2nd Place (Traditional)
Brian LaSaga

“Nature is my muse and inspiration simply because of her endless subject matter and surprises. This collaboration offers me something I never even thought of. Although I prefer to paint nature themes, weathered objects and rural settings, I’m open to other things that may catch my eye. As an artist, I feel that I’m just a work in progress, and there is always something to learn. Exploring and collecting material for paintings is a great adventure for me, and always a thrill to wonder what’s around the bend or beyond that ridge. I like to create a sense of place that is somewhere but nowhere in particular. I hope each and every viewer sees and takes something a little different from my work and has an experience rather than just be viewing a picture. My goal is not to paint life, but to paint life into my work and create an emotional connection that I hope will inspire my viewers.”

Brian LaSaga was born in St.Teresa’s, Newfoundland on November 1, 1955, and moved to St.George’s Newfoundland in 1965. Brian’s journey as an artist began when he was very young and he has always been a very visual person and with no formal training, art is more instinctual, full of discovery and experimentation which has continued with him today. Being somewhat of a perfectionist, Brian has always remained faithful to his subjects, and he paints primarily with acrylics on wood panel. His work is greatly influenced by nature, and feels that he is just a student and instrument of nature. The artist prefers to paint familiar experiences and subjects indigenous to his area. An area that he feels is raw and sacred. The artist’s main interest is in capturing the essence of his chosen subject.

To see more of Brian’s work please visit his website.

2nd Place
(Digital & Photography)
Cindy Vondran

Currently a resident of Northern IllinoIs, USA, Cindy has been involved with photography for 40 years. In 2013 she received her BFA degree in studio art. Having a strong art background is what she attributes to helping her become a better photographer. Cindy has now become more involved with digital artistry after learning some specialized techniques in Photoshop. The line between classic photography and computer generated art has become blurred. Cindy is excited to be a part of this contemporary movement in art using the computer as a new medium. Things that were formerly impossible can now be generated, and without the need for a large studio space in which to work. Cindy’s work is highly varied, sometimes preferring bold colors with sharp contrast, and other times soft hazy tones. Each image has a story to tell and Cindy is happiest when her art pulls at the heartstrings of the viewer.

To view more of Cindy’s work, please email her directly.

3rd Place (Traditional)
Andrew Engel

Andrew Engel was born in Manhattan, New York City, and grew up there. He later moved to New Jersey and graduated Valedictorian from the Du Cret School of the Arts in Plainfield. He then attended post-graduate classes at the School of the Visual Arts and National Academy of Design, both in Manhattan. Being a native New Yorker, Andrew had a true love of the urban environment he grew up in and naturally took to drawing and painting it, especially the old parts of the city where the buildings had character and 19th and early 20th century architecture. Coming from a working-class family he was especially inspired by the work of Edward Hopper and John Sloan. However, he is also a portraitist and rural landscape painter, his uncle owning a farm in upper New York State, where he spent a few weeks every summer. In “The Seasons From My Building” he attempted to combine both the urban and rural environment in a surreal setting. With his daughter posing in the wind he brought all these elements together, along with pigeons, butterflies and the moon in different phases in each season. Even the brickwork changes from warm to cool as you move around the picture. The result was an innovative, unusual, and beautiful piece of work like no other.

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

3rd 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. In the past year, she has been published in “Living the Photo Artistic Life” eleven times, Readers Digest “Our Canada” magazine, “Photoshop Creative UK” magazine three times, “Conceptual Images” magazine twice, “Fine Eye Magazine” for fine art photography three times, and “A5 Magazine.” She received the “Best in Show” award for “All Weather of the Seasons” and the “Judges Choice” award for “All Animals” in Contemporary Art Gallery Online competitions, placed second in the SINWP “Creatures Great and Small” competition, and has been recognized for her work in ShiftArt.com challenges as well as winning numerous Facebook “Photo of the Day” challenges. She is also a three-time top ten overall winner in the Light, Space and Time competitions, has received several honorable mentions, and recently won an Artist Showcase for two weeks. Sheri splits her time between Arizona and Labrador, Canada, and is dedicating herself to pushing her photography 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.

Honorable Mention (Traditional)
Leah Dockrill

Leah Dockrill has been a visual artist for over thirty years, with an art practice that includes painting, collage and digital art. As a painter of large canvases, Leah explains that she favours colourful landscapes and florals as subject matter, basing her images on scenes she has seen in the course of her travels, and reinterpreting them in her studio.When it comes to paintings that feature canna lilies, she looks no further than her own garden, where for many years an entire planter has been dedicated to this noble species. Leah says that it doesn’t matter which subject she chooses to paint, or where her inspiration might lead her, the blank canvas holds the promise of limitless possibilities. and that allure is something every artist understands. Leah’s art has been exhibited across Canada in many public and private galleries, and she has been an elected member of the Society of Canadian Artists since 2000. She lives in Toronto.

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

Honorable Mention
(Digital & Photography)
Gene Williams

Gene Williams is a Palm Springs, CA native. His grandfather came to the desert in 1921 and his family continues to reside in the desert. Beginning with his first camera at age 12, Gene’s passion has always been photography. In high school he took two photojournalism tours to Europe and in college he studied black and white and color film development as well as photography as art. He has entered and won several juried art show awards, but his focus is shooting for pleasure and sharing his photographs with family and friends. Gene works to capture natural colors in his images that give the viewer a sense of awe. He strives to have something unexpected in the composition such as a bold image or unusually vibrant color.

To purchase this award winning piece or to see more of Gene’s work please email him directly.

Honorable Mention (Traditional)
Park Soo-yeon

Park Soo-yeon is a South Korea based award winning artist.

To purchase this award winning piece and to see more of her work email her directly.

Honorable Mention
(Digital & Photography)
Marcia Berg Haskell

After retiring from spending over 40 years in the scientific and management fields, Marcia became interested in exploring her creative side. During the subsequent years, Marcia rapidly discovered that no single material or set of techniques satisfied her completely.

Today, Marcia uses her art to display her vision – her love of nature, it’s beauty, patterns, and incredible range of possibilities. – her love of the man-made, the power and possibilities of man’s structures and their interactions with the world around them. – her love of the non-physical, the possibilities of what never existed, the emotions of the inanimate, the communication of that which has no mouth or external sound. Her art has lead to the desire to show existence through the senses and emotions and has led her to concentrate on three forms of artistic endeavor: non-representational painting, her ‘fractured fotographs’, and views she captures through ‘realistic’ digital photographs.

The ‘fractured fotographs’ are computer manipulations of her ‘as taken’ photos to something that does not exist but is, instead, a changed form of beauty. She tries, through those pictures to reflect a more general truth about the subject and it’s interaction with the viewer. Marcia often tries to focus attention on parts of the whole that might not be noticed otherwise.

Over the years, her photography has focused more strongly on capturing the patterns around her: from nature; plants, animals, birds, flowers, trees and landscapes and from the man-made; structures such as buildings, unique industrial configurations, construction sites, and recreation sites such as golf courses or children’s playgrounds, and outdoor sculptures. Most recently, her photography has focused upon the patterns and shapes of the world around her, rather than just capturing the physical nature of the object.

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

Honorable Mention (Traditional)
Kristie Moore

At 52 years old I did not know I could even paint! After a very serious spinal surgery and acquiring a deadly bacteria in the hospital after a year-and-a-half of recovery I decided to try doing some art to keep my mind occupied! One year later I am 100% healthy and my life is completely changed because of art!

Since doing art I started a Facebook page and now there are 1,000 people participating in just three months! I cannot imagine where my life is going to be one year from now but based on how this first year has been I can imagine it is going to be fantastic! Thank you for hosting these wonderful competitions it is fun to be able to participate and be involved in an art community!

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

Honorable Mention
(Digital & Photography)
Julie Berglund

As with most of the general populace, Julie spends the majority of her days in front of a monitor, with deadlines looming; white light burning her eyes; and, stress eating away her life on a GOOD day at work. By day, Julie is a virtual hybrid of graphic artist and website developer, able to switch between her artistic and technical hats at the client’s whim. By night (and, morning, and any minute available), her camera comes out and she jumps into her alter ego of wildlife and landscape photographer. Photography is her way of escaping that work stress. She can take her camera and disappear into the woods, or the city, or the backyard, listening for familiar sounds of birds and critters. Looking for that one image that most people never see. She knows she’s blessed with the ability to take a little time here and there to pursue her passion – as well as having a VERY understanding wife and family. Her goal as a photographer and artist is to share that passion with others. To facilitate a smile, or genuine awe, from another person; to open their eyes to what is in the world around them if they simply stop and look. That is one of her joys in life.

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

Honorable Mention (Traditional)
Carmen Rey

Carmen Rey discovered painting four years ago, and this changed her life, which was always separated from any kind of arts before. She works in other techniques as well, but it is through oil painting that she better expresses herself on her way to find her own artistic identity. Her main interest is nowadays focused in developing her own approach of representing the figure, and so different aspects of humanity. Painting brings a lot of joy into Carmen’s life, but she has also found in art an inevitable way to discover and understand herself.

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

Honorable Mention
(Digital & Photography)
Trish Hoskin

Trish Hoskin has been interested in and delving into the world of digital photography for several years. Her interests are varied from floral to landscape and she loves manipulating the images to create wonderful emotive images. She finds a plethora of ideas in and around her local Port area as well as the wonderful shapes and architecture of her capital city. Travel abroad has given her an amazing catalogue of images to work her magic.

To purchase this award winning piece or to see more of her work, please visit her websites: www.trishhphotography.com and https://artboja.com/art/726rzm