FIRST PLACE: Daddy Holds Me Tight by Larry Spitzberg

Knowing that the facial details are most important when showing the human figure, I used a large sheet of cold pressed paper. Halfway through the boy’s face, I stopped and said I like that innocent look don’t you dare do any more. I hit some red on the cheek and quit. The next day I looked at the painting and the man’s face was weak. I took a dark color straight from the tube and used the dry brush technique to only hit the hills of the paper and give texture and a weathered look. As luck would have it both worked.

HONORABLE MENTION – Homage to Bob - Kristel Peale

The portrait is of my husband, Bob Peale, who passed away in February of last year. I did this painting shortly after his death. Whereas he had been ailing for some time and was frail and painfully thin at 80, I chose to paint him when he was still as vibrant as the summer day in Natchez when the photo was taken. He was about 50. It is how I want to remember him.

HONORABLE MENTION: Boris in Paradise by Annika Farmer

Boris in Paradise was painted as part of a series I am working on during this COVID 19 social distancing period. All the paintings are based on photographs I have taken on previous vacations.

This was a man I met in a botanical garden in Bermuda, he was wearing a hat that made an interesting pattern on his shirt, and I asked him if I could take his picture, he gladly said yes, but insisted on taking off his hat, so that is how I photographed him.

HONORABLE MENTION: Making Music by Pat Waughtal

A few years ago, my husband and I visited Russia on a trip with the UT Flying Longhorns.  The photo of The Music Man was taken outside the Hermitage where a Russian band greeted us with a rendition of Deep in the Heart of Texas.  My husband took this photo, and I had wanted to paint it for years because I loved the bright colors and strong contrasts, but was daunted by the details.

After drawing the composition in pencil, I decided to use watercolor pencils to lay in the local colors in all the right places.  This helped me not get confused and lost in the details.  I used a damp brush and went over the pencil color in the smaller areas of the braid and hat decorations.  I mixed my black using alizarin crimson, veridian green and ultra-blue in a small cup so that I would have enough paint to complete the hat and not have to remix.  I used my watercolor pencils again to add detail to the braid and deepen shadows in places after I had finished the painting.

I accidentally drew this painting on a sample piece of Winsor & Newton paper.  I learned from this experience that I much prefer to work on Arches, my usual paper.  Arches has a harder finish and doesn’t abrade as easily.