Each month, the winners are asked to share a few words about their experiences associated with their paintings. Below, we present what they shared:

First Place – Huaco Falls by Cheryl Evans

“It was late Fall and like the rest of the world, I had been cooped up trying to wait out the pandemic. Tired of looking at the same 4 walls, I decided to put the dog in the car and go for a drive. Long story short, I ended up in New Braunfels, TX 205 miles away from my front door. The fall colors were jewel-like. The water of the river crystal clear, and reflecting pools spotlighted the trees dressed in their autumn finest. It was an "Aha Moment", and I knew it would make a wonderful painting. My challenge was to keep it clean. Keep it crisp. And keep the magic bubbling like the waters rushing by me.”

Third Place – My Favorite Place by Erika Just

“Sometimes the images that I paint are only in my mind, but the inspiration for my painting, My Favorite Place, is a real place. I live in Austria between the Lake Attersee and the Hell Mountain. When the snow started to melt and the sun was shining on to the frozen rocks, they came tumbling down into the forest behind the house and lucky enough they were stopped. Around 1850 somebody started to chisel the stairs into the Rock. It was a wonderful place. I could sit above the rest of the world, could dream and watch butterflies as they used me as their resting place. All my problems disappeared. “

Honorable Mention – Café Creperie by Larry Spitzburg

“Les Trois Amis was my preferred title in French. They were three friends with great hats and so cute they begged to be painted. So I tried to make them appealing and went for the viewer’s inner smile.”

Honorable Mention - Hey, I’m Talking Here by Les McDonald

“This painting captured a vision of the Laughing Gulls, who are very vocal. They always seem to be chattering at each other. It’s almost comical to watch them.”

Honorable Mention – Sights in the Heights by Kristel Peale

“During the covid quarantine, the only safe way of getting out of the condo was walking my little dog, Chloe. We went out every day on different streets, so neither of us would be bored. Every walk was an adventure. Whenever I saw a house in an unusual color (rampant throughout the Heights), I would stop and photograph it. Colors like this are not in River Oaks, Tanglewood nor any other part of Houston. I spent hours rescaling the photos and arranging the composition. I used the greenery to grid the vignettes and made special effort to balance the color. I know I spent at least a month actually painting. I would start with one house at a time and lay in the basics. All details, like fencing and railings, were done at the end.”

Honorable Mention – Galveston Sidewalk by Cissy Geigerman

“This painting is one of the few that flowed from my arm to the paper, especially the umbrellas. I wish I could conjure that feeling more often. The scene in Galveston was a hot day, pre-pandemic. The reference photo included a big iron fence enclosing the sidewalk tables, and many other extras that had to be edited out. I have gained confidence learning from Carla Gauthier and Ed Pettit. Sketching urban and city scenes helps me appreciate the details of things like light, angles, and color, and to see beauty in the ordinary. “