The National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society recently announced the winners of its Spring 2019 Online International competition. (Click images to enlarge)
With more than 1150 entries, my painting “Be Still My Soul” was selected as the Best of Show by William Schneider, the juror of awards. He is a Master Signature Member of the Oil Painters of America, the Pastel Society of America, and the American Impressionist Society. He has also been named to the Masters Circle by the International Association of Pastel Societies.
William Schnieder (Website)
It’s a great honor to have my work selected for this award by such a distinguished and highly respected artist.
You will find the criteria by which he judges art both informative and helpful, listed in order of importance.
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Drawing – First and foremost, it must be accurate. If the right parts aren’t in the right places, the painting won’t work for me.
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Design – The distribution of light and dark masses is what grabs the viewer from across the room.
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Value structure – Regardless of the key, I want the forms to seem solid. (Although they can be suggested…I still want them to hang together).
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Edges – It is a sign of mastery to depict the full hierarchy of edges, from razor-sharp to completely lost…it gives the paintings veracity.
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Color temperature – As we develop, the ability to see (and paint) the temperature relationship between light and shadow is usually the last basic skill we learn.
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“It” – Whether one calls it creativity, personal vision, concept, or something else, the best pieces reveal the artist’s unique interpretation…as in “that painting really has it!”
“Be Still My Soul” – 30″ x 40″ – Oil
Sadly, it is time to retire this piece from competition. I’m not a believer in milking a painting to death because of its previous success in competition. I’ve entered this painting in three competitions, and it has won three awards…Silver Medal, 2018 Oil Painters of America National; Honorable Mention, 2018 Art Renewal Center International Salon…and now this.
If you are interested in learning how I created this piece, I explain it all in a previous blog post. Click HERE.
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I’m pleased to announce the release of my latest teaching video and book. The video and accompanying book, shown here, along with my first video, “Limited Palette Landscape”, include everything I’ve taught in my workshops. You can now take my oil painting workshop right in the comfort of your home, and for a lot less money than physically being present. (Click image to learn more)
Here’s what Alessandro Mateii from Italy wrote, concerning the book and DVD.
“Hallo mr Pototschnik , my name is Alessandro, I am write you from Italy, a little place near Florence. I am glad to know your paint works, so amazing, so right.
“I bought your course about limited palette,and it is a great help for me.
“It is about 5 years that I started paint and I am alwais busy searching for colour use, so you gave me a big help in this.
“You immagine that I made same comparison between work like you or not, and your way is alwais my favorite. I am very interested to learn much possible in this, and particulary I started to make a mix about 3 primary color, trying different tones, and I found that its powerful to add this in my palette in distance and mid distance.
“So, I dont want teach you nothing, but you gave me a key and I am grateful to you about this.
“Looking for your interesting work, where trying inspiration.”
John Pototschnik is an Art Renewal Center Living Master. To view his art and bio, please click HERE.
