I was thrilled and honored to find out I just received the "Best of Show" award for "Mustard Fields" at Driggs Plein Air 2020! There were many outstanding entries. It was especially meaningful to hear the judges comments:
Everything comes together perfectly in this painting to give us a story of the beauty, the expansiveness and the awesome power of the landscape. We are immediately struck with the strong design of the foreground fields. The sharply controlled edges of the yellow suggest the influence of humanity. This is not a wild place, yet as we move up the painting, the brushstrokes become ever more spontaneous. Once our eyes reach the sky, the chaotic impasto paint of the clouds suggest the unpredictability of nature, even in the face of the familiar fields. This juxtaposition creates a tension that keeps us moving through and exploring the scene. Congratulations on a fabulous painting.
– Patrick Saunders
I find the foreground of the piece to be fascinating. Diagonals, colors, light and shadow is all complimented by a solid backdrop (with just the right amount of complimenting colors) and immense sky. The total package combined in one excellent plein air painting.
– Scott Jones
Everything comes together perfectly in this painting to give us a story of the beauty, the expansiveness and the awesome power of the landscape. We are immediately struck with the strong design of the foreground fields. The sharply controlled edges of the yellow suggest the influence of humanity. This is not a wild place, yet as we move up the painting, the brushstrokes become ever more spontaneous. Once our eyes reach the sky, the chaotic impasto paint of the clouds suggest the unpredictability of nature, even in the face of the familiar fields. This juxtaposition creates a tension that keeps us moving through and exploring the scene. Congratulations on a fabulous painting.
– Patrick Saunders
I find the foreground of the piece to be fascinating. Diagonals, colors, light and shadow is all complimented by a solid backdrop (with just the right amount of complimenting colors) and immense sky. The total package combined in one excellent plein air painting.
– Scott Jones