Into the Wild Art Exhibition Winners - October 2018

Best in Show (Traditional)
Esther van Hulsen

Esther van Hulsen has been working as a full-time artist since graduating from Minerva Art Academy Groningen in 2004, where she studied communication design and scientific illustration. Her main subjects are animals – both now living and extinct – rendered in traditional media like water color, colored pencil, Copic Markers and acrylics.

She currently lives in Norway, where there is plenty of inspiration in its beautiful and rough nature. Esther has illustrated many books together with palaeontology professor Jørn Hurum. Multiple of these books have received awards for their illustrations and have been published in countries like Russia, China, Denmark, Norway, The Netherlands and France. Her work has also been published in magazines like National Geographic, Fossil News and Nature Magazine. To achieve the great level of detail present in her paintings and drawings, Esther does a lot of sketching and drawing in zoos and museums in order to learn about the anatomy and characteristics of the animals she wants to portray.

Her goal is to give the animals a lifelike appearance, with a hint of their individual personality shining throughBarbara is a colorist, and creating a painting is like taking a journey, getting lost, discovering, and re-framing the vision of the world she sees. Her paintings are full of energy and the abstract works are usually large and filled with an abundance of color. If you study her art, it resonates. The colors vibrate and tell a story. Not one to be limited by a brush, Barbara often will use her hands or a new found tool to create a depth and uniqueness to the final result.

Please visit Esther’s website if you are interested in purchasing this award winning piece or to see more of her work.

Best in Show
(Digital & Photography)
Codie Moore

It wasn’t until the day Codie was told she was going blind that she finally started to see; to see both the big and little things all around her in every day life and be amazed by the beauty the world has to offer. It has been the most wonderful and joyful experience to watch Codie begin to be amazed by the simple and fantastic sights around her, to start seeing and appreciating; “amazing lighting”, “crazy dramatic skies”, “northern lights” the “intense glowing red hue of a cardinal that only happens right at twilight”, “mist covered mountains”; and the new “tiny worlds” of Macro Photography. When Codie started her journey to really “see” what was around her… really, truly see… is when she fell in love with photographing the incredible things most people take for granted. Hopefully her new journey will inspire others to appreciate, notice and constantly be amazed, because it really is an amazing place out there…

Please visit Codie’s website if you would like to purchase this award winning piece or to see more of her work.

Best in Show
(3-Dimensional)
Jeff Jones

Powerful art compels you to come closer; to study, to imagine, to feel. I am self-taught, striving to learn and grow my skills every day. My philosophy is that every new piece must be my best work to date and must have a unique personality. I strive to combine my vocational background as an Aerospace Engineer, which demands accuracy and detail, with my artistic goal of generating an emotional response.

The process of translating an image in my mind into the mechanical weight bearing structure and armature, and then transforming that harsh structure through the subtle curves and textures of molded clay and, finally, the patinas and shadows of a finished bronze provides immense fulfillment. I am fascinated by history and the wonders of the natural world. My figurative works reflect this fascination. A portion of my work is intended to be reminiscent of the traditional American western works of the turn of the century.

I also enjoy a contemporary interpretation of western art including various colored patinas and unconventional subjects. Depictions of women in various historical settings appear throughout my portfolio. I strive to tell emotive stories of feminine strength, sadness, jubilation and resolve in historical settings. One of my goals is to ensure an accurate portrayal of period clothing, which adds to the ambiance of each piece. My wildlife works emphasize action and power. I seek to remind myself and my audience that our natural world is magnificent, dangerous and fragile. I feel a strong sense of obligation to honor and protect the vanishing wildness around us.

Please visit Jeff’s website to see more of his work.

2nd Place (Traditional)
Magali Lapeyre-Mirande

Magali Lapeyre-Mirande is a pencil artist from France. Using a range of graphite pencils, she prides herself on her attention to details to capture the personality and the emotions portrayed in each individual artwork. After working exclusively on people’s portraits for many years, she began to mix her passion to wildlife to her art. By giving a percentage of all her sales, she directly contributes to charity foundations focused on saving endangered species.

To purchase this award winning piece or to see more of Magali’s work please visit her website.

2nd Place
(Digital & Photography)
Sheri Emerson

Sheri has been a photographer her entire life, from a child snapping pictures with her 110 camera, to her first SLR, and finally into the digital world. She also has been an artist her entire life, winning her first art competition at the grand old age of five. Photography has been a passion in her life for many years, but really exploded when she bought her first DSLR three years ago. In the past few years, she has intensively studied both Photoshop and Lightroom to learn how to enhance her photography and turn it into digital art, and began entering competitions last year.

She has been published in “Living the Photo Artistic Life” magazine, “Photoshop Creative UK” magazine, “Conceptual Images” magazine, “Fine Eye Magazine” for fine art photography, and “A5 Magazine”. She received “Best in Show” awards for the Fusion Art quarterly “Women Artists” competition and the “All Weather of the Seasons” Contemporary Art Gallery Online competitions, placed second in the SINWP “Creatures Great and Small” competition and also won a Gold Award for her work, and is also a seven-time top ten overall winner in the Light, Space and Time competitions. Her work has been shown at the Pennsylvania Center for Photography, Orenda Gallery in Lake Tahoe, Heaven Art Gallery in Scottsdale, and the Blank Wall Gallery in Athens, Greece. Sheri splits her time between Arizona and Labrador, Canada, and is dedicating herself to pushing her photography and digital art even further.

Her work is currently being sold on the curated ArtBoja website, and can be seen at www.sheriemersonphotography.com. Her regular website is www.sheriemerson.com.

2nd Place
(3-Dimensional)
Douglas Aja

Douglas Aja has been sculpting African wildlife since the late 1990s. “From the time I was a child, I was drawn to Africa and its wildlife. I had always wanted to be involved in conservation in some capacity. From a young age I was pretty good at art, but didn’t think it would be anything more than just a hobby. Eventually I decided that the best way I could make a contribution to conservation was through my art, and I started seriously working on developing my sculpting skills.” Aja donates 35% of sales and all prize money from awards to various conservation organizations, as well as donating bronzes for fund raising events. He has been a longtime supporter of Amboseli Trust for Elephants (ATE), ElephantVoices, The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT), Action for Cheetahs in Kenya (ACK) and Laikipia Wildlife Forum (LWF). In 2015 he designed and sculpted three plaques for LWF to be given out to high end donors. Though he sculpts a variety of species, he specializes in the African elephant. Many elephants are known individuals from Amboseli National Park in Kenya, including Echo and Dionysus. Both have been featured in many film and books. He is primarily a wildlife sculptor, but has also done a bronze of Basketball Hall of Famer Sam Jones.

Aja’s bronze sculptures are in the private collections of elephant researchers Cynthia Moss and Joyce Poole, wildlife cinematographer Martyn Colbeck, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, the Bennington Center for the Arts and former Boston Celtics’ great Sam Jones. He is a member of several art organizations including; Society of Animal Artists, National Sculpture Society, American Artists Professional League, Artists for Conservation, Allied Artists of American and Artists Against Extinction.

To purchase this award winning piece or to see more of Douglas’ work please visit his website.

3rd Place (Traditional)
Kathy Paulus

Kathy Paulus is a self-taught artist specializing in pastel work. She specializes in pet/animal portraits and still life subjects. She accepts commissions for pet and animal portraits and enjoys the joy it brings to a devoted pet owner. She also loves to explore other mediums such as colored pencil, watercolor and scratch art. She became a member of the International Society of Scratchboard Artist in 2018. She is an active member of the Redlands Art Association in Redlands, California.

To purchase this award winning piece or to see more of Kathy’s work please visit her Facebook Page to contact her directly.

3rd Place
(Digital & Photography)
Barbara Mierau-Klein

Barbara Mierau-Klein is a digital artist recognized for her multi-layered, imaginative and colorful fine art images. A native of Germany, Barbara lives in the Washington, D.C. area but often travels the world as a passionate landscape and nature photographer since her teenage years. Barbara discovered digital art several years ago and became so fascinated that it turned into a full-time pursuit. Much of Barbara’s work is highly stylized and focuses on beautiful moments and evocative moods across a wide range of subjects. The inspiration for her images comes from many sources like books, song lyrics, movies, nature and works of other artists, old masters as well as contemporary digital artists.

Barbara’s work has been exhibited at the Heaven Art Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona and the Orenda Gallery in Reno, Nevada. She has had nine top-ten placements in online juried art competitions at the Light Space Time Art Gallery and Fusion Art Gallery over the past year. Her work has also appeared regularly in Living the Photo Artistic Life Magazine and Fine Eye Magazine with a feature article on her work in August 2018. With her digital art creations Barbara seeks to impart a sense of wonder and invite the viewer to step into a different reality for a brief moment.

To purchase this award winning piece or to see more of Barbara’s work, please visit her website.

4th Place (Traditional)
Susan McCulley

I have always had an affinity for animals so after a resurgence in my desire to create artwork, it has been no surprise that wildlife consistently emerges as the main theme. Although I can find interest in just about anything, animals are by far my favorite subject matter. I feel there is little else that can compare to the natural, honest energy given off by an animal, be it a family pet or one never meant to be touched by human hands. If we are lucky enough to be included as part of their world, whether for years or just a few moments, we are that much richer for the experience.

Although slightly unconventional, I enjoy partnering the smoothness of graphite along with the rich blackness of charcoal for contrasting effects. Intrigued in 2016 after viewing works done by other artists, I purchased my first scratchboard and was instantly hooked. Although often challenging and relatively unforgiving, scratchboard users are rewarded with a medium that allows for wonderfully textural effects and high levels of detail.

To purchase this award winning piece or to see more of Susan’s work, please visit her website.

4th Place
(Digital & Photography)
Nick Dale

I wanted to be a photographer when I was 15, but my mother said I could always take it up later – so that was that for 30 years! I ended up reading English at Oxford and working as a strategy consultant for a few years, both full-time and freelance, before ‘retiring’ at the age of 29! I then travelled round the world for seven years, doing four ski seasons and working on an internet start-up in San Francisco among other things, before finally returning to London in 2005. At that point, consulting work felt too stressful, so I decided to go ‘quality of life’.

I’m now a private tutor and wildlife photographer, both of which came about quite by chance. I started tutoring in 2009 when I happened to read an article in the paper called ‘Ten Ways to Beat the Recession’, and I started taking pictures again in 2013 when I received a random email inviting me to go on safari and climb Mount Kenya. After investing in a decent camera, I’ve been a wildlife photographer ever since! I’ve taken pictures in 25 countries on all seven continents and won various awards including the Sunday Times/Audley Travel Big Shot competition and Best in Show at Fusion Art’s 3rd Annual Animal Kingdom Art Exhibition in January 2018.

To purchase this award winning piece or to see more of Nick’s work, please visit his website.

4th Place
(3-Dimensional)
Elizabeth Perez

Elizabeth Perez is a Self-taught wildlife artist from Las Vegas, NV. Her works of art are inspired by the beauty of animals and nature. Sheep wool and a single barbed needle are the main materials she uses to create her unique fiber art sculptures. In the near future, Elizabeth wants to use her artistic abilities to raise awareness for endangered species.

To purchase this award winning piece or to see more of Elizabeth’s work, please email her directly.

5th Place (Traditional)
Kathy Christian

Kathy Christian is an American artist currently living in Australia. Her current medium of choice is colored pencil and gouache; often mixing the two. Kathy specialises in working dogs and wildlife. She is a self taught artist relying on her hands on animal experience to guide the direction of her art. She has always been compelled to draw what surrounds her in everyday life and or what she has experienced on a personal basis. She has been privileged to work hands on with big cats in a wildlife rehabilitation compound and has spent quite a bit of time in East Africa. Now farming in rural Victoria, Australia she also trains working sheepdogs. Kathy believes that there are two important aspects that come into play in depicting animals realistically. The first is one must study the anatomy and structure of the animal they are painting. Knowing what is under the skin is as important as what is on the outside. Without knowledge of anatomy paintings appear flat and lifeless. The second is the ability to draw and not trace photographs as seems to be the current rage. Tracing does not teach one to observe, only to copy. She enjoys depicting animals in their natural environment and don’t romanticise them. Sometimes this means painting them “warts and all.” Her work has won multiple international awards including inclusion two years in a row in the prestigious “Strokes of Genius” book of 130 artists drawings selected from a highly competitive international field.

To see more of Kathy’s work, please email her directly.

5th Place
(3-Dimensional)
Isabelle Zab

Isabelle zab is an emerging sculptor and SCUBA diving instructor. Her work had 2 components: exploring the subject of monuments around the allegorical representations of women in statuaries and doing material research by creating little known marine creatures. This year she obtained a Bachelor degree in Fine Arts with a focus on sculpture at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University in Canada. Her work has recently been selected for the 2018 sapphire Bombay Gin Artisan series competition.

To purchase this award winning piece or to see more of Isabelle’s work, please visit her website.