Above: Happy contest winners (left to right): Fran Dorr, Mary Bubla, Jean Matheson, Delys Nast, Kelly Caleb, Debbie Wicks, Daphne Cates, Dawn Price
At right: Winner of the Award of Excellence in the beginner category is Dreaming of Tohono Chul, by Teri Garner.
Winner of the Award of Excellence in the Intermediate/Advanced category is Horse on the Prowl, by Mary Bubla.
Connie Kotke, Publicity Chair
The SaddleBrooke Fine Arts Guild encourages art appreciation and skills throughout the community, with several opportunities for members to showcase their talents. One of these opportunities, the annual “One Image, No Limits” Art Challenge, wrapped up in early March. The work of these award winners is on display in the hallway gallery adjacent to the RoadRunner Grill until construction begins.
Members of the Guild are challenged to produce a piece of artwork inspired by a photo chosen from submissions by member photographers. Anything goes! The only rule is that one identifiable piece of the photo must be present in the artwork (sky and dirt don’t count). Entries are judged in two categories: beginners and intermediate/advanced.
The 2023 art challenge was based on a photo of the large horse sculpture at Tohono Chul Gardens (photo taken by Ron Powers). Results were announced at the Guild’s March 7 regular meeting.
Congratulations to the following winners in the beginners category:
Award of Excellence: Dreaming of Tohono Chul, by Teri Garner. This painting shows well up close and from a distance. The details, including exposed bricks that clearly show the path to the sculpture, tell a wonderful story.
Award of Merit: Lost Pony, by Daphne Cates. This three-dimensional fiber art is original and colorful. The choice of colors adds drama; the baby horse by its mother echoes the photo quite well.
Award of Merit: Desert Jewels at Dusk, by Dawn Price. This painting keeps our attention while capturing many elements from Tohono Chul, including birds and plants.
Honorable Mention: I’m Outta Here, by Kelly Caleb. This whimsical piece has incredible linework and pleasing composition. The horse’s rump leaving the painting and the horseshoe left behind make us smile.
Honorable Mention: Can’t Say No to French Fries, by Debbie Wicks. This fun collage cleverly uses unusual items to make us chuckle, including blackberries, a sesame seed bun, and French fries.
Congratulations to the following winners in the intermediate/advanced category:
Award of Excellence: Horse on the Prowl, by Mary Bubla. This striking diptych (pair) features deep interplay of gorgeous colors that only a pouring can achieve. The excellent composition keeps viewers engaged and captures the area of Tohono Chul in an intriguing way.
Award of Merit: Art Imitates Nature, by Delys Nast. Delys’ colorful pastels create shadows and areas of light in a highly skilled and realistic way. The horse is represented by a well-done mare and foal; composition and concept are rendered with a lot of skill.
Honorable Mention: After Hours, by Fran Dorr. This piece uses a layering effect, with acetate’s powerful colors creating distance from the mid- and foregrounds. The blue spirit horse rising from the metal hose in the dark of night offers twists on the photo that make this variation so interesting.
Honorable Mention: Desert Sentinels, by Jean Matheson. This work successfully focuses on a slice of the photo, emphasizing the blue and purple flowers in front of the totem pole cacti. Color and contrast are both done very well.