Grey Cube Gallery proudly presents the first Still Life online art contest for the month of August 2023. The show encompassed a range of artistic styles and mediums (oil on canvas, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, charcoal, scratchboard, ink, 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, 99 artworks were shortlisted for inclusion in the show. The competition attracted entries from many countries across the world: USA, Poland, Italy. Austria, Denmark, Canada, China, Slovenia, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Israel. Enjoy the show and thank you for expressing an interest in our competition.

Nyle Major is an award winning figurative and still life painter based in Auckland, New Zealand. With a bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts and European training in classical techniques, Nyle has developed an art practice which combines the traditional with the contemporary, and is influenced as such by internationally renowned artists of old and of new- namely William Bouguerau and Roberto Ferri among the most influential. An award winning artist, Nyle has also been a finalist in the New Zealand Adam Portrait awards, the Art Renewal Centre’s International Salon and The Gallipoli Memorial Club’s ANZAC art prize in Australia. Having been actively creating and exhibiting as an artist for over twenty years, Nyle has gained significant experience with numerous solo exhibitions, portrait commissions, large events and workshops over the course of his artistic career. Nyle is extremely proud to represent a minority of classical realist artists who work closely from nature and who endeavour to learn, refine and expand the classical traditions of the old masters in a new century.

Roath's artwork focuses on the surreal qualities of existence, and the innate sense of awe that is inherent in whatever new world that day decides to create. His pieces' are constructed using compositional elements from the Renaissance, while his color choices and energetic atmosphere are influenced by the Impressionists. Inspired by the Symbolists, his concepts use himself, friends, hybrid creatures, interstellar monoliths, and objects from his life, creating a parallel narrative to his own blurring the lines between fantasy and reality. Maxwell explores his own unique experiences to share them with the viewer, investigating the overlap of the imagined and the real, manifesting surreal emotions in everyday moments. Through paintings, drawings, lithographs, etchings and woodcuts, he creates work combining humor with nostalgic moments. His art evokes longing, self reflection, and alludes to a world grappling with the impermanence of human existence.

Cher Pruys, ASAA SCA, IGOR, AAPL, CSAA, AMS, LMS, OSA, MAA, CFA, NOAPS, PSOA, AWA., AAOA. "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." I am very drawn to shiny surfaces as well as transparent objects, especially when the lighting brings them to life. Water is a subject that encompasses both movement, translucency that I find enticing. 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…an artists dream!

I specialize in painting landscapes in which water is a major visual element, as well as classic automobiles. I paint in a realistic style and oil paint is my primary medium. Capturing the raw beauty of our natural world on canvas is a joy and painting vintage cars is an exercise in nostalgia. My first passion at a young age was photography which helped me hone my compositional skills. I began painting in 2004. My paintings have been represented in galleries in the United States in California, Connecticut, and Vermont, and in the New Britain Museum of American Art. In February of 2023, three of my paintings were featured in International Artist Magazine. In 2018 and 2019, I was an Artist-in-Residence at Chateau d’Orquevaux, Champagne-Ardene, France. My wife and I live in the United States and France.