Grey Cube Gallery proudly presents the third Still Life online art show for the month of December 2025. The show encompassed a range of artistic styles and mediums (oil on canvas, acrylic, watercolor, colored pencil, photography). 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, 35 artworks were shortlisted for inclusion in the show. The competition attracted entries from many countries across the world: USA, Germany, Norway, Canada, Australia, Spain, China and Italy. Enjoy the show and thank you for expressing an interest in our competition.

I am a self taught artists working in water based medium, mainly acrylic, but also at times gouache and water-colour. I am a hyperrealism painter fascinated by the world around me. I am very drawn to shiny surfaces as well as transparent objects, especially when the lighting brings them to life. I look for beauty in everyday objects that most people take for granted or just don’t truly see them as they are. The seemingly boring and mundane subjects can truly be like magnets if portrayed in the right light. Shiny metal is one of those materials that can host endless visions….the light hits it and the reflections are captured on the smooth, sleek surface…people and animals especially the eyes...an artists dream! My future art plans are to paint the countless subjects I have chosen to become paintings and to share my art with as many people as I can. "To take my inner visions with my hands and create a work of art for you the viewer .... That is the ultimate in self expression."

During my over forty years of full time artist life I have mainly painted landscapes and seascapes, but the last two decades I have got closer to the object, which often has been a closeup of rocks. To find the rocks in this selection I had to drive nearly to North Cape in Norway, to a beach with the highest variety of colors found at any place in our country, as far as I know. Constantly being moved by the waves the rocks have got the rounded shapes. From time to time new additions fall from the nearby cliffs. The place is called Luovttat, which means caves in the Sámi language, probably from the caves in the mentioned cliffs. In dry weather the rocks seem grey, but with the help of the waves or rain, or even an artist with a bucket, the beautiful colors appear.

Iryna Akimova is a contemporary Ukrainian artist who lives and works in Kiev, Ukraine . She graduated from Kharkov State University (Ukraine), where she got her PhD degree. Her artworks are full of allegories and invite to a philosophical search of the hidden senses behind familiar objects. She develops expressionistic style with a surrealistic touch. She had 18 solo exhibitions, and took part in 70+ national and international group exhibitions. She received awards at many international art contests. Iryna is a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine. She founded Ukrainian Association of Feminine Research in the Arts (UAFRA) to advocate gender equality in the arts. The artworks in the application represent her new cycle DYNAMIC STILL LIFE, where objects become dynamic. Wikipedia defines Still life is art that represents inanimate objects , mainly everyday items. “I never felt excited about still life , since I found it too static. Therefore, I invented “dynamic” still life with moving objects”, says Iryna. In her pictures, they feel free to move around, play their own games, make funny messes and tell their own stories. She invites the view to enter the world where everyday objects become alive. One could only guess what would be the final result of their moves. However, it is great to play with them in one’s imagination. The final composition might easily be changed like in the children’s kaleidoscope..

I love walking through the woods or gardens searching for a glimpse of extraordinary nature as 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 the special moments of beauty, of absolute wonder, and serenity of nature in my still life artworks.