2017 NorthStar 3rd National Watermedia Juried Exhibition Awards

NorthStar’s 2017 National Exhibition was held at Blaine City Hall, October 2 -31 with opening reception and awards on October 15. Exhibition Chair, Janice Anderson, began the awards ceremony thanking participants, members of the exhibition committee, and the Blaine facility staff. She then introduced juror David Feinberg, professor of drawing and painting for 47 years at the University of Minnesota. Feinberg began his remarks admitting that he “doesn’t have a definitive philosophy about art.” He learned to accept, expand, and grow from his education at Cranbrook Academy of Art where he met a diversity of styles. He told his audience of artists, “I love you all because you are led to make art.” In making award choices, Feinberg looked for paintings which show that the artist thinks for her/himself. “Perhaps the artist got into trouble and made decisions about how to get out.” He looked for “special pieces, something you can’t predict, unusual compositional moves, subject matter that exceeds and becomes exciting. It’s all about making decisions.” He stressed that all art comes from personal experience, whether abstract or representational and began his process by walking around and looking for pieces that stood out for him He then started making a list. If something didn’t “feel right,” he walked around again and rearranged the list.

MERIT AWARD
(photo left) Susan Voigt
“Warm Spring on Willows”
The artist had to make decisions because the weather was changing. She did a lot of layering, placing dots of paint in a loose pointillistic manner. She had the ability to make decisions on the spot and knew when to stop. SONY DSC

JUDITH BENHAM ART AWARD
(photo right) Patty Healy
“Glass Surprises at the Botanical Garden”
This painting is unusual. I wondered how this person put it together, allowing machine-made marbles to co-exist with plant life. The red and green always works.

DILLMAN’S CREATIVE ART WORKSHOPS AWARD
(photo left) Ralph Hangi Jr
“8AV-011-T-The Midway”
Gordy The circle is the toughest format. The rectangle is the easiest. With a circle you don’t know how to get in or out. You have to figure out an entry point and an exit point. Centrifugal force is at work. I couldn’t take my eyes off of it.

WINSOR & NEWTON AWARD
(photo right) Brian Gordy
“Seeking the Sun”
Something kept me looking at this piece. I wasn’t sure why. It is like a jigsaw puzzle, almost like camouflage. Visually fantastic.

ARWORKS ART AND FRAME AWARD
(photo left) Darlene Mowry
“Pink Glory”
The edges are fantastic. There is something interesting at every point on the edge of the rectangle. Overlapping is skillful. The blue negative space is unexpected.

Belling ARTISTS’ CHOICE AWARD II
(photo right) David Belling
“Offloading Salt”
A man-made object (ship) becomes abstract. Interesting perspective of the ship and the railroad track. A daring move. The division of space makes interesting shapes.

ARTISTS’ CHOICE AWARD l
(photo left) David Smith
“Tranquil Waters”
This is ethereal, an unusual vision, not copied from a photo. He created atmosphere. Nice gradations and transfer of light slowly revealing the water.

HOLBEIN AWARD
(photo right) Rick Lundsten
“From Out of the Past”
What struck me were the people jumping all over with color. Also, I usually prefer the “supporting actor,” in this case, the cement sides of the pier with interesting color.

SCHMINCKE AWARD
(photo left) Fred Dingler
“Red Roof”
I like the amorphous nature of the painting, the red showing up here and there, the ochre. It’s abstract with its division of space and softness. The unusual treatment of the tree partially showing on the left. The contrast of the very fine detail of the trees on the right, almost Japanese.

BLICK ART MATERIALS
(photo right) Karen Poulson
“Coming Undone”
This painting reminds me of Franz Kline. I picked it because it is the most different thing in the show.

WET PAINT AWARD
(photo left) CeCeile Hartlieb
“Desiree”
The subject matter is deeply personal. It almost hurts. Remember, all paintings are based on personal experiences and all paintings are abstract. I like how the purple shows up in places and how the dark line slowly disappears. It’s a Milos Avery (artist) move. She treats the clothing like Velasquez.

THIRD PLACE
(photo right) Christopher Palbicki
“Towards a Wholeness of Being”
A very creative piece. Everyone stops to look. It reminded me of post-Renaissance paintings of heaven and hell. Interesting and different.

SECOND PLACE
(photo left) Kathleen Braud
“Four Clucks”
The more times I walked around, the higher this came on the list. I like the looseness, the abstract shapes. The white shape doesn’t need a line. It’s better than the rooster at the sculpture garden.

BEST OF SHOW
(photo right) Frank Zeller
“Winter Light”
As a traditionalist at heart, I’m drawn to this one. Students today don’t know how to draw or paint. It’s obvious that this artist had a plan, but how he applied it was spontaneous. He made decisions and he made his mark. It’s a masterpiece.