Julie's Top 5

Last but not least, here are my favorite ArtPrize 9 entries. Enjoy! 

The Return

Even though you'd expect a painting of a young woman surrounded by cute bunnies to be carefree and happy, I think the dramatic mixture of light and shadow and the woman's body language give this this oil painting a more bittersweet feeling. I really want to know what the story is behind it, but the website gives nothing. At any rate, isn't the frame the artist put it in perfect for it?

Horses Being Horses: Western Wild Herd

This artist creates abstract sculptures of horses "being horses" - that is, interacting with each other and their environment. With this particular band of 5, the artist explores the connection between horses and "cowboy culture." Hence, the horses include both natural materials (like wood and twine) and also materials that represent human influence (like cowhide and metal). I especially appreciate their somewhat Bashkir Curly-like twine manes and tails. The adults are maybe about 4 feet tall, and Mom says it was very difficult to refrain from petting them. 

Wings of Love

Good job posing, little Chickadee! Talk about a perfect photo op! 

Journey Through Michigan

This entry was a grand conglomeration of many 6"x6" watercolor paintings, and as you can probably tell from the title, they all depict scenes from the artist's travels through Michigan. They were displayed on a half dozen or so towers with art on all 4 sides, which the viewers could turn to view at their leisure. The artist included a bit of everything: all 4 seasons, rural and urban scenes, plants and wildlife, lakes and rivers, people and buildings, and close ups and landscapes. I selected 4 to show you that spoke to me: an almost-too-colorful-to-be-real lighthouse scene, somebody walking a Nala-esque dog, a slushy winter road, and Michigan's road decorations for the other 3 seasons: construction barrels.

Speaking of construction barrels, here is a photo Mom took of an especially happy one that greeted drivers entering and leaving the neighborhood for several weeks.

: )

Whimsical Reef

Most of this 3D mixed media reef scene is made from various fabrics, yarns, and threads, but there are also some real shells thrown in. 3 layers of sheer, nearly invisible fabric suspended from the top give the piece depth and serve as places to attached the shimmery fabric fish. The piece is lit from above with color changing lights to mimic sunlight shining through water. The lights change the colors of the fish too, which Mom found quite entertaining. Truly a masterpiece!