Judges Statement and Awards-Collective Muses

Judge’s Bio:  Pat Lager is an artist and musician.  She has shown her work in galleries throughout the United States and abroad.  Her artwork has been featured on the cover of St. Xavier University’s magazine, Structural Integrity.  NBC selected six of her monoprints for the set of the nationally syndicated television show, Starting Over.  Pat is the recipient of a Ragdale Foundation artist residency.

JUDGING: (one 1^st place, two 2^nd place, three 3^rd place, four honorable mentions)

1^st place  Mary Yezek

title: Reflections

Comments: Yezek presents a strong shadowed portrait against a background of quirky time pieces, some of which spill over into the frame.  Dynamic lower diagonal compliments the design.  The viewer is led into thoughts of time travel, nostalgia and fantasy.  Compelling design and imagery, along with technical mastery earn Reflections, by Mary Yezek, first prize.

2^nd place  Laura Lein-Svencner

title: Shaggy Bark, Painted Mare

Comments:  Lein-Svencner perfectly balances the square and rectangular divisions, to reward the viewer with satisfying imagery in rhythmic patterns throughout the piece.  This is accessible fantasy in a harmonized color palette.

2^nd place  Joan Lucht

title:  A Tree Whispers

Comments:  First the viewer notices the sculptural quality and dimensionality of the trees, then the mobile-like movement of the leaves, and finally the vague feminine spirit form.  This piece leads the viewer, little by little, to imagine secrets.

3^rd place Marjorie Boyd

title:  River of Words II

Comments:  Mysterious calligraphy, diagonal thrust of the dark tree, great color choices and design encourage the viewer to look and look again.

3^rd place Rose Kostan-Schwartz

title:  Ojai Joy

Comments:  This large work on a grid tells a happy story, presents strong graphic appeal, great value variation and color harmony.  It is impressive collage on a grand scale.

3^rd place  Karen Sako

title:  La Coqueta

Comments:  Sako’s limited use of collage in this painterly rendering of the figure is subtle and effective.  The exquisitely modeled figure fills the page gracefully.  There is classic use of lights and darks.

Honorable Mention  Teresa Cash

title:  Appearing

Comments: This female portrait diffuses into an enigmatic background.  The story seems open-ended.

Honorable Mention    Margie Hafer

title:  On the Wings of Spring

Comments:  Hafer’s tactile materials overreach their boundaries and spill over the substrate.  The artist makes creatures that seem the stuff of dreams, and that definitely have a “boing” springy factor.

Honorable Mention  Susan Sharp

title: Ideas are the Stuff of Life

Comments: This free standing serendipity sculpture is full of ideas to stimulate any viewer’s imagination.

Honorable Mention  Nancy Staszak

title:  Calligraphy Thoughts

Comments:  The bold calligraphy contrasts strongly with the subtle background.  This piece has a grace and satisfying economy in its expressive strokes.