For Challenges before January 2024
2025 – January Challenge Where We Live – Juror: Hernan Munro
It is always difficult to judge when there is so much good work presented and January challenge was not different. I am choosing three pieces for Originality, photographic quality and use of color.
The winner is Marilyn Saks-Mcmillion for the originality of the idea behind the shot, followed by and in not particular order
Carolyn Rondthaler for her cardinal photo
Rod Whyte for his great use of colors in “View from my back window”
Jim Huttinger for the beauty of the abandoned
Elin Whitney-Smith for her beautiful Ice Breakup Along the Potomac
2024 – December Challenge Complexity – Juror: Kenya Smith
Hernan Munro – Landscapes Winner
2024 – November Challenge Whispers of Light – Juror: Kate McConnell
Once again, a beautiful, engaging, thoughtful and creative group of images filled this months’ challenge,
Whispers of Light.
My selections were made with a focus on the strong sensory reactions I felt and observed with each, including and
particularly sound, and light. There is a whispering sound of atmosphere in each and dancing light,
which these pieces triggered.
- Kenya Smith For “Currents”
- Ken Bachman for “Daybreak over the Lake”
- Alexa Hirst for “Morning Light”
- Carolyn Rondthaler for her second entry of “Daffodils”
Have a wonderful holiday month. Peace !
2024 – October Challenge Trees – Juror: Rod Whyte
I believe there are 49 submissions to October’s Challenge of TREES. Wow!!! I am overwhelmed with the diversity and uniqueness of all the selections. I thank each of you for sharing your art – your visual views – of the world of trees. They are all so good!!! The Capitol Hill Arts League has such an abundance of greatness.
It is a challenge for me to choose among such amazing art. For me it is like looking at Eye Candy for the Soul. So, please do go to CHAL’s Instagram page to view all the submissions.
So now it comes to the hard part for me, to be able to choose some among the many beautiful art works. Here is how I chose. First, I view at all the artworks as a whole, and look for what jumps out at me or grabs my attention, and compels me to look closer. I then look for nuances, subtlety, movement, or something that entices me and astounds me more. I also look for the differing ways artists approach the subject of trees. Once I have narrowed this down, I then compare the various ways that may distinguish the piece from others, and this is sort of how I came up with the ones I chose. I found this very challenging. I came up with 9 pieces in this process. I was unable to choose less, and found it hard not to choose more. I did not choose a first, second, third place, or honorable mentions. Of the nine I chose, I will describe my reasoning behind the choices, and as far as I am concerned all the other art pieces are Honorable Mentions.
Here are the nine – in no particular order:
Jenny Nordstrom: Lonely Tree Here I find the intrigue of a lonely tree in a landscape evoking mystery. I get the feel of a wind blowing and the colors evoke either a sun rising or setting. I want to walk into this picture as now I want to go to this place where ever it is.
Ragnar Thoresen: Monuments I was immediately enticed by the calmness of this picture. Almost reminds me of a snowy day at the Capitol. The dark lines of the trees bring one into the picture of subtle hues of whites and grays. Next time I go to the National Mall, I will have to stop and take another look.
Kate McConnell: Peaceful Place Just love the brushwork in this. The flow of strokes and blending of the colors make this piece dynamic and I love the landscape around the tree as it seems to be together in movement with the tree. Almost like a day at the beach feeling the vibrations of nature.
Tara Hamilton: Reflections Love the looseness of this watercolor and the gracefulness of the reflection. Also, such a masterful use of line to bring your eyes into the composition, and following those lines to the most colorful areas of this work. Well, done!!!
Karen Van Allen: Tree The first thing that grabbed my attention in this piece is that here, we have a tree that is standing tall and painted with the most intricate and patterned details. I had to zoom this piece to view the awesome patterns and flow of line. Then there is the background repeating a blue with faint lines that seem to echo the tree.
Junko Sugimoto: Cherry Blossom Room When I first saw this piece, I though wow I want to go see this room – full of Cherry Blossom Flowers -and a contrasting blue/green sky background. What also makes this picture so unique is that it has a great perspective of line that brings you immediately into the room, and a window that gives your eyes a stopping point.
Marylin Saks-McMillion: Maple Tree Embrace Here is a picture that for me is both bold and delicate. The bold red color of the leaves pulls you into the composition and lead you to the delicate and intricatel what I assume is iron work, on the lower right corner, which then lead you into the darker entry way. I want to go see this place wherever it may be. Such an awesome composition.
Hernan Murno: Palo for Chimp When I first saw this piece, I wanted to get up and dance. Such vibrant colors and I love the flow of lines. The masterful use of blue/violet colors in the tree contrasted with the vibrant and bold yellows and oranges in the background. And then, the bright almost pink leaves and their shapes make this piece dance.
Elin Whitney Smith: Tree Made in Layers This piece reminds me of Autumn. I love the three branches here as they lead to the delicate autumn color leaves. Also, the sense of some of the leaves falling, is done so well. I also fell in love with the subtle depiction of trees in the background, and then to top it off, the bottom touch of color brings a dynamic balance to this.
2024 – September Challenge Perspectives – Juror: Karen Cohen
FIRST PLACE Kunstler Museum in Munich by Rod Whyte
Rod’s photograph has a subject in the foreground, the mid-ground, and the background. My eyes keep roaming over the figures, then up and down the steps, and then finally up and down the walls. The ceiling is enhanced with a vibrant green which draws the viewer in to the very back area of two dark purple windows. Diagonals always draw the eye into an artwork.
This is narrative photograph and one can practically construct a story right on the spot; a mystery story for sure involving two people passing in a corridor of light and wonder.
I love it and love the use of all the colors: the drama of repeating verticals of yellows/oranges with the bright contrasting pop of turquoise shirts on the people. The position of their bodies lend this photograph a dreamlike quality of motion, intent, and spatial intrigue.
Congrats on a well constructed and superbly crafted photograph Rod!
Second place goes to Marilyn Saks for Barcelona Gothic Cathedral.
Marilyn captured a unique perspective of an outdoor performance in Barcelona, shooting from a rooftop or upper window makes this shot so much fun. Rather than shooting straight at the crowds and dancers from the same street level they are all on, she positioned herself way above the activity. The shadows of all the dancers adds depth and symmetry to this photograph. You can almost hear the crowd clapping along and cheering on the dancers. Lovely!
This was a good challenge and I look forward to next month’s challenge starting October 1, TREES; Rod Whyte will be our juror. Congrats to all who submitted to this challenge. BRAVO!
2024 – August Challenge Night Life – Juror: Luz De Jesus
There were 10 submissions to this month’s “Night Life” challenge although only eight are displayed on CHAL’s instagram account. So, it turned out to be a challenge for me, as well, to scroll through my emails to find all the submissions. I enjoyed seeing everyone’s different interpretations of the theme. After a fair amount of consideration, it turned out I was most drawn to those images that not only adhered to the theme but also intrigued me, created a narrative or introduced a unique take on what “night life” is.
These two finalists both gave a one-of-a-kind perspective on the theme:
“Arising” by Karin Edgett This photo not only conveys the darkness of the sea at night but the image of the manta’s underside almost makes it morph into something else. It could be mistaken for an artifact from a shipwreck.
“Burn Pile” by Karen Cohen I loved how this photo captured an out-of-the-ordinary nighttime gathering. I can almost feel the heat of the fire as it lights up the night, and the human silhouette creating a negative space against it is striking.
Based on the criteria I set for myself, I have selected “Burn Pile” by Karen Cohen.
2024 – July Challenge Water – Juror: Steve Kunin
Raindrop, Marylin Saks-Million
This image fits the theme precisely. Please tell us what camera and lens you used. iPhone with the close up lens? SLR with a macro lens?
Norway, Jenny Nordstrom
The color range is wonderful. The red roofs put an exclamation point on the entire composition. I am sure that the large canvas print is spectacular.
Life Before Air, Elin Whitney-Smith
A great abstract approach to the theme.
Rainy Day, Luz De Jesus
My guess is that this is a photo, but initially I was sure it was a watercolor. I would like to see move room at the top and bottom of the frame so that the glass and bottle are not cut off.
The works that I have selected are all so different I don’t want to pick one above the others. I know that three of the selected artists have been judges recently so I nominate Luz to judge the contest next month.
2024 – June Challenge Travelogue – Juror: Jane Mann
Winner: Steve Kunin – Untitled. The contrast of the brilliant colors of the sky and the snow, the movement of the landscape from low to high, the everyday gear of the travelers on this extraordinary trek above the clouds created a truly unique image.
Honorable Mentions:
Meera Rao – Vigée Le Brun. This page from her journal, complete with the portrait, the ticket and the spiral wiring from the notebook, perfectly depicted the subject of this challenge: a travelogue.
Karen Cohen – The Brown Palace Hotel. This high contrast photograph in black and white could have been a stage setting for a Gilded Age play. I could image the opulent clientele circulating throughout the room gossiping, flirting or negotiating enormously profitable business deals.
And the most exotic: both Jenny Nordstrom and Nan Raphael treated us to the Blue Temple. Jenny captured the whole temple while Nan showed us a detail.
And as Rick Steves says: “Keep on traveling”.
2024 – May Challenge Fragments– Juror: Nan Raphael
Congratulations to Jane Mann for her entries for the May Fragments Challenge…I couldn’t decide which one to choose since I loved them both but I’ve decided to go with this one…how tech gone bad can create such unintentional fine art. For this time around, I’ve only chosen one winner since there were so few entries…however all entries were great..colorful and fun. Nan
2024 – April Challenge Color Wheel – Juror: Karen Zens
As previous jurors have said, this was really hard- there were so many wonderful and colorful submissions. But I finally settled on the winner:
Nan Raphael’s “colors of pride”, which recreates the color wheel in a fresh and lively way, capturing both color and movement.
And Congratuations to the Honorable Mentions:
Chartres Labyrinth II by Carolyn Rondthaler which transforms the color wheel into a beautiful, light-filled labyrinth;
The swirling beaded wheel captured by Marilyn Saks-McMillan; and
Fall Colors by Ragnar Thoresen, with its beautiful use of complementary colors.
Good luck, Nan, with the next month!
2024 – March Challenge Simplicity – Juror: Jenny Nordstrom
Thanks so much to everyone who submitted for the Simplicity challenge in March! You did not make my job easy, with so much beautiful work!
The winner is Karen Zens, with her stunning painting. I loved the color, the texture, the brush strokes, the minimalist lines and abstract feel. The single color keeps it simple, while also containing many fascinating details. Beautiful work!
Special kudos also to the runner-ups:
Tom Chabolla, for his outstandingly simple photograph of the stone and shadow. I thought this perfectly epitomized the theme, and was beautifully shot, with great texture, light, and color.
Steve Kunin, for his photograph “Dance,” featuring only a beautifully textured piece of barbed wire. Great technique and composition, as well as a compelling name.
Thanks everyone!
2024 – February Challenge Street Scene – Juror: Jane Mann
This challenge was certainly a challenge for me. Every street is different in its own inviting or evocative way. Adding people to the scene only makes it more complex. There were so many beautiful, fascinating entries that I wanted to have separate categories for humor, color, social commentary, most typical of the locale, best story…but I contained myself.
Winner – Jenny Nordstrom, Running Home. The color, the towering walls, and the narrow street lead the viewer from the claustrophobic alley onto the sunlit stairs. The young girl running adds motion and playfulness to the scene.
Honorable Mentions:
Matthew Gonzales, Tony Padilla and his red Mustang. The overall feeling is one of loneliness. The reflections on the Mustang and the haloes around the street-and stoplights are bright spots in the dark
night. But Tony’s pensive look make me think that, in spite of his beautiful car, he’s waiting for someone who will not come.
Mailyn Saks-McMillion, Piazza Navona. Seeing a multitude of cartoon character balloons against the Baroque architecture of the piazza just epitomizes the whimsy that we can find in street scenes and the competition between the modern tourist industry and historical places.
One final comment – I’m waiting for Elin-Whitney-Smith’s The Kingdom of God to be finished. The various media and the message are worth waiting for.
2024 – January Challenge Elements Juror:Elin Whitney-Smith
This was a challenging challenge. I was glad not to wrap my head around it but then came the juroring. I still didn’t know how to think about it. These are my reactions to the works submitted. It was a hard choice.
First place: Goes to Jane Mann’s First Snow. Here is ephemeral snow and fluid water in tension with the works of humans. But though the building seems solid is also ephemeral, lasting much longer than this snow but deteriorating – water and snow will be there and will come back – they are elemental. I also respond to the overall greyness of the picture and the red of the boat.
Second place: Goes to Karen Cohen’s First Frost. Sun/cold, color/whiteness of frost – Elemental contrasts and the contrast of forest tamed with paths marked by the post. The sense of early morning sunlight that will take away the frost gives me a sense of an elemental ephemeralness.
Third place: Goes to Rod Whyte’s Potomac Sunset. Unlike the other two it is sunny, cheerful, and hot. It makes me want to sit by the side of the river and bask hoping the sunset could go on and on.
Honorable Mention in no particular order: Marilyn Saks-McMillion Winter Window, Lindsey Ahert Love Aloha and Karen Edget Gone to Seed
