Updates

I was notified that my scratchboard and ink piece of a white tiger,  titled "The Interrupted Drink", won Viewer's Choice at the Bennington Center for the Arts "Art of the Animal Kingdom XVI".  Thanks to all who voted for my piece!  It was totally unexpected to me :)



"The Interrupted Drink" - Original Available

















Here is an update on "Comin' At Ya" the big horse piece that I am working on (36"x24").  Still a long ways to go.



"Comin' At Ya" - WIP - 36"x24"























And I have also started a new piece titled "Sibling Rivalry" sized 16"x20".  As you may figure by the title (and random tooth) there will be a 2nd wolf in the image

"Sibling Rivalry" - WIP - 16"x20"

Happy Halloween

Well where do the days go... once again it has been too long since I have had time to post on here!

But like usual I have not been quite idle...

I just finished a decent sized colored commission, but am unable to post it at this time as it is a surprise birthday present for the person who will recieve it, so it has to wait until after their birthday to be shown.

I have also started several new boards including a bighorn sheep kid (8"x10"), an elk (24"x36")  and this horse piece (10"x8"), which I am calling Wisdom.

I heard recently that I have been accepted into the Colorado Governor's Show, to be held in April in Loveland, CO.

In other recent show news I had two works accepted into the Colorado Artist Guild art show and ended up winning 1st place in the drawing division with "Patience Is A Virtue".

I also had three works accepted into the Estes Park show "Lines Into Shapes" show and cleaned up there too winning 3 awards.  "Walking the Line" was the winner of People Choice and the Mayor's Award and "The Challenger" was winner of the Len Taylor Memorial Award (which I also won last year).

updates and such

Sorry for being so reticence in posting updates to my blog!  The days just seem to go by so quickly and before I know it I am onto the next one!  How did it get to be the middle of July already!!  Wasn't Christmas like a month ago??

Anyways... I have been busy indeed. 

My art portion of my website (http://www.aphelionart.com/) has had a bit of an overhaul as I try to get my page rankings up and make myself more findable for search engines.  Most of the changes were html and behind the scenes things, but I did add a couple of links about scratchboard with some tutorials and FAQs.

From the end of June through July 4 I had seven works hanging at the Greeley Stampede Invitational Western Art Show.  Two works were sold (Bending and What Next?) and I also earned the top two spots for people's choice awards with Walking The Line and Bending.

From July 7 through the 14th I was off to Indianapolis where I was a part of a scratchboard artist show and workshops.  Approximately 15 artists from all over the US and Canada attended.  We shared techniques, styles and tips and had an overall wonderful time!  We also discussed the formation of an international scratchboard society and I will be helping to work on that as well.  If that is something that you are interested in once it is up and running feel free to send me an e-mail and I will make sure you are notified.

While I was away in Indy I found out that my piece, A Driving Force, has been selected to be published in "Strokes Of Genius III - Best of Drawing".  This book is slated to come out in 2011.  The original of this piece was donated to the Buffalo Bill Historical Society "Patron's Ball" that will be held in September.

I also learned that The Interrupted Drink was picked as a finalist in The Artist Magazine Annual Competition.  While my 3rd place last year was a step up ;)  it is still quite an accomplishment to make it as a finalist.  They pick around 30 total winners/finalists in each category (of which there are 7) out of around 12,000-14,000 entries!!

Two piece were juried into the American Academy of Equine Art exhibition, a pencil drawing (A Kind Eye) and a scratchboard (Darkness and Light).  This show told me last year that scratchboard was not an eligible medium. This year I wrote a cover letter explaining why it should be included so I felt like getting one scratchboard in was a small victory! This show starts in the middle of September at the Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY

So I guess you could say it has been a productive month already!!  Look for an update on the pinto pony tomorrow.

Results are up for Art Show at the Dog Show... and you could say I cleaned up :)  Awarded the following prizes-

"Moment of Reflection" (scratchboard border collie eyes)- Purina Award of Merit; 1st Place Other Media; Best Entry Depicting a Dog from the Herding Group

"Charisma" (scratchboard brindle great dane)- 2nd Place Other Media, Best Entry Depicting a Great Dane

"Soulful" (photograph black lab)- 3rd Place Photography; Best Entry Depicting a Dog from the Sporting Group

You can see my entered images at http://aphelionart.blogspot.com/2010/02/art-show-at-dog-show-entries-accepted.html

What a year and my thanks to the Haller Family!

I am delighted to say that I have yet another art award to add to an already incredible year of wins!  I just received the notice that I have been selected as the winner of The Haller Distinguished Young Artist Award presented through the Society of Animal Artists.  It is an award specifically for artists under the age of 40 that do not make a full time living at their art.  My deepest gratitude to the Haller family for their ongoing support of emerging artists through this award!

My rundown of awards for this year:
- Best In Show; Celebration Of Art; Parker, CO
- Best In Show Booth; Art In The Park; Parker, CO
- Award of Excellence; Society of Animal Artists “Art And the Animal“; Salina, KS
- Cover Image for the 2009 SAA “Art and the Animal” collectable exhibition catalog
- Haller Distinguished Young Artist Award; Society of Animal Artists
- Commissioners Purchase Award; Greeley Stampede Invitational Western Art Show; Greeley, CO
- People’s Choice Exhibitor Award; Greeley Stampede Invitational Western Art Show; Greeley, CO
- 21 Under 31 Award Winner; Southwest Art Magazine Annual Competition; Published Sept. 2009
- Juror’s Award - Jeff Legg; Lines Into Shapes; Estes Park, CO
- Len Taylor Memorial Award; Lines Into Shapes; Estes Park, CO
- 1st Place Other Media; Art Show at the Dog Show; Wichita, Kansas
- 3rd Place Wildlife/Animal Category; The Artist Magazine Annual Competition; Published Dec. 2009
- Finalist Wildlife/Animal Category (2nd entry); The Artist Magazine Annual Competition

Furthermore I had work juried into Woodson Art Museum's "Birds in Art" on my first try and was invited to participate in the Colorado Gold Show.   There was only ONE show this year (of those that give awards) that I did not win an award in.  I think you could say... it has been a GOOD YEAR!

"Art and the Animal" Opens in Colorado at The Wildlife Experience

Today I went to pick up my large elk piece called "The Challenger" from The Wildlife Experience Museum, as it was in Colorado Gold show that has ended.  In the place of Colorado Gold is now Society of Animal Artist's "Art and the Animal" exhibit which will travel on to two additional museums throughout the next year.  Last Saturday was the opening for that show as well as "Small Works, Big Impressions" exhibit.  I was not able to attend the opening due to work (grooming) but Connie at TWE gave me a chance to look around today- both shows have some great work in them!  My piece, "The Hypnotist" is the cover image  for this years Art and the Animal exhibition catalog and being used for many promotional materials, which is a great honor!  In addition the work sold at the initial opening for the show in Kansas and won an SAA Award of Excellence!  It doesn't get much better than that!!

A bit more progress on the brothers (and even more work is done but too dark to take another photo tonight).  I am starting to get antsy to start on something new.