The Artist Space Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of the second Blue online Art Exhibition. Along with the selected artists, the jury selected award winners in the following art categories: painting, photography and sculpture. The show displayed a variety of artistic styles and mediums: oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, colored pencil, charcoal, ink, digital art, photography. Out of all submissions received 70 artworks were selected to be included in the exhibition.
Best of Show
Cher Pruys
Short Biography and Statement
Cher Pruys, IGOR, OSA, ASAA, CSAA, SCA, CFA, MAA, AAPL, AMS, LMS, NOAPS, PSOA, AWA., AAOA. "To take my inner visions with my hands and create a work of art for you the viewer .... That is the ultimate in self expression." Cher Pruys was born in Regina. Over the years she lived in many places including Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Fort Frances, settling into her present home in Devlin, on the banks of the Rainy River with her husband Mark, and pets. By age three, Cher was seldom found without a drawing tool in hand. She worked in pencil, charcoal and ink over the years, picking up a paintbrush at the age of 35. Beginning with oil paints, she found her chosen mediums in acrylic, watercolor and gouache, and her passion for hyperrealism. Although self-taught, her dedication and talent has seen her work juried into 664 International exhibits. She has won 1002 awards for her work in the International Juried Exhibits. Her work has graced the covers of 3 books, 40 magazines, including The Best Of Acrylic Fall 2021, cover of the May 2022 Arabella Magazine, #20 Hyperrealism Magazine with “Girls Girls Girls”, & #21 with “The Young Cowboy”, Artists & Illustrators March 2024 Artistonish 2024 July edition & the latest Observica Elite 2024. She has been featured in over 500 International publications. Cher's works have found a permanent home in private and public collections worldwide.
Painting Prize
Laemmlin Gerhard
Short Biography and Statement
Born in Lörrach, live and work in Neustadt an der Weinstraße. I often draw my ideas and image compositions from impressions that I bring with me from my various travels. This creates works that do not depict reality, but rather are an expression of my thoughts, moods and memories. Light falling on bizarre landscapes and unusual color combinations of exotic rock formations are “processed” just as much as the lasting friendly encounters with locals. My pictures are also created “just for fun” when, following an inner urge, I grab a brush, palette knife and paint and create abstract paintings full of energy and tension in an often emotional process. I apply acrylic paint in powerful, mostly bright colors in multiple layers. By adding different materials, such as shellac, sand, marble powder, etc., I give the surfaces a haptic structure, which, together with targeted design materials, gives the images a noticeable tension. For me, it is less the finished picture than the process of its creation, the ongoing conflict between head-controlled, planned actions and gut-feeling-dominated spontaneous actions that are emotionally significant.
Sculpture Prize
jason Shih
Short Biography and Statement
Jason Shih was born in 1972 in Taiwan. In 1991, he began to specialize in metal sculpture when he was a sophomore in the Fine Arts Dept. of Taipei National University of the Arts. In 2001, he graduated from School for American Crafts, Rochester Institute of Technology, USA, and majored in Metal Sculpture. And then, he served as the metal sculptor Albert Paley's assistant, involved in crafts and public art work practices. Furthermore, he earned his Art Ph. D. from China Academy of Art, China (2015). Now, he lives in Taiwan, and consistently engages in the both areas of sculpture and public art. Jason Shih’s artistic vision is shaped by a diverse array of influences, from contemporary dance to avant-garde fashion. He cites German choreographer Pina Bausch and British designer Alexander McQueen as significant inspirations. Bausch’s explorations of time and space resonate with Shih’s interest in sculpture’s capacity to embody kinetic energy and spatial imagination. McQueen’s innovative approach to contemporary imagery and themes provides Shih with a broad canvas for creative expression. Shih’s work is also influenced by the aesthetic principles of Futurism and Constructivism, movements that emphasize dynamic energy and continuous motion. These influences are evident in his pursuit of capturing the beauty of movement and the elegant restraint of natural forces. Shih’s sculptures often depict moments of defying gravity, capturing the fleeting beauty of motion in a static form. As a professional sculptor, Jason likes to experience the taste of life with perceptual observation in the subtle moments, and also likes the ever-changing situation of game shapes in the poetic imaginary space. For Jason, art creation is to share various moods and stories in daily life.
Photography Prize
Chad Kettlewell
Short Biography and Statement
Chad Kettlewell is a photographer, ecologist, and creator from Southeast Ohio. He specializes in fine art landscape, nature, outdoor, aerial, and commercial photography. Chad is a member of the Zanesville Appalachian Art Project (ZAAP) and is represented by Elk's Eye Art Market. Both of these pieces are components of a yet-to-be-released project I am working on called "The Cove." It is a mystical, special place when visited at the right time of year and day. Stumps, fog, mist, birds, contrast, and blues define the place. The cormorants when spreading their wings to soak up the sun's rays amidst the rising fog are awe-inspiring. The stump fields have a seemingly endless number of compositions that are enhanced by the atmospheric conditions of early morning. My current projects are places and my goal for them is first to absorb and understand them. Once that process has begun I feel as though I can start to come up with meaningful compositions. I spend hours and multiple days getting to know the place. My next step is to package it in a way that I can share it with my audience and hopefully do it some justice. I'm excited to release this project in its entirety but for now, here is a taste of a special place that I call The Cove.
Winners