bestillopenshelved

Painting: Oriental Lilies by Barbara Schilling

It is our pleasure to present the First ArtisTTable Still Life Exhibition. There are those that wonder if anyone still does still life art. REALLY, we have had people ask us that! Think this show will present that, yes, there are artists that are still producing still life work. In fact we were so excited to see the many ways that the theme was interpreted. Not only were there some very abstract renditions but we learned again about how important words are. We were wondering why there were so many submissions of landscapes to this show, especially from our Hebrew speaking friends. The word for Still Life in Hebrew actually translates literally to Still Nature. This realization alone was something to give us cause to look a little deeper into what it means to interpret words as well as art. We each bring something different to the table because we each come from a slightly different set of circumstances, of sometimes a wildly different set.

It also caused us to reflect on how it important it is to be very careful when considering other people’s points of view. We need to remember that what you say might just mean something very different to the person you are communicating with. The internet has made the world a much smaller place and it is easier than ever to be able to reach out and touch someone on the other side of the globe. We think it is just wonderful how art helps to span so many of those gaps. Art has a way of communicating to everyone in a nearly universal way, or language if you will. And this is just one of the main reasons we feel the ArtisTTable is so dynamic.

The still life as a subject because we get to see in someway what is important to the artists that paint for photograph, or represent them in three-dimensions. They so often pose questions, and allow us to ask them ourselves, like, why are these objects important? Are the good shapes or are they part of some childhood memory? The questions and narratives are pretty much endless.

For this exhibition we called on the expert eye and opinion of the Chicago interior designer, Kenneth Walter ASID of Gray & Walter, Ltd. We felt Kenneth would do such a great job since his life’s work is basically setting up elaborate still lives for people to live in. We want to thank Kenneth for his work in helping to make this exhibition what it is.

Juror’s Notes:

Judging the show was quite difficult as there were many good entries. In many cases it was difficult to decide and in some ways I am still torn which is why I have so many Honorable Mentions and have created the category of Top Honorable Mention. - Kenneth Walter, ASID

1st Place- Tata My Chance by Jeremy Day from South Africa: “I found it to be superbly executed, Richard Estes would approve of the technique.”

2nd Place- Onions and Radishes by Douglas Newton from the US: “Again, superbly executed and wonderful composition.”

3rd Place- Still Life with Apple and Apron by Richard Waldron from the UK: “I simply found this one quite lovely to look at.:

Top Honorable Mention- Sunset with Yellow and Orange by Eti Maor from Israel: “This is a beautiful piece with luscious use of color. I think this could be the offspring of Klimt and Rothko if they could reproduce.”

Viva Celery by Kimberly Aust: “I found Kimberlyn’s work to be inventive and they were terrific submissions.”

Oriental Lilies by Barbara Schilling: “Classical technique feeling very fresh.”

Homage to Leonardo by Dennis Angel: “This guy knows how to handle a colored pencil.”

Window by Justin Sterling: “I found it to be sumptuous, inviting, inventive and quite surprising.”

Roots by Nataly Grosman: “This painting is moody, mysterious and transformative.”

Hydrangeas and Pears by Grace McKee: “This painting is lovely and quite evocative of things I love.”

And as has become a tradition, as the organizers of the exhibition we have taken the opportunity to give some attention to two more pieces that we feel need some recognition.

Tali’s Choice- Magenta and Aqua by Douglas Newton: “Before even understanding how beautifully this painting is executed I was struck how Douglas has taken the simple idea of two glasses on a table and made them so so so much more.”

Royce’s Choice- Two Vases by Sirkka Laakkonen: “I was drawn to this piece because it is first and foremost a painting. Yes, it is a painting before any decision can be made about how I feel about the subject matter. When I thought about the subject, it seems less important, but the shapes and colors were really alive.”

Please enjoy this show,. You will find that the genre of still life is not dead, and be sure and participate in the People’s Choice Awards. Every piece of art has a button under it that will allow you to cast your vote for your favorite piece.

Be Still Artists: