I’ve Hit the News Stands – Twice

It’s been more than a year since I first learned of my artwork being chosen among a select group to be featured in two eminent fine arts magazines. With the publisher changing ownership and adjustments due to the pandemic, both magazines were delayed from their original publish dates. Now they are out and my printed copies have arrived in my mailbox. I am proud to have my artwork honored in two mediums, acrylics and watercolor.

The Best of Acrylic… honors the 102 winning works of the AcrylicWorks 7 competition, with a theme of “color and light.” The coffee-table magazine includes my acrylic painting “When She Was Three,” one of my most frequently complimented paintings. The photo of my painting is accompanied by my comments about the painting process:

“Acrylics were the ideal medium to capture the fabulous backlighting of this scene. I took numerous reference photos of little Aubrey as she played along the edge of the river, unaware of my presence. The soft wispy curls of her flyaway hair, the folds in her t-shirt, the fabric of her denim shorts, and the sparkles on the flowing water just cried out to be painted. I completed the entire scene except her hair, preserving the unpainted canvas there so the light would glow there. For the fine strands of her locks I used a swordliner brush, a 5″ feather and an inexpensive 1/2″ chip brush with the bristles cut unevenly. Swirls of blue-grey and gold tints were painted along with thin strokes of pure gesso. Between layers, transparent glazes over the gesso helped to build volume. Opaque blues and gesso made the water sparkle.”

In addition to ‘Winning Works by Today’s Top Acrylic Talents,’ this magazine also includes these stories:

Kickstart Creativity | 3 Approaches to Painting That Can Trigger New Ideas
Strength in Numbers – Practical Tips for Working in a Series
Tips and guidance from experts to teach you how to paint your best

These artists are featured: Cover artist Jana Leimane, Betsy Dillard Stroud, Mark E. Mehaffey and others.

The Best of Acrylic magazine can be purchased online or you can buy a digital download online, either for $14.99.

But wait, there’s more….

The Best of Watercolor… honors the 124 extraordinary watercolor paintings from the Splash 21 competition winners, with a theme of “capturing mood.” The coffee-table magazine includes my watercolor painting “Cows In The Corn.” The photo of my painting is accompanied by my comments about the painting process:

“This title came to me before I started the painting, while thinking about children as an audience for my art. I’ve photographed many cows and selected this reference for her happy expression. I drove to a nearby field of corn for references for the background, and the husk in her mouth was from some corn I had bought to eat. I composed these elements and penciled in my drawing, then selected a limited palette of three primary pigments: Winsor Antwerp Blue, Winsor Red and Winsor Yellow. I spattered the paper with water then dribbled on the diluted colors, purposely preserving my lighter areas. This random mixings results in clean, vibrant hues. Darker mixes of the same colors were brushed in to define my subjects. The heavy paper allowed me to scratch with an x-acto knife to reveal whites for the eye, hair, whiskers and snout. “

In addition to ‘hundreds or entries spanning five different categories and styles,’ this magazine also includes these stories: