Awards jurors Frederick Graff, Stan Miller and Robert O’Brien had their hands full selecting prizewinners from the star-studded lineup of artists exhibiting in this year’s American Watercolor Society (AWS) Annual Exhibition (their 151st!). Find the show on display through April 28, 2018, at the Salmagundi Club in New York City.
AWS Gold Medal of Honor (Courtesy of Clara and Ida Stroud): “Art for Art’s Sake” (watercolor, 15 x 30 in.) by Anne McCartneyAWS Silver Medal of Honor: “Flickering Light Along the Ridge Trail” (watermedia, 22 x 30 in.) by Stephen QuillerAWS Bronze Medal of Honor: “Venice at Dusk” (watercolor, 22 x 29 in.) by Chung-Wei ChienMargery Soroka Memorial Award: “Hurricane Kids” (watercolor, 14 x 21 in.) by Laura Poss
I am just wondering how the judges came to the conclusion that tracing and coloring deserve the gold when actual painting get the lower rewards. Please don’t take this as a commentary about the merits of the paintings or the artists. I am sure they are all wonderful, but the winner is clearly benefits from the use of a projector and hours of tracing and then coloring each traced section at a time. The color choices are beautiful, but I wish the artist had painted the image.
Before I get clobbered over the head with comments, please accept this as my own humble opinion. No more no less.
Seems to me that a photo taken at that distance would suffer from some distortion. I see no distortion which makes me believe there is more drawing and less tracing.
I am just wondering how the judges came to the conclusion that tracing and coloring deserve the gold when actual painting get the lower rewards. Please don’t take this as a commentary about the merits of the paintings or the artists. I am sure they are all wonderful, but the winner is clearly benefits from the use of a projector and hours of tracing and then coloring each traced section at a time. The color choices are beautiful, but I wish the artist had painted the image.
Before I get clobbered over the head with comments, please accept this as my own humble opinion. No more no less.
Thank you.
Seems to me that a photo taken at that distance would suffer from some distortion. I see no distortion which makes me believe there is more drawing and less tracing.