The 6th Juried NPS Exhibition
2021 Summer Web Show
Jurors: Javad Soleimanpour, Andrew McDermott, Olga Abramova
Judge - Richard McKinley
Grand Prix
Alexey Talanov
Yaroslavl. After the storm
50 х 70 cm, 2020
Judge`s comment: "This painting stood out from the beginning of my review process. It demonstrates a complete mastery of pastel and the mediums’ ability to be powerfully applied on a par with the finest of oil paintings. The artist has utilized all of the visual elements of design, with the greatest of skill, to create a truly exquisite pastel painting. It is stunning — bravo!"
gold
Elena Prudnikova
Portrait of Alina Petrovskaya
68 х 63 cm, 2021
Judge`s comments: Everything about this spectacular figure painting is perfection. Compositional placement, engagement of the viewer, handling of edges, color and value relations, all show a depth and artistic proficiency. The longer one looks at the painting, the more intrigued they will become.
Silver
Sergei Oussik
Dilijan
36 х 54 cm, 2021
Judge`s comments: A beautiful example of how surface tone can be utilized by a pastel artist as an indirect unifying factor in a painting. The subtle emphasis of color placement and texture throughout the painting is done strategically. While the scene is made up of objects, it is the placement of the notes of pastel that make it so much more than a picture, it is a painting.
Bronze
Anna Lapygina
My boy
50 х 70 cm, 2021
Judge`s comments: Expressing feeling and personality is one of the highest accomplishments for a portrait artist. This artist has done that. Shapes, patterns, value contrast, color temperature, are all orchestrated to produce an engaging, intimate painting. While classical in its foundation, this painting is at the same time modern and memorable.
Honorable mention
Anna Lonshakova.
Golden Autumn
29 х 39 cm, 2020
Judge`s comments: Every fine art medium has certain characteristics that are distinctive. While pastel can be applied in a variety of ways, one of its powers lies within mark making. The tactile, bold, spontaneous marks of pastel demonstrated by this painting is a perfect example. The subject is instantly recognizable, but we know what was important to the artist — light.
Honorable mention
Anna Kalugina
Last supper
30 х 30 cm, 2021
Judge`s comments: Creating something new and being an individual as an artist, are at the core of why we paint. Without chance takers, all paintings would look the same. This artist has a voice and is expressing it by pushing pastel in bold, new, directions. The observer becomes engaged and experiences something well beyond the descriptive — poetry.
Honorable mention
Elena Magarshak
Evening of friday
78 х 58 cm, 2020
Judge`s comments: A glorious use of pastel is demonstrated in every section of this painting. It’s, representational, yet abstract. It’s descriptive, yet soulful. It’s a jumble of items, yet masterfully composed. The artist clearly has confidence, whether choosing what to paint, or how to paint it, with pastel.
Royal Talens`s
choice
Véronique du Boisrouvray
Isaure
50 х 35 cm, 2020
Pan Pastel`s
choice
Ekaterina Posetselskaya
Boulevard Saint-Germain after the rain
100 х 120 см, 2020
uart choice
Nadezhda Zudova
Alchemy of spring
70 х 50 cm, 2021
UART Choice
Svetlana Shirokova
Flower Honey
35 х 38 cm, 2020
NPS Team`s
choice
Sergei Pietilä
Five Vikings
72 х 80 cm, 2021
NPS Team`s
choice
Sergey Bakin
Calm
50 х 70 см, 2020
Richard McKinley. Judging comment:
Judge`s comments: It is never easy to be in the position of selecting award placement for an exhibition, especially when the quality of work to choose from is of the caliber being represented in the National Pastel Society of Russia Juried Webshow 2021. I want to personally congratulate everyone in the exhibition for producing such beautiful works that represent the diversity of pastel as a fine art medium.