Et la Lumière fut – 2017, Walnut oil on linen, 24" x 36" (framed)
I am pleased to announce that I am among the finalists for the 2017 "Brush Off" Painting Competition by Avenue Art, in partnership with Mountain Lake PBS! Indeed, one of my recent works, Et la Lumière fut (shown above) was selected by the jury to be part of this year's competition.
Opening Night Cocktail & Awards Ceremony
Hosted by Marina Cutler, Avenue Art and MC's Art of Living, the VIP Opening Night Fundraising Cocktail & Awards Ceremony will take place on Thursday, September 14th at Westmount Square.
As this painting competition aims to highlight the importance of artistic projects and their impact on people with Alzheimer's disease, the total amount of the tickets (available for $75 each at avenueart.ca/tickets) and 50% of the collected amounts from the sale of works in competition will be remitted to the cause.
A Partnership with Mountain Lake PBS
As part of their partnership, Avenue Art & Mountain Lake PBS have expanded art submissions to include works not only from all of Canada, but also from artists within the Mountain Lake Region, Adirondacks and Champlain Valley. These U.S. artists now join artists from across Canada who have been participating in the “Brush Off” since its inception.
Here are the 2017 Brush Off Finalists:
Barbara Asgary – Westmount, QC
Sylvie Adams – Montreal, QC
Cathy Benny- Westmount, QC
Roy Brash – Ottawa, ON
Ian Burcroff – Peru, NY
Patricia Copeland – Montreal, QC
Dana Edmonds – Montreal. QC
Claudine Gevry – Vancouver, BC
Kathryn Gabinet-Kroo - Hampstead, QC
Gianni Giuliano – Montreal, QC
Suzanne Gardener – Toronto, ON
Laura Granata – Montreal, QC
Sandra Hildreth – Saranac Lake, NY
Susan Hoffer – Upper Jay, NY
Carol Loeb – Montreal, QC
Ann McCall – Montreal, QC
Anne Van Mierlo – Montreal, QC
Sandra Morellato – Saint Lambert, QC
Gerald Penry – Saskatoon, SASK
Louis-Bernard St-Jean – Montreal, QC
Morgan Sheardown – Toronto, ON
Sandra Young – Dickson Center, NY
About the Artwork
Et la Lumière fut - 2017, Walnut oil on linen, 24" x 36" (custom framed in a white wooden floating box)
A Painting About Light, Passing and Renaissance, and the Endless Cycle of Life.
This piece bears a certain reminiscence with religious-themed paintings similar in tones and luminosity of the Italian renaissance period, and as to planetary nebulæ and supernova remnants, stars reaching the end of their life with an interstellar explosion of fire and light.
The artwork’s overall appearance presents itself as a relief made from endless series of colourful vertical slats lined up in a textured pattern of variable height. This unique texture is made with a painting knife by repeatedly sculpting on the canvas multiple heavy layers of oil paint of variable thickness in a controlled manner.
This pattern causes a lenticular screen effect which focuses all reflected light to the front of the artwork and towards the viewer, increasing the painting's brightness and glow; this same lenticular effect makes the artwork's appearance to change according to the observer's viewing position, angle and distance from the painting, with the colours and forms morphing progressively into different shapes, also giving it a surprisingly irresistible tactile quality that appeals to all senses.
The texture’s increased height and thickness at the artwork’s edges creates heavier, more pronounced shadows on the piece—adding an additional level of depth and movement to the composition, contrasting with the centre of the piece, with its lighter colour shades and showing barely any shadow thanks to its thinner, less prominent texture, increasing furthermore the luminosity of the piece.
Origins of the Brush Off Painting Competition
The Brush Off Painting Competition was founded in May 2009 by Marina Cutler and a team of volunteers in partnership with the Alzheimer Society of Canada for its 30th anniversary. Originally called the Champagne Memories Gala, this competition aimed to raise awareness and draw attention to Alzheimer's disease, and also a way to raise funds to create an artistic project that would help people and their caregivers benefit from art while living with Alzheimer's.
This year's awards comprises of The Brush Off Award ($1,500), The May Cutler Art Award, Honorable Mention, and the People's Choice Award; the competition will be juried by Andrew Carter (CJAD 800's Morning Man), Bill Brownstein (Montreal Gazette Columnist), Dorota Kosinska (Art Critic and editor of magazine Vie des Arts) and Bente Christensen (Creative Consultant and Philanthropist.)
For More Info
http://www.avenueart.ca/finalists-2017.html
https://mountainlake.org/the-6th-annual-brush-off-is-around-the-corner/