"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." --Pablo Picasso

Art competitions are a fantastic opportunity to grow and improve your art career as an artist. It gives you a chance to showcase your art. Such contests support you in a variety of ways by providing you online visibility, huge exposure and builds your self-confidence.

“There are two ways to get to the top of an oak tree: catch that first limb and climb or find a good healthy acorn, sit on it and wait”. --Kemmons Wilson

It’s 2020, and it’s time to search for new inspirations that can help you think out-of-the-box. King’s Framing & Art Gallery organized various art contests in 2019 and to applaud their work and creativity, here’s a list of all art contest winners. Also, after perusing through these fantastic pieces of artwork, be sure to check out all our open art contests and submit your work to win exciting art supplies and VIP membership to gain exposure in the market.

Linda Millar – Winner of the ‘What’s your story’ contest

Born into a first-generation German family, in Windsor Ontario, is a pastel artist. Linda’s family was poor and moved often. She used to borrow school uniform from her friends and attend school. She was expelled from school after 3 months when she was in 10^th grade just because she couldn’t afford to buy the school’s uniform. She completed her high school when she was 37 years old. Not just that, during her graduation, she was named valedictorian. She joined Windsor Star even before she graduated in Journalism/Print/New Media program at St. Clare College.

She had interest in Art from her days in college, but due to busy life, she just couldn’t pursue it. When she moved to Northern Ontario, she was lonely and thought to learn pastel pencil drawing. Chalk pastels are her favourite. In the later years, she developed an affinity towards acrylic painting too. Once during Christmas, she created a series of Christmas cards and sent it out to her friends & family. Her dear ones loved them so much that they framed those cards. This boosted her confidence by leaps and bounds. Thus, began her art career.

These days she has been learning about light. She is interested in how lights bend one’s perception of an object through things like water through glass. She is also mastering how water magnified or distorts an object it’s covering. She wants to continue with learning more about colour theory professionally.

Read her detailed story here.

Jo Ranocchia – Winner of the ‘Pastel Painting’ contest

Colourful Lies by Jo Ranocchia is a pastel painting full of colours and deep meaning. Jo says that the face at first glance will attract one because of its vibrant colours and fails to express her true emotions. In the painting, it seems as if the girl is hiding her true self behind the bright paint that initially gives an impression of happiness, however, it also seems like she is struggling with feelings of inadequacy. Jo felt a deeper connection with this art piece because it reflects her. It makes her feel as if it is her own life depicted in this masterpiece.

Read her story here.

Albert Mubatsa – Winner of the ‘Drawing contest’

Albert’s drawing is inspired by the economic condition of his country, Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe's broken map symbolizes the economic and political condition as the future remains unclear because of the sector's uncertainty. Ostrich is the national bird of Zimbabwe. According to Albert, Ostriches are known to hide their heads in the sand, and with most Zimbabweans, this is the similar case. They try to hide from the country and conceal in the process their identity. Ostriches are also the largest birds with the longest necks in the bird kingdom and the largest eyes of any land animal. Albert believes that Zimbabweans should also use their strengths to concentrate on building the country and the future.

Read his story here.

Jeanette Sirois – Winner of the ‘Coloured Pencil contest’

In her painting ‘Reflections of a Blood Orange’, Jeanette is fascinated by nature. She has an eye for details and wants to magnify it through her work so that everyone could enjoy the beauty of colour, line and form. She believes that when you look at nature more closely and inspirations it gives, you will be amazed.

Read her story here.

Rosemary Bennett – Winner of the ‘Watercolour Painting contest’

Rosemary Bennett has been painting since childhood. She is proficient in many mediums but did paint exclusively in watercolours for twenty years. She is more an Illustrator with watercolour but uses all the techniques with the medium to produce the end result she desires. She continues to create and enjoys her time with art.

She went to Loire Valley for a painting trip and ended the trip by going to Paris. While she was in Paris, she visited a café which was full of colours & life. She took a few photos and later painted them with watercolour on paper. She used watercolour as an extension of her feelings about being in the City of Lights. She believes that watercolour was an apt choice to depict this scene.

Read Rosemary’s story here.

Hannah Holmes – Winner of the ‘Acrylic Painting contest’

Hannah Holmes is an amateur artist from St Catharine’s who lives in Thorold, Ontario. She has recently returned part-time to school and is currently pursuing her fifth degree, a BA in Brock University's Studio Art. Hannah likes painting portraits and architectural landscapes, particularly under demolition of old industrial sites and buildings. Acrylics, oils, and pastels are her favourite media.

In her painting you can see the St Catharine’s General Hospital. It was recently demolished in Spring 2019. She hopes that the viewer gets a sense of lost history and at the same time, hope for something new and alive to come.

Read Hannah’s story in detail here.

Carrie Ruddy – Winner of the ‘Pastel Painting contest’

Carrie Ruddy is an emerging Central Ontario impressionist artist. She gained formal training at Durham University as a graphic designer and worked as a concept artist for several years before returning to the fine arts. She mainly works in pastels and enjoys the light, loose feeling it offers.

She wants to convey a connection and joy that nature brings through her art. She loves to explore and find beauty in the dullest days where you can least expect it.

Read her story here.

Andree Raymond – Winner of the ‘Inkoctober contest’

Andree Raymond is a wife, sister to 14, mother of 3 and grandmother of 6. Her family is very important to her. She is a compassionate and passionate person exploring her artistic side. She loves using pen and ink as a tool to express herself as she finds them very convenient. According to her, at any time it allows you to pull out the pen and pad and doodle or illustrate your story.

In her painting named ‘Tenacity’, you can see a deserted church of Hunter's Point. Hunter's Point was a native village, which through the 1900s acted as a trading post. The village was abandoned in the late 60's. This picturesque old church seems to hold a lot of tears and testament to the local natives as they suffered through the residential school program. It’s a part of history that should be told.

Read her story here.

 Joanne Gervais – Winner of the ‘Multi-Media Art Contest’

Joanne’s fine art experience has been an extraordinary journey from the initial Fine Crafts training that included the study of textiles, pottery, jewellery, woodworking, silkscreen printing, fashion tailoring & design that included colour theory, drawing and painting. She subsequently studied oil painting, cartooning, advertisement, portraiture and pastel sculpture. It took years of dedication to become an established artist, and Joanne expects the latter half of her career to produce works of greater skill, greater sensitivity, and greater understanding of the creative process and what it means to make "painterly works."

Her winning piece of art is titled ‘Society Includes us all’. This work was intended as one piece, but circumstances led to the creation of three pieces that work in harmony and separately to raise awareness among youth of poverty, emotional distress, street children, homelessness, depression, loss, isolation.

Read her story behind this amazing piece of artwork here.

Which of the winners of the Art contest 2019 you were most connected to? Let us know in the comments below.

2020-01-03 18:37:30 | Admin | 15546

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