Grey Cube Gallery proudly presents the second Forests & Meadows online art show for the month of November 2021. The show encompassed a range of artistic styles and mediums (oil on canvas, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, collage, photography, digital). 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, 89 artworks were shortlisted for inclusion in the show. The competition attracted entries from many countries across the world: USA, Colombia, Sweden, Ukraine, Chezh Republic, Japan, United Kingdom, Finland, Taiwan, Poland, Canada, Israel, Germany and Ireland. Enjoy the show and thank you for expressing an interest in our competition.

I have always loved the scenery of the great outdoors and living on a relatively small but beautiful Island is truly inspirational. Of course, being surrounded by the sea is wonderful, with a 360-degree array of coastal views, harbours and the ever-changing mood of sea and sky. We Islanders are blessed with a huge diversity of landscape from ancient woodland and chalk down-land to salt marsh and everything in between. I endeavour to portray the natural world to the best of my ability hoping to give the viewer a sense of the beauty as I see it, both here on my Island home and in the world at large. I first saw John Constable’s ‘Haywain’ when I was just 11 years old, the majesty of this beautiful painting, the portrayal of trees and sky in paint was awe inspiring for me and have loved both the landscape and landscape paintings ever since. I work mostly in oils as with this medium I seem to be able to convey at least a small amount of the affinity I have with the natural world, whether it be landscape or seascape I am happiest and enthralled when creating at my easel.

I love walking through the woods searching for a glimpse of nature consisting of a little something extra, 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 atmospheric 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 and the reason I look forward to discoveries within each step, with every new step towards the next patch of woods. 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 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.

During my Artist in Residency at the Mendocino Art Center, Mendocino, CA, I was greatly inspired by the Cypress Grove that lies in the Mendocino Headlands State Park. Filtered sunlight dapples these beautiful windswept coastal cypress trees throughout the day. The Grove has been a constant subject of mine with its twisting trees, fallen limbs, gnarled trunks and the ever-changing coastal light.

I love color! My quest is to share the beautiful aesthetics of the world around us. To show the exquisite grace and elegance in flowers to the majesty and magic of landscapes and waterways. I chose photography to capture all that I see around me. A camera gives me all the details and character of my subject. Photoshop gives me the power to showcase the brilliance, uniqueness and moods.