Artist Michele Dunaway has revealed her selections for the winners in the July 2024 PleinAir® Salon. Scroll down to see the winning paintings and read Michelle’s comments on her top picks.
PleinAir Salon Winners Preview:
1st Place Overall: “The Schooner Stephen Taber”
“I was struck instantly by the luminosity emanating from this painting. It captures a sense of realism and light that goes far beyond anything a camera could record. The artist’s sensitivity to color and color temperature in the sails coupled with the simplification of water, highlighting only the essential functional movement complements the dynamic composition.
“This painting exudes an old master quality, and I could see it hanging in a museum next to Winslow Homer or Turner and holding its own. The touch of red off center hits right where the smallest square and spiral of the golden mean would overlay which adds for a harmonious balance and movement to the painting.
“The technique and brushwork is subtle where it needs to be and powerful and bold in necessary areas. When a painting is executed so well that it makes me interested in a subject that I’m not normally drawn to, it is a testament to the artist’s impressive skill.”
2nd Place Overall: “Summer”
“This drawing shows both a mastery of skill coupled with a storytelling, emotive quality. It exudes a hint of narrative that draws the viewer in while simultaneously showcasing the unique beauty and characteristics of the subjects – the woman, her environment and the sea shell.
“All of the elements of this piece integrate into a moment of subtle movement and seeming stillness all at once. A successful portrait to me draws the viewer into the story, seeking to understand something of the subject in a particular moment in time.
“The work is both timeless and contemporary, and the arrangement of values, her dark hair against the light of the clouds transitioning down to her white dress against the dark trees makes for a lovely atmospheric effect.”
3rd Place Overall: “The Journeyman”
“A strongly designed arrangement of values is at the foundation of any successful painting, and the way the artist orchestrated these elements, as well as a limited punctuation of chroma, creates a powerful design and tone to the piece.
“It is more than a self portrait depicting a likeness but a self portrait that encompassed many varied aspects of the subject from observing the studio elements presented throughout the painting.
“The triangular design of dark and light and color overlaying each other creates a powerful image that is compelling to look at. It is a self portrait that opens a doorway into a story of the person, which is to me the highest goal of any portrait.”
Best Plein Air Landscape: “Partridge Island Pastoral”
Best Plein Air Acrylic & Gouache: “Isola de Favignana Harbor, Sicily”
Best Plein Air Oil: “San Andreas Transformations”
Best Plein Air Pastel: “Channeling Monet”
Best Plein Air Watercolor: “Getting Ship-Shape”
Enter the PleinAir Salon Today
All winners will be entered into the judging for the annual cash prizes, including the Grand Prize of $15,000 and their painting on the cover of PleinAir® Magazine. Could you be the next winner?
The next round of the PleinAir Salon has begun so hurry, as this competition ends on the last day of the month. See the rest of this month’s winners and enter your best art in the PleinAir Salon here.
