16th Annual ARC Salon Award

I am honored to announce that my oil painting, Eventide, was the Southwest Art Magazine award winner in the 16th International ARC Salon Competition. 

Eventide - oil on linen, 18 x 36”

Leading the revival of realism in the visual arts, the Art Renewal Center (ARC), is a non-profit, educational foundation that hosts the largest online museum dedicated to representational art including works by the old masters, 19th century, and 21st Century Artists as well as articles, letters and other online resources. The ARC also hosts the ARC Salon Competition, which is the largest and most prestigious competition in the world for realist artists painting, sculpting and drawing today.

The ARC received over 5,400 entries from 75 countries for this year’s Salon. The finalists comprise a select group of the very top-rated entries, 1,273 works in all. Both finalists and semi-finalists can be viewed on the ARC website and all finalists and award winners are also published in the ARC Salon Book, International Realism.

This year, all winners will also be included in the Lunar Codex, "The Polaris Collection". Art images will be laser-etched on nickel microfiche and enclosed in a time capsule on the Griffin lunar lander, launched by SpaceX, and placed on the Moon in perpetuity. The Lunar Codex is a set of time capsules launched on three NASA-related missions, including the work of 7,000 creatives. It will be the first significant placement of contemporary arts on the Moon in 50 years. While focused on visual art, the Lunar Codex also includes a substantial collection of contemporary books, stories, poetry, music, essays, and film. "The Polaris Collection" is the third and final time capsule for the Lunar Codex and will be launched alongside NASA's VIPER Rover. Headed for the Lunar South Pole, the launch is currently scheduled for the fall/winter of 2023.

Southwest Art Magazine Award

One painting was chosen from all the entries to receive the Southwest Art Magazine Award and I am pleased that Eventide, a 18 x 36” oil painting was selected.  Eventide will be featured in the June issue of Southwest Art Magazine in connection to an article on the 16th ARC Salon Competition. With over 50 years of experience, Southwest Art is the leading magazine devoted to American Western art. Each issue puts readers in touch with the artists, galleries, and collectors that shape the market. This award was adjudicated by the magazine's Editor In Chief, Beth Williams.

Thirteen publications participated in the Salon giving out a combined total of 30 awards in addition to the categories of the competition.

Inspiration for the painting Eventide

The homestead is a place of warmth and memories. Perhaps it is the place where you grew up and it lures you back to visit with your family. I painted this composition capturing the soft fading light of the day and the sense of anticipation of arriving back home for the coming holidays. The tonal quality of the sky and rising mist led me to keep foreground details at a minimum and allow the mood to show through. This old farmhouse is near to my home and was renovated by close friends. 

Eventide is available for purchase and can be viewed here.

In the Home of a Collector

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No Trespassing next to the fireplace…

My wife Holly and I were recently privileged to visit a collector of my work and to view my paintings in their newly built Blowing Rock home. Robert & Amy have purchased quite a few of my pieces over the past several years and have placed them tastefully throughout their house.

The Brinkley's have decorated their beautiful mountain home with accents that visually embrace the rustic surroundings of our area. Beyond visual appeal, they have created a haven for work and family and personal pursuits which include recording their family history. Their home is a very welcoming environment with a warm atmosphere and gracious surroundings.

As we passed through the front entrance and into their great room, we immediately noticed a recent purchase, No Trespassing, presented with a stately presence on the wall next to the fireplace. Also in that room was the figurative work, Rainy Days positioned at the entrance to Robert's study with the mountain grandeur of Soaring Over Hawksbill anchoring the other side of the doorway. Apple Cider graced the wall next to the dining room table opposite a recent Elliott Daingerfield acquisition. The two pieces looked like they were made to compliment one another.

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Rainy Days

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Apple Cider

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Summer Memories

The other paintings they have added to their collection were in key places throughout the house to bring attention to bygone memories or scenic landscape vistas that are visible from their wonderfully designed expansive back deck which takes in a 180 degrees view of the Western North Carolina mountains. They can watch the sunset over peaks like Hawksbill, Table Rock, Grandfather and Grandmother mountains as well as the Mount Mitchell range in the distance. Very exhilarating.

Finally, I am honored that both Robert and Amy have positioned my work in their office spaces where they want to be stimulated by imagery that motivates their creative energies. Caught in a Storm graces the wall opposite Robert's desk. Amy has selected Storyteller to remind her of childhood relationships each morning as she leaves the bedroom and Summer Memories faces her as she walks the hallway to her office. Other landscapes from my work are positioned along the passagewaysx that are a reminder of her heritage and focus her thoughts on capturing the narratives of a bygone era.

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Evergreen Sunset

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Frosted Wheat

After a wonderful evening and tour, I have to admit they have provided a much better place to display my work than a gallery because it is more than a place to view art. Their home reflects their interests and passions and give meaning to the pieces that surround them.

As we reflected on our time together, Amy said, "We were honored to have you and Holly here to witness your paintings in their new home. Each one has a special place in our hearts and minds."

Recognition by the Art Renewal Center

I am quite honored to announce that my oil painting, “Daybreak at River’s Edge” was awarded 2nd place in the Animal category in the 14th International ARC Salon competition.

Daybreak at River’s Edge - oil on linen, 27 x 48”

Leading the revival of realism in the visual arts, the Art Renewal Center (ARC) hosts the largest online museum dedicated to representational art and includes works by the old masters, 19th century, and 21st Century Artists as well as articles, letters and other online resources. The International ARC Salon is the most influential and far reaching competition for Contemporary Realism in the world.

The ARC received over 4,300 entries from 73 countries for consideration in its annual salon. To be selected as a finalist is certainly esteemed recognition as being among the best in the world, but to place 2nd is extremely high praise and I am thrilled. You can view the other entries on their website here.

Daybreak at River’s Edge was selected, along with approximately 100 works from the contest, for the live traveling version of the ARC Salon. The paintings were to be formally exhibiting at Sotheby’s New York City location. Sotheby’s NY is the premier destination for auction and private sales and was to showcase these works to an elite audience of collectors and art enthusiasts. Due to the restrictions imposed by the concerns over the virus pandemic, the show was displayed online.

The show opened at the European Museum of Modern Art, (MEAM) in Barcelona, Spain December 6th, 2019, where it hung alongside the MEAM’s representational painting and sculpture competition, Figurativas. This awe-inspiring international event had artists from all over the world present and hundreds of people in attendance, showcasing the true international nature and collaborative spirit of this new wave in contemporary art.