First Place - Debbie Ebeling - Spilling Parrot Colors

I experimented with color runs/drips on my parrot painting.  It was a bit risky because I could ruin the entire thing.  However, I think it added the "pop" I was looking for.  Watercolor is such a wonderful medium.  It really lends itself to experimentation, which is usually a good thing!

Second Place - Patrick Faile - Last Light

Over the course of my life I have traveled to and visited many National Parks in the U.S. and Canada. They have been a source of constant artistic inspiration for most of my life. My painting, Last Light, is but one of many I have painted in recent years with the intent of producing a comprehensive body of work not only to promote my worth as an artist, but also share the National Park message of conservation and preservation of the land and life within the parks. I’ve put together a solo exhibition of these works and had two exhibitions canceled this year due to the pandemic, but I remain confident that the work will be shown and that the National Park message will be shared.  I hope you will join me in supporting our National Park Service. The parks are unique and irreplaceable.

Third Place - Les McDonald, Jr. – Redtail

As an ardent fisherman, I was compelled by the challenge to paint this underwater scene.  Red Tail depicts the prized red fish in its natural habitat. Shallow bays are the redfish primary habitat.

Honorable Mention - Larry Spitzberg - Wash Day

If I was smarter and cuter, I would have titled my painting “WAS-H Day”. I saw this scene in France where a warm day dried everything quickly.  I usually don’t paint flat buildings, so I added plenty of interesting color.

Honorable Mention - Maria Rodriguez-Alejo - Thundery

I recently spent several weeks in west Texas country. During my stay I experienced hot days and beautiful sunsets, and occasionally, sunset came with strong thunderstorms. The tremendous force and beauty of the thunderstorms inspired me to do this painting.

For this piece, I used pure bright colors and layering to create areas of depth. To add contrast, I applied several layers of opaque light colors to get the greys, whites and muted colors around the vivid colors. The lines were done using Tar Gel adding movement and a raised texture to the piece. 

Thundery represents the happiness and beauty that we can find even under some of the stormiest situations in life.