Artistic Challenge #3 - WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!

Today we are happy to announce the winner of our third Artistic Challenge!

The winner will receive an ART PRINT, and a personalized critique by an FAA Principal Instructor sent privately via email, and, along with the runner-up, will receive shoutouts from The Florence Academy of Art and The FAA Collective on social media!

The criteria for judging this year’s still challenge included, among other things, the capacity of the artists to demonstrate sound technique with their medium of choice, along with the capacity to depict the selected objects and their relation to each other with skill. Composition and design are fundamental!

We hope this artistic challenge has inspired artists to find beauty in simple things and explore how selection and composition are integral components in the process of creating a successful painting.

We would like to thank you all for submitting so many beautiful artworks.

The winner of the Artistic Challenge #3 is Cecelia Cox!

Cecelia Cox, “Lemons and Blue Drape”, Oil on canvas, 16 x 16 in.

Cecelia Cox is drawn to serene compositions which explore the harmony of colors and textures and the juxtaposition of the natural world and the man-made. She works from life, in oil, using classical techniques to develop her paintings in layers, her set-ups illuminated by the subtle beauty of north light. She also enjoys painting smaller floral studies alla prima (in one go). She studied art briefly at the Atlanta College of Art, but found the emphasis on commercial and conceptual art wanting. A year living in Brussels, with visits to many of the major European museums, had a much greater impact on her growth as an artist. While raising two sons, she continued her study of art through workshops and classes with many notable artists. She attended open figure drawing sessions held at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga for many years. Upon moving to Greensboro, NC in 2006, she was fortunate to be invited to join a talented group of local artists who met regularly at the studio of Scott Burdick and Susan Lyon to draw and paint from the figure. She also participated in local plein air events and painted weekly with the Piedmont Outdoor Painters Society. A workshop with Sherri McGraw in 2010 inspired her to focus on still life. The tranquility of objects arranged thoughtfully in north light, now informs her paintings. She is a Signature Member of Oil Painters of America. She was honored to be the 2018 winner of the Robert Douglas Hunter Award in the Guild of Boston Artists Regional Juried Exhibition.

To learn more Cecelia Cox and view more artwork please visit: www.CeceliaCox.com

We would also like to congratulate Allison Rosenlund as our runner up with the painting Apple Pie!

Allison Rosenlund, "Apple Pie", Oil on canvas, 65 x 37 cm

Allison Rosenlund has painted all her life. After 30+ years painting with acrylic paints, Rosenlund switched in 2012 to oil paints and focused more on contemporary realism. In 2016 Allison attended the two-week summer class at FAA-Sweden, as well as the 6-weeks summer class in FAA-Florence, under course director Melissa Franklin Sanchez.

Thanks again to all the participants and congratulations to our winner and runner up!

We are looking forward to the next challenge!