Sharon has, for the first time since she was a little kid, entered some of her art in a show. Specifically, the Bayside Historical Society 21st Annual Winter Art Show.
Rather than write this post all sorts of detail about the entry process, I'll just cut to the chase. Sharon entered two pieces, both of which won awards.
"Rise" (first picture), an ink drawing, won "Best Drawing Award." The judge, Neill Slaughter (a professor emeritus at LIU), wrote:
Sharon Whinston, “Rise” BEST DRAWING AWARD
There were very few drawings submitted this year, however this particular pen and ink line drawing of a bird stood out from the other drawings because it is so confidently rendered in ink, a medium that is not forgiving. Aptly titled there is a sense of action as the bird “rises” into flight. Upon close inspection there is an economic yet effective handling of hatching and line quality.
"Black Kite" (second picture), a digital piece, won an honorable mention in the digital category. Slaughter's comments about that are as follows:
Sharon Whinston, “Black Kite” (Honorable Mention)
Despite having already been recognized for her bold confident drawing ability in “Rise” this artist is very adept at creating a digital painting within the computer as is evident from the image of the Black Kite bird. All aspects work equally well from the perspective and proportion of the bird to subtle shifts in color and value within the kite as well as the gentle modulation from warm to cool in the negative space. It’s a professional looking illustration of a Black Kite, pure and simple!
"Black Kite" was one in a series of seven bird pictures that Sharon drew digitally. I believe she was experimenting. Eventually she had stickers printed up with them. Each sheet of stickers has all seven bird pictures. It was a huge boost when a friend of a friend asked if Sharon would autograph one of the sticker sheets so she could have it framed. Since making those seven bird drawings, Sharon has added an eighth -- someone commissioned her to digitally draw a blue jay that he could use as his online profile picture. I think of it as part of the same series, but the fact is it's much more detailed than the others. I think she got better at it. Blair and I are thinking of getting good quality prints of the whole bird series, framing them, and putting them up on the living room wall. "Rise" is, as far as I know, a one-off -- not part of a series of drawings. It's just something she drew because the mood hit her.
Sharon and I plan to go see the art show exhibit this Saturday, after we have our weekly breakfast together. Words can't begin to express how proud I am of her. She certainly has innate talent, but she has also been working very hard at it, arting every chance she gets. Blair and I are doing all we can to support her passion. But this is bittersweet for Sharon. Her biggest, proudest supporter passed away last year; it would have been great for him to know about this.
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