Grey Cube Gallery proudly presents the sixth Botanicals online art show for the month of June 2025. The show encompassed a range of artistic styles and mediums (acrylic, watercolor, colored pencil, pastel, oil on canvas, gouache, graphite, paper collage, cast bronze, photography, digital art). Each submission has been judged based on the following elements of artistic expression: orginality and quality of art, overall design, creativity, interpretation of the theme, demonstration of artistic ability and usage of medium. Out of all entries, 62 artworks were shortlisted for inclusion in the show. The competition attracted entries from many countries across the world: China, Ukraine, Austria, UK, USA, Taiwan, Switzerland, France and Canada. Enjoy the show and thank you for expressing an interest in our competition.

I love walking through the woods, gardens, or parks searching for a glimpse of nature consisting of the extraordinary, what I call ‘a purple leaf’ or inspiration, for my natural still life colored pencil artworks. I am fascinated by natural objects composed by nature, time, and conditions that reveal this uniquely beautiful but seldom noticed natural world. The aesthetic beauty of leaves, diverse in types, shapes and colors, combined with elements of earth, water and stone, are my purple leaf or inspiration guiding my artistic journey to discover and share nature's serenity. Frank Lloyd Wright said it best: “Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.” While the foliage of woodland trees keeps me returning to the natural world, it’s the beautiful organic lines, the rich earth colors, the dramatic lighting, and the interesting textures that keep me there. I love to hear the sound of leaves rustling in the wind, the smell of rich moist soil, and an overall feeling of tranquility while walking through the woods. Nature does not stand still but I strive to capture and share these special moments of beauty, of absolute wonder, and serenity of nature in my still life artworks.

Jason Shih was born in 1972 in Taiwan. In 1991, he began to specialize in metal sculpture when he was a sophomore in the Fine Arts Dept. of Taipei National University of the Arts. In 2001, he graduated from School for American Crafts, Rochester Institute of Technology, USA, and majored in Metal Sculpture. And then, he served as the metal sculptor Albert Paley's assistant, involved in crafts and public art work practices. Furthermore, he earned his Art Ph. D. from China Academy of Art, China (2015). Now, he lives in Taiwan, and consistently engages in the both areas of sculpture and public art. Jason Shih’s artistic vision is shaped by a diverse array of influences, from contemporary dance to avant-garde fashion. He cites German choreographer Pina Bausch and British designer Alexander McQueen as significant inspirations. Bausch’s explorations of time and space resonate with Shih’s interest in sculpture’s capacity to embody kinetic energy and spatial imagination. McQueen’s innovative approach to contemporary imagery and themes provides Shih with a broad canvas for creative expression. Shih’s work is also influenced by the aesthetic principles of Futurism and Constructivism, movements that emphasize dynamic energy and continuous motion. These influences are evident in his pursuit of capturing the beauty of movement and the elegant restraint of natural forces. Shih’s sculptures often depict moments of defying gravity, capturing the fleeting beauty of motion in a static form. As a professional sculptor, Jason likes to experience the taste of life with perceptual observation in the subtle moments, and also likes the ever-changing situation of game shapes in the poetic imaginary space. For Jason, art creation is to share various moods and stories in daily life.

It was in the 2000s that I discovered dry pastel, a medium that allows the painter to combine the thickness, softness and sensuality of the material. When I paint, I do not seek to convey any message but to share a felt emotion. My sources of inspiration are diverse but they all have one thing in common: the search for harmony and beauty. For example, I do not paint the flower in a scenography that could freeze it, but I represent it in its intimacy, its heart, so that its shapes, its colors, its strength but also its fragility burst forth. The desire to share my passion for pastel makes me lead workshops and participate in regional, national and European exhibitions (Luxembourg, Germany), some of which have earned me some great distinctions. The last one, very recently in February 2023, I was invited to participate in the Salon du Dessin et de la Peinture à l'Eau at the Grand Palais Ephémère in Paris.

My artistic practice centers around nature as an emotional language. With a background in fine art and design, I work across traditional and digital media to explore themes of stillness, fragility, memory, and growth. Flowers and natural forms are not just subjects in my work—they are symbols of presence, transformation, and the quiet strength found in impermanence. Through each composition, I aim to invite the viewer into a contemplative space where emotion and nature flow together in subtle, poetic harmony.