The awards for the February 2025 PleinAir Salon Art Competition were announced on March 31st. The selections were made by judge, Jill Carver. The overall and category winners will now be included in the judging for the 14th Annual PleinAir Salon Competition being awarded in May 2025.
FIRST PLACE
Seth Tummins, Do Not Go Gentle
Oil, 18×36 in.
“Artists have the power to make us see the world differently, to pay attention. I would never have imagined that an irrigator could provide such a poetic motif. Sometimes it is the idea that elevates a winner from a portfolio of very accomplished and pleasing paintings. This beautifully nuanced and harmonious piece stopped me in my tracks – the idea and the execution. There is so much to see here: the sunset colors depicted not just once, but again in refracted form in the spray of water; the ghosts of receding water sprays creating vertical rhythms as they drift left to right. It does what a great painting should do, which is to conjure up real emotions – I held my breath, exhaled, and then stayed for a very long time.“
SECOND PLACE
Lisa Egeli, A Moment of Clarity
Oil, 30×40 in.
“Such an exemplary example of design serving concept. The high horizon line embellishes the sense of height in the Falls. Juxtaposed to the sheer force and energy of the plummeting water (the prime motif), a secondary narrative of an evening sky adds a sense of calm. And then the genius of almost half the canvas being devoted to water spray, which both completes the story, but also provides a visual rest area. It is so beautifully balanced between these three areas of information. Masterful management!“
THIRD PLACE
Nancy Roberts, Waterbird Vista, Martinez
Acrylic, 8×24 in.
“Here, an industrial subject is filtered through the acute observation of shape, rhythm, and color. Shapes are repeated, though never replicated; they lead us on a joyful path through and around. Even the angled shape in the top-right of the sky is thoughtfully mirrored bottom-left in the still water. The color choices are bold but also harmonious. And the transparency of the paint layers invites us to admire process too, which adds a further dimension for the viewer, and what is revealed there is excellent draftsmanship, confident color mixing, and engaging brushwork. An exciting piece!“
CATEGORY WINNERS
Each category award winner is now entered into the Annual Competition. Judges will review all the winners from April 2024-March 2025, and we will award over $25,000 at the 14th Annual PleinAir Salon Competition held on May 19th at the Plein Air Convention & Expo in Reno, NV.
CATEGORY HONORABLE MENTIONS
The category honorable mention recipients are eligible to re-enter their paintings into future competitions.
TOP 100 FINALISTS
Each month all the entries are reviewed and scored by a judge. The paintings with the highest scores become the Top 100 Finalists. (In the event of tied scores, there may be more than 100). The awards for the monthly competition are selected from this group of finalist.
Click here to view all the entrants to the February PleinAir Salon Art Competition.
