred medium and lends itself well to thick textures and blending into the surrounding colors. The mushrooms in this painting were sourced from a local trail in the evening time, thus the soft, brown feel throughout and the glimpses of the sun in the corner. The colors of the roots, leaves, and bark indicate the change in seasons, carrying bits of green foliage and mushrooms as the last traces of summer whereas the dying leaves and textures of the roots announce the presence of autumn.
Ready to Launch
8 x 10, acrylic paint, acrylic gloss medium, brushes, stretched canvas
The painting is from a surfer’s point of view. He looks down along the face of the wave he will soon ride, and sees what lies before him. I was inspired by the Impressionist artists of the 19th-century, especially Van Gogh. I used Van Gogh’s distinct thick brush strokes and bright colors to show the motion of the water, and the reflection of the light.
I was inspired to use this as my subject out of my love of surfing, and because it portrays the stage of life I am currently in. As a senior in highschool, I have a big wave ahead of me. I do not know exactly what this wave will bring, but I know God is in control. The tip of the surfboard leads the eye towards the sun, which is reflected along the water and the wave. I want my life to point to and reflect the Light, my savior Jesus Christ. It has taken much work and discipline in order to get to this launching point. A surfer must paddle through large masses of white water in order to reach the unbroken wave. It is exhausting, and sometimes scary, but it is entirely worth it. Riding the wave brings a feeling of pure joy and accomplishment. Similarly, I had to paddle through years of rigorous education. Classical education takes years of discipline and hard work. I believe that man is called to do his best in all he does to the glory of God. Sometimes trying your best in all you do is exhausting, but it is worth it. I am immensely grateful for the education I have received, the amazing teachers who have mentored me, and the countless life lessons I have learned along the way. As I am about to graduate, I look down along the face of the wave ahead of me. I feel the accomplishment of all the hard work I paddled through. I feel prepared to ride the wave. I am ready to launch.
Serenity
10″ x 10″, acrylic on canvas panel
My painting was inspired by the artists of the Pennsylvania Impressionism movement in the 20th century; in particular, I was captivated by the works of William Langson Lathrop. His paintings capture the beauty and tranquility of rural landscapes with a poetic sensibility, and the loose brushwork imbues it with a soft atmospheric quality that caught my eye. I found myself drawn to the way he infused landscapes with a serenity and stillness and I sought to replicate it in my own artwork.
Regal Promenade
12×8, oil on canvas
N/A
Spring Snow
14″ x 18″, Oil on canvas
Nature has always inspired me and because of this, I immediately felt a connection to Frank Anderson’s painting “The Hillside,” which demonstrates the beauty and intricacy of God’s Creation. This painting came to my attention during a trip to an art museum in which we were to research and present our analysis of a chosen work to the class. In his painting, Anderson was meticulous in capturing the smallest details that could otherwise be overlooked. I felt that Anderson was pointing to God’s care for every part of His Creation. This care for quietly observed detail drove my approach to painting a photograph taken during a recent family trip to the Rocky Mountains. I was compelled by the awe of experiencing such beauty and majesty to paint this memory. I am thankful to Frank Anderson and artists like him for their perception of often overlooked wonders.
Clouds over the Susquehanna
7.5”x8”, Acrylic on wood panel
After looking at the work of Thomas Cole and John Ruskin, I was moved to take multiple photographs of clouds in the sky to work from. I’m grateful to have both the academic and poetic work of these masters to look to and learn from. I find that reflection of light on water, revealing images from above, are one of the most beautiful aspects of nature.7.5”x8″, Acrylic on wood panel
White As Snow
14″x18″, Acrylic Paint on stretched Canvas
This image of a dirtied and clean lamb reflects the beauty of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins. The juxtaposition of the red and white drapery represents the intense sacrifice of Christ with His intense love as the Shepherd over us. Christ, represented by the pure white lamb, covers and washes away our sins with His blood, making our tarnished image new. My painting takes inspiration from Martin Johnson Heade’s series of Magnolia paintings because I love the way he paints drapery.
I set up this Still Life with one dramatic light, including the two lambs which were stuffed animals from my childhood. The dirty one was used, worn down, broken, and no longer in its original clean color. The white lamb, although it was the exact same lamb, was untarnished and white as snow. This white lamb is set upon the Bible, the only true foundation for life in Christ. I hope that by looking at this painting, we can remember Christ’s ultimate act of love for His sheep: covering us in His blood so that we may appear white as snow before Him.
