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Celebrating Art in Every Aspect of Life

Fall/Winter 2023 | Vol. 1 No. 5

OILS AND FIGURAL COMPETITION EXHIBITIONS SUZANNE VALADON

A Groundbreaking Rebel in Modern Art

BONNY SNOWDON

Overcoming Adversity through Creativity

PYROGRAPHER JULIE BENDER

Creating Art with Heat

CONTEMPORARY COLLAGE One-of-a-Kind Works of Art

Jon Bøe Paulsen and Maxwell Miller

Art Competition Winners 1

ART AND COLOR 365

FROM THE EDITOR

elcome to the new issue of Art and Color 365 Magazine. We’re delighted to present the winners and award recipients for our Figural/People and Oils art competitions. We received hundreds of entries from around the world and the participating artists’ level of talent was outstanding. This issue we are featuring a story about once-overlooked French artist Suzanne Valadon, who worked as a model in the epicenter of Parisian art in the late 19th century and became an artist herself. Encouraged and mentored by such artistic giants as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Edgar Degas, her bold and impactful paintings opened the door to participating in the most influential art exhibitions of her time. Her remarkable — and rebellious — story celebrates determination to forge a path forward in an art world dominated by men. Our article about U.K. colored pencil artist and teacher, Bonny Snowdon, shows how art and creativity can save a person’s soul and sanity, and be the impetus for success. Our story about Julie Bender’s pyrographic art reveals how harnessing heat and fire can lead to beautiful artistic creations on paper and wood. The variety and depth of contemporary collage art is on display in our feature about artists Karole Nicholson, Betsy Silverman, Naomi Vona, and Liberty Blake. Blake is also a co-creator on a series of

collage panels traveling the U.S. and U.K. titled The Work in Progress Mural. Her partner is her mother, noted pop artist Jann Haworth, who co-created the iconic album cover for the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. This intriguing collaborative work is made of 8- x 4-foot panels, each featuring stenciled images of women, past and present, who have made significant contributions to the world. In every community the mural travels, local participants add more panels, so it’s continually growing. There are currently 15 panels with an additional seven commissioned by the London National Portrait Gallery. As we near the end of 2023 — the year we launched Art and Color 365 Magazine — our mission to celebrate art and artists is ongoing. We are so grateful for all of the artists who have participated in our competitions. It has been a true pleasure to feature their work, as well as that of dozens of other artists whose art we’ve discovered and shared with our readers. Amid the darkness that seems so prevalent in our world today, it’s good to remember and embrace the fact that art can bring beauty, hope, and light into the world. That is truly worth celebrating. Enjoy,

Virginia Bayes, Editor

Sign up for our newsletter for free content and monthly features to bring an artistic viewpoint to every aspect of your life. www.artandcolor365.com 3

An artistic rebel who paved the way for female artists

14 Pyrographer Julie Bender Creating art with heat and color

46 Bonny Snowdon Overcoming adversity through creativity

52 Amii Harwood Colored pencil artist

53 Helen Theron Building confidence in drawing

40 Contemporary Collage Karole Nicholson Betsy Silverman Naomi Vona Liberty Blake The Work in Progress Mural

76 Rooted in Beauty Beth Nadler Svetlin Sofroniev Atanas Matsoureff Salma Price-Nell Linda Wilder Amy Evans Sherry Killingsworth Charlie from Coffee Art Karen Israel David Barclay Allison Krajcik

ART COMPETITIONS

6 Suzanne Valadon

COLLECTIONS

71 ART & ARTISTS

CONTENTS

Fall/Winter 2023 | Vol. 1. No. 5

16 2023 Oils Exhibition 30 Maxwell Miller 1st Place

34 Andy Eccleshall 2nd Place

38 Denise Antaya 3rd Place

54 2023 Figural/ People Exhibition 66 Jon Bøe Paulsen 1st Place

70 Linda Lunnon 2nd Place

74 Joel Mitnick 3rd Place

COVER IMAGE: By Denise Antaya, The Ninth Concession, oils. See our feature story about Antaya's work on page 38. 4

14 76

40 43 5

HISTORIC ARTIST

Suzanne Valadon, The Blue Room, 1923, oil, Georges Pompidou Center, Paris, WikiArt.org

Suzanne Valadon When Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec recommended to Edgar Degas that he look at some drawings by a young artist he knew, Degas agreed to a meeting. After carefully studying the work, Degas turned to the artist and said, "You are one of us." The artist was Suzanne Valadon.

Top left: Suzanne Valadon, Portrait of the Painter Maurice Utrillo, (her son) 1921, oil, Musée de Montmartre, Paris, Wikipedia Top right: Suzanne Valadon, Portrait of Monsieur Mori, 1922, oil, Georges Pompidou Center, Paris, WikiArt.org

uzanne Valadon, born MarieClémentine Valadon in 1865 in Bessines-sur-Gartempe, France, grew up in poverty. Her mother, an unwed laundress, took five-year-old Valadon and her halfsister to live in Monmartre, known as the bohemian quarter of Paris. Surrounded by artists, creatives, prostitutes and pimps, Valadon grew up with a complete lack of convention, and it suited her well — she felt no stigma for being poor, for not knowing her father's identity, or for living the life of a free spirit. Even as a child she was independent, rebellious, and hot-tempered, but also sensitive and fun-loving. To help her mother financially, Valadon, left school at the age of 11 to work various jobs, including one she loved the most — working as an acrobat in popular the Molier circus. But a fall when she was 16 ended her dream. A model for famous painters An attractive young woman, she turned to professional modeling in the 1880s and soon found herself an integral part of the fabled art world of Paris as a model, and in some cases, a close friend and/or lover to many of the most famous painters of her time including Toulouse-Lautrec,

Renoir, and Puvis de Chavannes. Having proximity to such artistic genius nurtured a passion for art Valadon had as a child when she made drawings on scraps of paper, on the walls, and even on Suzanne Valadon, pavement with pencil 1885, Wikipedia stubs or lumps of coal. Unable to afford formal art training, she learned from the masters she modeled for, observing their techniques and gaining access to new and exciting developments in art. Using graphite and charcoal, pastel and oil paints, she honed her skills by sketching and painting her family and neighbors, laying the foundation for her groundbreaking career in art. Valadon's relationship with ToulouseLautrec was particularly close. It was he that suggested she change her name to Suzanne as an amusing reference to the story of Susanna and the Elders because Valadon modeled for many older artists. They were good friends who became lovers, and he enthusiastically supported

2023 Oils Competition

Maxwell Miller

1st Place Winner

n 2017, Maxwell Miller went from working in the theatrical arts to creating remarkably realistic paintings and drawings that have garnered international recognition throughout the fine art community. His background in theatrical storytelling lends itself well to his artwork, giving visual clues about the story behind each piece so the viewer can solve its mystery. This inspiration for Miller's winning entry, The Tale of the Curious Oysters, comes from a poem from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass which tells of the Walrus and the Carpenter inviting shoe-wearing oysters to stroll with them along the seashore and includes the famous verse: "The time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk of many things: Of shoes — and ships — and sealing wax — Of cabbages — and kings — And why the sea is boiling hot — And whether pigs have wings." "I had a good time with this one," Miller laughed.

When he began to pursue visual art, Miller worked to refine his technique. He became an apprentice to master artist Anthony Waichulis at the ÀNI Art Academy, completing his apprenticeship in 2022. He now serves as dean at ÀNI Art Academies Dominicana in Rio San Juan, Dominican Republic. "There is a revival of realism happening now that I strive to be a part of, and I hope to significantly contribute to it through a lifelong artistic career," Miller says. "Realism gives me the ability to clearly communicate through recognizable imagery. My main source of inspiration is in theatrical arts and puppetry, but also in other artistic media that focuses on storytelling — music, movies, TV shows, folklore, and mythology." Maxwell's work has received awards and recognition from leading art competitions and major arts publications including The Art Renewal Center, The Boynes Artist Award, National Art League, The FiKVA Foundation, The Artist's Network, and Southwest Art Magazine. He won 2nd Place in Art and Color 365's Drawing Competition for his charcoal piece, The Eternal Garden. www.maxwellgmiller.com WEBSITE: INSTAGRAM: @maxwellfineart

All images © Maxwell Miller, shared with permission.

Maxwell Miller | 2023 Oils Competition, 1st Place Winner Clockwise from Left:

1st Place Winning Entry

Maxwell Miller, The Tale of the Curious Oysters, Oils (See full-size image on page 17) Maxwell Miller, Portrait of Olive,Oils Maxwell Miller, The Journeyman,Oils

Maxwell Miller | 2023 Oils Competition, 1st Place Winner

Below: Maxwell Miller Behind the Curtain, Charcoal

Above: Maxwell Miller Self Portrait, Charcoal

Maxwell Miller | 2023 Oils Competition, 1st Place Winner

Left: Maxwell Miller, Spellbound, Oils Below: Maxwell Miller, The Eternal Garden, Oils

2023 Oils Competition

Andy Eccleshall 2nd Place Winner

ndy Eccleshall's landscapes are all about light, mood, and atmosphere. He wants the viewer to feel his paintings — the sky, wind, rain, clouds, and mist — to feel as if they are experiencing the scene. "When someone looks at one of my paintings and says 'I know what that day feels like,' I know I've succeeded in what I'm trying to capture," Eccleshall says. "My work is about atmospheric, representational landscapes. I'm inspired by drama in nature and contrasts in light and form. I'm fascinated by atmosphere, light, and weather, and the moods they create," he says. Eccleshall's visceral connection to nature stems from his childhood. His work shows the influence of growing up in Stafford, England, a landscape of rolling hills, pastoral beauty, and mist enshrouding farmlands, pastures, and moors. These were a constant source of inspiration to the young artist. He became a professional artist at the age of 16, specializing in architectural illustration and landscape painting, and graduated with honors in illustration

from the University of Plymouth (Exeter). Eccleshall moved to the U.S. in 1994, eventually settling in Edmond, Washington. He travelled extensively, taking in the natural beauty everywhere he went. "I was dazzled by the enormous contrasts in the landscapes across the country," he says, "and the beauty of the changing seasons against the neverending and ever-changing landscape. This country, and especially the Pacific Northwest where I live and work, provides a wealth of inspiration." His process begins with plein air color studies and sketches which serve as the basis for paintings he creates in his studio. "I try to transfer the energy and accuracy from my work in the field to my studio work, to convey the same sense from one to the other." He has been featured in numerous art publications including American Art Collector, International Artist Magazine, and Southwest Art Magazine. He has participated in solo and group shows and exhibitions, and his award-winning work can be found in public and private collections. His painting, Above it All, won 2nd Place in Art and Color 365's 2023 Landscapes Competition. www.andyeccleshall.com WEBSITE: INSTAGRAM: @andyeccleshall

All images © Andy Eccleshall, shared with permission.

Andy Eccleshall | 2023 Oils Competition, 2nd Place Winner

Left:

2nd Place Winning Entry

Rialto Sky, Oils (See full-size image on page 18) Middle: Andy Eccleshall, Chesaw Winter, Oils Bottom: Andy Eccleshall, Farmstead, Oils

Andy Eccleshall | 2023 Oils Competition, 2nd Place Winner

Andy Eccleshall, Aqueous, Oils

Andy Eccleshall | 2023 Oils Competition, 2nd Place Winner

Andy Eccleshall, Fir Island Mood, Oils

Andy Eccleshall, Independent Thinker, Oils 37

Photography by David Leyes

2023 Oils Competition

Denise Antaya

3rd Place Winner

andscape artist, Denise Antaya, draws inspiration for her paintings from her rural upbringing in Windsor, Ontario. Being far removed from the frenetic pace of more populous areas instilled in her a profound love for the serenity of country roads, the unhurried rhythm of rural life, and taking the time to enjoy open fields, sunshine, and clouds. She had a 31-year career in the advertising field, painting in her spare time, but after her husband passed away, Antaya decided to pursue a lifelong dream of attending art school and becoming a full-time artist. She studied figure and still life paintings at an atelier, but never felt satisfied until she took classes with noted landscape painters and began to understand the nuances of light and value through plein air painting. She had found a way to express her love of nature. For Antaya, landscape painting is not merely an appreciation of nature, it serves as a historical record, documenting the world "as it was" in the

face of constant change that threatens to erase old barns, century-old trees, and entire farms. Her work is a visual testament to our past, and a poignant commentary on our future. Antaya's work reflects her fascination with the power of light to transform what might have been an overlooked scene. "I strive to take an everyday scene and present it in a new light," she says, "and to capture a fleeting moment that will evoke memories of a simpler, peaceful time. If I can make the viewer feel the warmth of the sunshine, the coolness of the shadows, the dancing of light across the fields, or the heaviness of the air preceding a storm, then I have achieved my goal. If I can make the audience feel the magic of nature, then this journey is all worthwhile." Antaya has been recognized in dozens of shows and exhibitions across Canada and the U.S., where she has won numerous awards for her work. In 2019, she was a finalist in the Canadian reality TV show, Landscape Artist of the Year Canada, which aired in 2020.

WEBSITE: www.deniseantaya.com INSTAGRAM: @denise8096

All art images © Denise Antaya, shared with permission. Photography by Will Kuryluk.

Denise Antaya | 2023 Oils Competition, 3rd Place Winner

Top Left:

3rd Place Winning Entry

The Ninth Concession, Oils (See full-size image on page 19) Top Right:

Denise Antaya, Where the Deer Run, Oils

Bottom:

Denise Antaya, Under the Red Sky, Oils

Betsy Silverman, Grist Mill, collage.

Betsy Silverman Betsy Silverman, Clam Shells!, collage.

Betsy Silverman, Beacon Hill, collage.

All images © Betsy Silverman, shared with permission. 42

Using nothing but recycled magazines and adhesive, Boston artist Betsy Silverman takes collage to impressive heights. Large in scale, her works are highly detailed cityscapes, landscapes, people, animals, and everyday items. Silverman had always been interested in art, but she developed a fascination for paper as a medium while working toward a master's degree in architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design. "While paper is inherently fragile in nature, it can be torn or cut, folded or creased, layered and twisted, and ultimately transformed to represent a concept," she says. "My love of paper has branched into different outlets. Its tactile quality and physicality provide limitless opportunities for new and intuitive creations; and as a medium, it is readily accessible and inexpensive." Silverman uses only recycled paper in her work. Friends and neighbors save their magazines for her, and she is delighted to take something that might have ended up in the trash and turn it into art. "Instead of paint tubes, my palette is a cabinet loaded with magazines." Each realistically depicted piece can take weeks to complete, requiring an intensive search through dozens of magazines to find pages with just the right color, value, saturation, and text that enable her to create — with only pieces of cut paper — the detailed images in her work. Silverman says, "My works are artistic expressions of a moment in time recreated through photorealism. I love the challenge of transforming a printed image into a new image while preserving bits and pieces of the original representation, like preserving a memory." Find out more at www.betsysilverman.com, @betsysilvermancollage, and facebook.com/ betsysilvermancollage.

Naomi Vona, Telling Lies Collection - Masking.

Naomi Vona, Telling Lies Collection - The Touch.

Naomi Vona London-based Italian artist, Naomi Vona, combines her interest in photography, collage, and illustration to alter vintage and contemporary images, resulting in a completely new version of the originals. Describing herself as an "archival pest, with no bad intentions," Vona's manipulation of photographs with pens, paper, washi tape, and stickers, transforms them into expressions of her unique style and artistic interpretation. Vona thoughtfully includes three vital elements in each piece: aspects of her life background and experience, her inspirations, and her subconscious. Vona says this aesthetic is "the glue that pulls all of my work together." This approach to her collages is seen in Vona's many collections, each containing correlated imagery. In her Selling Lies Project, she transforms every page of a fashion magazine into a personalized art diary, revising the original magazine ads to reflect her point of view about the fashion industry. This popular collection is now one of her art classes. Vona received a degree in design and photography from Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan, Italy. In addition to her original art and prints, she offers diverse online and offline classes and workshops, and works with companies to collaborate on publishing, advertising, projects, and events. To find out more about Vona's art and classes, visit naomivona.art , @mariko_koda, and at www.facebook.com/ naomivonart. All images © Naomi Vona, shared with permission.

Naomi Vona, Telling Lies Collection - All in All. 43

Liberty Blake

Liberty Blake, Dalton Wash Road, collage on panel.

Liberty Blake, Glass Fire - Oathill Mine Trail, collage on panel.

Abstract collage artist, Liberty Blake, creates thought-provoking works of art that explore themes of the natural world and the human condition. "I like the challenge of visually describing an environment with geometric shapes of paper," she says. "The production of paper Liberty Blake, The Meadow itself directly impacts the After the Climb, collage on natural world and so I use panel. mostly found and salvaged paper. Scavenging becomes an important part of the process, underscoring the theme and message of the work." Originally from London, Blake has been based in Utah since 1997. Both of her parents, Jann Haworth and Peter Blake, are noted pop artists who co-designed the album cover for the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Blake remembers growing up in an alternative, artscentric environment that encouraged self-expression and creativity. "I was very lucky to grow up in a family of artists, so I had support and access to art materials from an early age," she says. She discovered her passion for collage later. "When I was a full-time mum and worked from home," Blake says, "I switched from oil painting to collage to keep our house free from the turps and paint fumes. I fell in love with its convenience and tactile quality and never stopped." Her collages are divided into series, each a kind of journal, some documenting the wild natural places and neglected urban environments of Utah and Northern California, others expressing more personal themes. Wildfire Series draws inspiration from the California wildfires and her childhood fear of fire. "Each collage in the series depicts an actual wildfire that has impacted either a person or place that has personal significance for me," she says. "Other series came about in response to the pandemic lockdowns and isolation which lead me to an inward journey of self-reflection, emotional growth, and personal responsibility." The Work in Progress Mural is, inarguably, her most ambitious collage series. This mobile, community-based exhibit, which is the brainchild of artist Jann Haworth, celebrates women who have changed the world, past and future, in monumental or smaller ways. As the exhibit travels the world, local artists and non-artists add to its content. (See story on facing page.) Blake has shown extensively in Utah and her work is housed in private collections across the U.S., Europe, and Canada. She has a show with 20 new pieces opening on January 19, at the Phillips Gallery in Salt Lake City, Utah, www.phillips-gallery.com. Discover more about Blake's work at www.libertyblakecollage.com and @libertyblakecollage. All images © Liberty Blake, shared with permission.

Photography by Alex Johnstone

The Work in Progress Mural In 2016, noted pop artist Jann Haworth and her daughter, collage artist Liberty Blake, co-created the Work in Progress Mural, inspired by an iconic work of collage that Haworth co-created in 1967 — the album cover for the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. An ongoing, collaborative work of art, The Work in Progress Mural celebrates the contributions of women, past and present, who have been catalysts for change in the world, shining a light on their often marginalized accomplishments. Comprised of individual 8- x 4-foot panels, each collaged with stenciled portraits of the women being honored, the mural has traveled across the U.S. and U.K. With each new venue, Haworth and Blake set up workshops to teach invited participants (some of whom are professional artists, but most are non-artists) how to create stencils of women chosen to be added to the mural. After the portraits are completed, Blake

assembles them on the panels to create the finished collaged murals. In each community, the collaboration of participants becomes part of the process and their stories become a part of the whole. As Haworth says, "Each portrait is the story of the person who is depicted, but it's also the story of the person creating it, which is why so many stories are woven into the exhibit." The ongoing nature of the mural is one of its most exciting elements. With each venue, the mural grows. There are currently 15 panels in the U.S., making it 60-feet long to date, with another 28-feet — seven panels — recently commissioned by London's National Portrait Gallery for their permanent collection, bringing the total number of women represented to approximately 400. The mural has no completion time frame, it simply continues to grow, year after year. Learn more about the Work in Progress Mural at www.npg.org.uk and www.granaryarts.org.

INSPIRING ARTISTS

Bonny Snowdon — Overcoming Adversity through Creativity This Yorkshire, U.K. artist overcame debt, an abusive marriage, divorce, and the painful loss of her ex-husband to suicide by discovering the regenerative power of creating art.

Bonny Snowdon, Elsa, colored pencils

Bonny Snowdon, Bee, colored pencils

onny Snowdon’s artistic journey illustrates what can happen when adversity meets resilience. Today, as a well-known colored pencil art teacher and mentor to thousands of students worldwide, she heads up the Bonny Snowdon Academy, a $1.2 million a year company with a membership of 3,000 students, all learning to draw in a realistic style and many starting their own art businesses. But it wasn’t always this way. Just a few years ago, Snowdon was mired in the trauma of financial struggles and, sequentially, an abusive marriage, painful divorce, and the devastating loss of her ex-husband to suicide. But it was through these hardships that she discovered the transformative power of creativity.

Facing Page: Bonny Snowdon, Bay Arab, colored pencils All images © Bonny Snowdon, shared with permission

Finding peace through creativity It was 2015 when things were at a low point for this mother of three living in Yorkshire, U.K., but an unexpected coping mechanism appeared in the form of a coloring book and colored pencils that her daughter gave her as a gift. For Snowdon, even though she’d been told at 17 that she wasn’t good enough to be an artist and hadn’t drawn for 30 years, the gift was a lifesaver.

“Coloring enabled me to empty my mind, basically,” says Snowdon. “Everything just sort of disappeared, and it gave me a space to not have negative things going around in my head all of Bonny Snowdon the time.” In fact, coloring with colored pencils became a type of mindful art practice that allowed her to focus on drawing instead of all the difficulties going on in her life. “It was wonderful to see the colors and the feel of the pencil against the paper. It gave me peace of mind and a sense of quietness.” She didn’t know it, but it was the beginning of her creative journey and a flourishing art career.

Becoming a professional artist When she first discovered coloring books and drawing, Snowdon would stay up late each night working at her kitchen table to make sure she drew every day. As her skills and techniques improved, she began selling pet portraits, completing eight to nine drawings every month.

2023 Figural/People Competition

Jon Bøe Paulsen

1st Place Winner

nternationally acclaimed artist, Jon Bøe Paulsen of Oslo, Norway, is a master of neo-realism. "I consider myself to be an artist belonging to the group of new realists where the human form is looked upon in a new light and painted with strong figurative elements." Paulsen studied art at the Norwegian State Art Academy located in Norway, and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts. His portraits weave multiple narratives into a single image, with the strong interplay of light and dark using a technique known as "Clair Obscure" ("chiaroscuro" in Italian), which accentuates striking contrasts between light and dark, creating a dramatic effect.

As Paulsen explains, "Classical paintings which use the Clair Obscure technique, have a stronger impact on the viewer because of their restricted use of color. This is why I try to work with only a few earth tone colors in each piece." Paulsen's process includes photographing tableaus and models to work from in his final paintings. He says, "It would be impossible for models to hold their poses over extended periods while maintaining the precise light I want to create. I believe your art must go in a direction where the photograph cannot follow!" Paulsen's award-winning work has been included in more than 60 solo and group exhibitions, featured in numerous art publications, and is in public and private collections around the world. www.artrenewal.org/Artist/Index/7440 WEBSITE: INSTAGRAM: @jonbøepaulsen

Jon Bøe Paulsen | 2023 Figural/People Competition, 1st Place Winner

1st Place Winning Entry

Jon Bøe Paulsen, The Guests Arrive, Oils (See full-size image on page 55)

Jon Bøe Paulsen, Fatal Attraction, Oils 67

Jon Bøe Paulsen | 2023 Figural/People Competition, 1st Place Winner

Jon Bøe Paulsen, The Blue Hour, Oils

Jon Bøe Paulsen, Towards Kløvningen, Oils 68

Jon Bøe Paulsen, Olivia, Oils

Jon Bøe Paulsen | 2023 Figural/People Competition, 1st Place Winner

Jon Bøe Paulsen, Indian Summer, Oils

Jon Bøe Paulsen, The Last Letter, Oils 69

2023 Figural/People Competition

Linda Lunnon

2nd Place Winner

n the rural landscapes of Australia, Linda Lunnon was sketching the flora and fauna that surrounded her when she was just a child. Her most cherished possessions were a tin of Derwent Artist pencils and an expansive book about Australian birds. Her love for nature led Lunnon to pursue a career in environmental science. Upon discovering that the University of Newcastle offered a Natural History Illustration degree, she entered the program and was awarded the prestigious Margaret Senior Wildlife Illustration Award during her final year of study. Lunnon works in a variety of media, but her first choice is scratchboard, and she has attained the title Master Scratchboard Artist in the International Society of Scratchboard Artists. While she leaves many of her pieces in black and white, she will also

add colored inks to an artwork creating a beautiful combination of scratchboard and color. She finds inspiration in her travels and observations of nature, crafting portraits of animals and people that encapsulate their unique character, emotions, and momentary expressions. "My love for the natural world means that most of my pieces are wildlife and botanical illustrations, though I do enjoy drawing people. I love capturing the essence and character of my subjects, and the medium of scratchboard provides a good base for creating drama and detail," she says. Lunnon's work has won numerous awards, garnered recognition both nationally and internationally, and been included in numerous exhibitions. Her pieces are held in private collections in Australia, the U.K., Canada, and the U.S. WEBSITE: www.lindalunnon.com INSTAGRAM: @lindalunnonillustrations

Linda Lunnon | 2023 Figural/People Competition, 2nd Place Winner 2nd Place Winning Entry

Linda Lunnon Nancy Scratchboard (See full-size image on page 56)

Linda Lunnon, Bed of Blossoms, Scratchboard 71

Linda Lunnon | 2023 Figural/People Competition, 2nd Place Winner Linda Lunnon, Angniq, Scratchboard

Linda Lunnon, Coppertails and Flannel Flowers, Scratchboard 72

Linda Lunnon | 2023 Figural/People Competition, 2nd Place Winner

Linda Lunnon, Treecreeping, Scratchboard

Linda Lunnon, Ruffled, Scratchboard 73

2023 Figural/People Competition

Joel Mitnick

3rd Place Winner

ew Jersey artist, Joel Mitnick, paints his oil portraits from life in a single sitting, using the "alla prima" or wet on wet painting technique. "I love working this way because it's so spontaneous, fresh, and exciting," he explains. "The challenge lies in bringing the character, essence, and likeness of each subject to life in a simple and uncomplicated style. It's extraordinarily stimulating and very rewarding." In his formative years as an artist, Mitnick found inspiration in the works of masters like Rembrandt and John Singer Sargent. Their adept manipulation of light and shadow fascinated him, spurring him to

delve deeper into the study of painting and hone his skills. A graduate of the Pratt Institute, he worked as an adjunct professor at the school teaching graphic design and visual communications for several years. During that time, he established Joel Mitnick Design Inc., a graphic design firm based in Englewood, New Jersey. He currently teaches portraiture and figure oil painting at Ridgewood Art Institute in New Jersey. Mitnick has received many awards for his work, including several "Red Dot" awards from the Art Students League in New York for excellence in portraiture. WEBSITE: www.joelmitnick.com INSTAGRAM: @joelmitnick

Joel Mitnick | 2023 Figural/People Competition, 3rd Place Winner

3rd Place Winning Entry

Joel Mitnick, Portrait of Joe Oils (See full-size image on page 57)

Joel Mitnick, Portrait of Max, Oils Joel Mitnick Apples, Cutting Board and Knife Oils

INSPIRING ART

Rooted in Beauty The beauty of trees has been depicted in art through the ages, from the weeping willows in Monet’s Japanese Bridge and Water Lily Pond, to Cypresses by Van Gogh, and The Tree of Life by Klimt. Artists have rendered countless trees in their work, in every medium and style, each an expression of one of nature’s most perfect creations. Here are some examples of beautiful and inspiring tree art on Instagram.

Charlie from Coffee Art, Tree Series, ink on paper @_charlie_13

Beth Nadler, Tree of a Thousand Colors, acrylic @bethnadlerart

Svetlin Sofroniev, Untitled, watercolor @sofroniev.art

Atanas Matsoureff, Cut Tree, watercolor @matsoureff

Salma Price-Nell, Tree of Duality, ink on paper @thesalsacreative

Linda Wilder, Pretty in Pink, acrylic @lindawilderart

Amy Evans, In Its Glory, oil @amyevansart

Sherry Killingsworth, Forest Walk, pastel @sherrykillingsworthartist

David Barclay, Atkins Reservoir, oil @davidbarclayart

Karen Israel, In February's Clutches, pastel @karenisraelpastel

Allison Krajcik, Untitled, oil @colorwhisperer1

Fall/Winter 2023 by Art and Color 365 Magazine