“Looking for a subject one early morning during the Plein Air Easton (PAE) event, I walked around the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and caught a glimpse of this boat under repair, reflecting the glow of the morning light from the chesapeake bay,” says Orville Giguiento. “It was mid-July in Maryland, and it was already a scorcher by 9 a.m., but my gut feeling told me, “you gotta capture this!”
“To capture the morning glow, I tried to keep the paint layers transparent. I wanted a spontaneous and calligraphic look. I focused on the major shapes and shadows, and left the rest to the viewer’s imagination.
“The piece won the Best Watercolor and Artist’s Choice Awards at PAE, one of the biggest and most prestigious plein air events in the United States (if not THE biggest and most prestigious). I have a day job so I only paint part time, and sometimes I’m not sure if I’m going in the right direction art-wise. So the recognition from the judge and my fellow artists was validating.”
ADVICE FOR ENTERING ART COMPETITIONS
“Just keep at it, and paint what inspires you. Study styles and techniques that you like and keep practicing. Ask for advice from other artists, and if you can get a pro to critique your work, that can be helpful, but take it with a grain of salt.”
“Getting Ship-Shape” by Orville Giguiento won Best Plein Air Watercolor & Gouache in the July PleinAir Salon.
