Winners chosen for 21st Miniature Art Show

Seaside Art Gallery is hosting its 21st International Miniature Art Show, dedicated to the miniature artist, Harry Francis Sellers Jr., who died last year.

Sellers was from Utah, but he had been a part of the Seaside Art Gallery, entering the International Miniature Art show for the past 10 years. He won many awards, including best in show.

“Unfortunately, I never got the pleasure of meeting him in person, but I enjoyed his art and the conversation when communicating with him,” said Melanie Smith, owner of Seaside Art Gallery.  “I remember one of his pieces that looked like bunch of paintings stacked outside a building and it looked like he just got kicked out or evicted.”

The show attracted artists from all over the world. Most were from the U.S., some from Russia, Israel, Germany, France, Canada, Australia, South Africa  More than 200 artists participated in, entering 482 pieces in different mediums.

I asked Smith how she finds artists from all over the globe and she said when the show first started they used to advertise. Not anymore.

“The same artists that are members of prestigious National and International Miniature Art Society enter the show every year and they help spread the word,” Smith said.

The winners were announced during a lively reception catered by Argyle’s Restaurant on May 28.

Miniature artist Beverly Abbot from Virginia judged the show and shared her thoughts about the winning pieces.

“The show has been a joy to judge,” she said. “There are many wonderful pieces to exclaim over. When judging a miniature painting or sculpture, besides the usual qualities of composition, etc., I look for detail and a refinement of technique and emotion. The piece should be able to be enlarged and still hold its quality.”

1st Place:  Trillium, bronze by Carol Alleman from Arizona.

“This is a gracefully shaped vessel, and the patinas used complement each other well. When the container is turned over there are three ants carved into the metal, adding an extra touch,” Abbot said.

Smith and Abbot said that it is unusual for a sculpture to win the highest award in the show. Traditionally, paintings in acrylics, watercolor and oil win top awards.

2nd Place: Fine Art in Little, watercolor by Rachelle Siegrist from Tenessee.

“Epitomizes a miniature. The perspective is accurate and the details draw viewers in for a very close study. It has the wow factor that is evident in the best of miniatures.”

3rd Place: A Woman’s Touch, acrylic by Linda Rossin from New Jersey.

“This is true refinement with careful attention to details, shading, highlights, shadows and reflected light.”

Best Oil/Acrylic: Kindred Spirits, oil by Luann Houser from Indiana.

“This is a sensitive oil with excellent attention to detail, highlights and shadows. The color balance is harmonious. The reflected light on the man from his horse’s nose is smoothly painted to blend his expressive face into a wonderful whole. The emotion in tis painting is overwhelming and rarely portrayed this well.”

Best Watercolor: Resting Prince – Cougar, watercolor by Rebecca Latham from Minnesota.

“This detailed watercolor is delicately painted. The colors are harmonious and the detail is exquisite. The intense look in the cougar’s eyes draws the viewer into the painting.’

Best Sculpture/Metal:  Island Horses – Good Grass, bronze by Cathy Kuzma from Montana.

“These three horses swirling around each other and protecting the color between the adults gives a flowing sense of movement to the sculpture which is enhanced by the swirling tall grass.”

Best Sculpture/Other: Free at Last, mixed material by Nancy Lucks from Virginia.

“This sculpture appeals to the viewer on several levels. Baby turtles have a precarious existence. The arrangement of the hatchlings and their egg shells are a dynamic composition.”

Best Drawing: Pair of Jacks, pencil by Pamela Wildermuth from California.

“The arrangement of the two heads are dramatic. The shading goes from black through many shades of gray to the white highlights denoting a well done and sensitive drawing.”

Best Pastel: Window Seat, pastel by Cheryl Hufnagel from Washington.

“This pastel has a strong composition with dramatic dark coloring.”

Best Mixed: “ailing the Sun Down, paper by Patricia McCandless from Florida.

“This piece is full of movement. The viewer can almost feel the wind billowing the sails.”

Best Etching/Engraving/Graphic: Reef Fish, etching by Viviane de Kosinsky from Virginia.

“There is great attention to detail in this tiny etching. The fish faces have personality. It has a dynamic composition and movement even though it is in a square format.”

People’s Choice Award: Woman with Pigeons, oil painting by Johannes Landman from Canada.

The show will be on display until June 2.

Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Hours are extended during the summer on Wednesdays until 9 p.m. Wine and cheese is served between 6 -9 p.m.

For more information, visit the gallery’s website at www.seasideart.com .

---