Above, Bob Chew, judges and watercolorist Sally Lamb and Shelley Lazarus
The Lazarus Watercolor Competition at TAG Gallery has announced its winners at a jubilant awards event held March 16th.
The show was juried by Lazarus and renowned watercolorist Sally Lamb in the second annual event for TAG. The exhibition received applicants from across the U.S. It honors Lazarus, a current and founding member of TAG since 1993. The competition judges awarded three cash awards and six awards of excellence. 160 entries were received, and 30 chosen for the gallery’s exhibition.
According to Bob Chew, president of The Artists Gallery, “Each year we see the Lazarus Watercolor Competition growing in size and [art community] awareness.” He notes that for next year’s exhibition, he asserts that “We need to create a larger space for those artists selected. We’re just seeing the interest in watercolors grow substantially, and we’re excited about being a part of this growth.” Chew adds that the competition “brings out some of the best watercolor artists and their work in the world today.”
With this wealth of talent in mind, the gallery is already making plans to expand gallery space devoted to the exhibition and to line-up jurors well-known in the world of watercolor painting.
Along with increasing the exhibition space, he relates that “We likely will need to start a bit earlier next year as submissions to the competition increase and the word gets out not only in California, but nationally, and even internationally.” The delicate and vibrant work of watercolorists is championed by Chew. “Watercolor painting takes extraordinary skill in drawing, understanding the flow of color, and working with a very delicate process,” he explains. “It’s an amazing technique that is the reverse process of oil painting, which is my specialty.”
He adds that watercolorists create art that is challenging to make and can seem mysterious to those outside the field. “It takes years to perfect,” Chew states. “The work that you see in this exhibition is some of the best watercolor art in the world.”
The cash prizes awarded included $750 for first place., awarded to Deborah Swan-McDonald for her work “Inner Sanctum,” a hauntingly evocative portrait of a thoughtful young man in a hoodie, lost in contemplation…
…$500 for second place winner Carolina Dealy, “It’s A Southern Thing,” a joyous still life depicting the contents of a small town store window that aptly captures a sense of place and time…
…and $250 for third place winner Cecily Willis’ piece, “Nancy.” This work is a delicately lovely work depicting a young girl, a dog, and an older woman resting on a sofa. A window opens to a fecund green world beyond the living room in which they sit.
Above, Honorable Mention awardee Kelly Hildner’s “Afternoon at Barker Dam.”
Honorable mentions were awarded to Toby Chaum for “Arroyo View;” Chuck Door for “Prospect Park;” Lynn Gadal for “Sky Gazers II;” Kelly Hildner for “Afternoon at Barker Dam;” David Lang for his “Paris at Night;” and Apinya Srikhwanthong for “Orchid Whispers.”
The exhibition ends March 29th; TAG is open from 11-5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. The gallery is located at 5458 Wilshire Blvd. in mid-city.
- Genie Davis; images by Dale Youngman
