Winter Contest Results and Winner Announcement!

Hi, everyone

Welcome to the group's first Winter Contest announcement!

Before we go into announcing this year's winner and runner's up, I would like to very much take this opportunity, to thank each and every one of you that took part in our first big group contest. Myself and my fellow judges, had a difficult time, narrowing the entries down into 1st, 2nd and 3rd place

And do you know what: even if your work has not won - you deserve a round of applause, for creating such beautiful artwork:

Each of the entries submitted, were very beautiful, and epitomised the theme of the contest wonderfully, and I loved each and everyone of them. You were all great, and we all wish that we could have selected all of you to win


Contest entries deserving of a special mention


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:thumb415609814: :thumb398117275:
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:thumb410232549: AutumnAutumn
It’s a sign, a sign that the summer is over.
It is a time when school begins and the life gets back to normal.
Autumn is a time for happiness and remembering.
The happiness is that you have the chance to dress up, and scare people.
The remembering to dose whom is dead, you go to the cemetery and lit a candle by the grave.
It is a time when nature gives the world some colours in the sky.
When the colour have left the sky and hit the ground, you can have fun by jumping in colours.      
Autumn is a time when the days gats darker and colder.
It’s a sign that winter is coming.
  
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Well done, creating such outstandingly beautiful art, for our contest


In 3rd place, and winning the following prizes

:bigthumb411557358:

Two weeks feature on Group's front page by Feature-It-Monday
Journal feature by Feature-It-Monday
A pencil drawing by CourtneyLynnWashburn
100 + a unique fractal art image or gift of poetry by WalkinginDreamlight
Journal feature by CourtneyLynnWashburn
Llama badge + commissioned themed poem of the winner's choice by Kurosaki224
150 by Paul-Shanghai

Well done


In 2nd place, and winning the following prizes



Two weeks feature on Group's front page by Feature-It-Monday
Journal feature by Feature-It-Monday
A pencil drawing by CourtneyLynnWashburn
200 + a unique fractal art image or gift of poetry by WalkinginDreamlight
Journal feature by CourtneyLynnWashburn
Llama badge + commissioned themed poem of the winner's choice by Kurosaki224
350 by Paul-Shanghai

Well done


In 1st place, and winning the following prizes



One month feature on Group's front page by Feature-It-Monday
Journal feature and interview by Feature-It-Monday
A pencil drawing by CourtneyLynnWashburn
300 + a unique fractal art image or gift of poetry by WalkinginDreamlight
Journal feature by CourtneyLynnWashburn
10 + llama badge + commissioned themed poem of the winner's choice by Kurosaki224
Photomanipulation artwork of the winning entry in a variety of world settings - for example: msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/MSNBC/Com… by Raphael-25
Half body full color drawing by MrBoxerBriefs
500 by Paul-Shanghai
Group feature by PhotoWanderlust

Well done



Now then, for the next segment of this wonderful Christmas Eve feature  - I had to tell a little white lie to somebody

you remember a couple of week's ago, I asked you if you'd be interested in being interviewed by the group?

Well...

Your interview was not going to be scheduled for next year!

You, my friend, (whose exquisite command of traditional artwork, which creates such beautiful imagery), are being featured as our 1st Place Winner, and Special Guest Christmas Eve Artist, today!

I do hope that you forgive the little deception, though it was necessary to keep all of this a secret



Interview with Winter Contest Winner: Don Packwood!



1 - Could you tell us a little about yourself, and when did you find that you were interested in Traditional art?

I'm a New Zealander, born in the summer of 1949 and from a very early age showed artistic ability!
My parents encouraged this by providing me with my first oil paints, brushes canvas etc. on my eighth birthday and I’ve been painting off and on for nearly 60 years.
Although I consider myself to be an impressionist with realist tendencies, I have always generally been traditional in my painting.




2 - How did you end up joining DeviantArt?

I was introduced and encouraged to join DeviantArt by my son Dean who is an accomplished artist in his own right, having joined DA earlier in the year.


3 - What is it that attracts you to Traditional art, as an art form?

Although in early years I did dabble in abstract I believed it to be only to progress my skill in recognizable traditional images. Anyone can make noise on a piano but it takes a pianist to create music. You may not like the song but we agree on it being music anything else is just noise no matter how you try to look at it!




4 - Your gallery is filled with beautiful, and wonderfully intriguing imagery. Could you tell us about the process that evolves from an idea, into the finished artwork that you upload?

I’m sure most artists go through a time agonizing over what they need to say to the world. Someone years ago said to me, while I seemed to be experiencing a bout of painter’s block, “Paint what you know and love.” It was obvious to me to be cars!



I prefer not to copy a photograph, although I have been asked to simply do this at times. I would rather with artist license to create an original composition. I do enjoy the research process though. The gathering of photographs and reference materials and that can be quite a challenge when depicting more obscure events or subjects. Painting one of these wonderful machines as an image on canvas with compound curves and of course the materials… paint work, glass, chrome, nickel, brass, wood, fabric and leather each of which require different techniques to portray, this is so very satisfying to achieve a likeness.



5 - Which are your favourite works in your gallery, and why do they hold a special place in your heart?

I do have paintings where I feel I have said exactly what I was trying to achieve. The two paintings that come to mind immediately are "W.O." from the 1922 TT and a lovely Type 55 Bugatti in Paris. While there are others, these two paintings could be my Mona Lisa smile? There are features about these two paintings in particular that are very satisfying to me.



For me painting is instinctive. While history will eventually confirm where my paintings fit as works of art, there is always a subconscious reason to every brush stroke, it just feels and looks right to me.



6 - Our final question would be: which other artist(s) do you admire on DA?

Well, I've only really known of DA since joining 3 weeks ago and still getting to know my way around. So, it may sound like a cop out but I believe we all have something to offer and we are uniquely ourselves. There are many artists who's work I would be proud to have created myself but my all time favorite artist is the late J.M.W. Turner, and my all time favorite painting is Turner's The Fighting "Temeraire" 1838. Exh 1839 National Gallery London: www.lotslinksoflondon.com/j-m-…


hopes that you have enjoyed both the Winter Contest and this special featured journal with the winner


We wish you a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!