2020 Winter Show Awards

by Marne Jensen

With our Winter Show well underway, we are happy to announce the award winners in both the Miniature as well as the Small Works category of this spectacular exhibit. When we first put out calls for artists inviting them to enter our show, little did we know that we would receive entries for over 600 individual pieces with space for only half that many. Now over 300 pieces have been on our gallery walls, as well as our online gallery, since the beginning of November and will continue to be on exhibit until January 2. It’s an absolutely breathtaking show, so you don’t want to miss it!

Because there are so many outstanding works, juror Lois Haskell had a tough time deciding which to choose as award winners, but the decisions have been made and here is the list.

MINIATURE CATEGORY:

Linda Wacaster “The Ruble Collector” – First Place and Best of Show

Looking closely at this muted-palette painting, our juror was impressed by the wonderful composition. All details were beautifully rendered, from the background details to the folds in the clothing.
For Texas artist Linda Wacaster, the creative process is a passion that drives her to continually look at each new subject as an opportunity to learn. She believes the challenges in painting are endless and the journey… one that never ends… makes life interesting.

Judy Lalingo “The Pensive One” – Second Place

This piece knocked our juror’s socks off. Beautiful to the casual eye, but in addition, all the details were perfection under the magnifying glass. Also impressive was the choice to show just part of the subject matter which gives it a feeling of peeking into the world of the subject.
Judy Lalingo, who lives in northern Maryland, is inspired by nature and spends much of her time sketching, painting and photographing everything from horses and hounds to birds and wildlife. Her work ranges from tightly rendered miniatures in acrylic to looser oils of landscapes and animal studies. She has embraced the miniature art world for the past three decades.

Steve Cox “Bygone” – Third Place

A great example of unusual composition and excellent detail work, our juror felt that Steve’s painting was able to express an atmosphere that she really admired.
Seattle-based artist Steve Cox is a lifelong student, tradesman and lover of all things related to flight and his work reflects the realism, technical detail, joy and imagination of man’s eternal pursuit of leaving the things that keep us grounded.

ADDITIONAL MINIATURE AWARDS:

Ampersand Sponsor Award- Landscape: Steven Thor Johanneson “The Long Shadow of Evening“
President’s Award: Elizabeth Brown “Country Cottage”
Curator’s Award: Linda Rossin “Greeting the Day”
Honorable Mention- Wildlife: Linda Rossin “Water Aerobics”
Honorable Mention- Still Life: Gini Harris “Sweetness and Shine”
Honorable Mention- Pet Portraits: Akiko Watanabe “Jesse”

SMALL WORKS CATEGORY:

Debbie Hughbanks “Nocturne” – First Place
Our juror was highly impressed with this small-works piece created using soft pastels, a medium which is difficult in this small format. She believes that Debbie perfectly captured the reflection in the water with an overall moody feeling.
Located in northeastern Washington, Debbie Hughbanks is a professional artist specializing in wildlife, equine and domestic animal painting as well as figurative and western-themed pieces. Painting most often in pastel or acrylic, she still finds time to explore other avenues including scratchboard and mixed media work.

Doreen Koch Allen “Sanctuary” – Second Place

Our juror tells us that all aspects of this abstract landscape were impressive: a lovely color palette, excellent composition, and beautiful framing. All the details in the piece showed great care and attention to detail.
Doreen lives in Edgewood, WA surrounded by nature, her greatest muse. She feels that living in a forest is very inspirational because there is so much texture, pattern and shape wherever you look. She is well known for her exuberant, intuitive and color-infused creations. Working primarily with watercolor, acrylic, and mixed media, her whimsical paintings are bold and bright.

Janyce Sukow “Cleocatra” – Third Place

“Quite excellently done,” says our juror who felt this painting, with its wonderful, whimsical subject, was a delightful surprise.
Janyce received her formal art training in Arizona and Portland, ME and for ten years was a highly commissioned portrait artist while living in Arizona. Now working in oil and pastel in her Puyallup, WA studio, she depicts life’s many blessings with a sense of humor, a respect for nature, and a reverence for the divine.

ADDITIONAL SMALL WORKS AWARDS:

Sakura Sponsor Award – Watercolor: Eve Worrell “Show Time”
Sakura Sponsor Award – Pastel: Christine Bass “Country Church”
Sakura Sponsor Award – Oil: Sheila Cantrell “Stacked Cups”
Holbein Sponsor Award – Acrylic: Donna Wallace “Happy Day”
President’s Award: Gail Martinez “Tulips in Repose”
Curator’s Award: Megan Veldee “Skagit Valley Tulips”
Honorable Mention – Oil: Brenda Morgan “Clean Living”
Honorable Mention – Photography: Larey McDaniel “Ladybug“
Honorable Mention – Scratchboard: Lisa Kaplan “On the Brink”