Community Interaction: New Patrons, New Students

Part Two of our community outreach program at the Lee County Regional Library was a big hit! People came in to see our artwork, listen to the live music, to chat, and to partake of simple refreshments.

We had reserved the conference room and Graciela and Glen Price had a screen presentation to recap other art shows we had participated in plus the artwork mounted throughout the library. In addition, we were able to bring at least six more paintings to display in the showroom to be included in the juried competition.

Many high school students were interested in pursuing their art dreams and were excited to learn about the location and opportunity offered by the PanAmerican Alliance. The most popular offering Saturday was a free profile drawing by one of our portrait artists. Both children and adults were eager to see how they looked on paper.

The climax of the show was the announcement of the juried competition, and a critique and commentary by our Judge, Evelyn Swanson. She spoke about the close runners up and the honorable mention categories before honoring the finalists. She reminded us of the importance of light and shadow; recognizing where the light source comes from in a painting and emphasizing contrast to increase the power of light.

She complimented us on the number of conceptual paintings in our show. She remarked that they showed a nice color balance. All paintings, she emphasized, should have an attention grabbing quality. They should reach out to us and grab our attention so that we want to explore and enjoy the painting.

Shadows create depth and contrast, she said, but they don’t have to be all one color. It is better to vary them and have different shades and tones to enhance the other colors in the painting.

Here are the winners:

Parker Harlowe won 1st Place for his conceptual painting of the varied flora and fauna in Florida.

Diane Carmen won 2nd Place for her unusual beach scene of trees, shadow and light. “Excellent contrasts” liked by the Judge. Diane also brought and played her keyboard.

Carol Allen Anfinsen (that’s me!) won 3rd Place for her painting titled: “With These Hands—Love.”

In the end we were all winners. Everyone had a good time and many new friends were made. One young girl asked for Annie St. Martin’s autograph. “I’ve never met a real artist,” she said. That statement alone made our day!