Whether or not rendered in coloured pencil, pastel, oil, or charcoal, these cool cats take high honors.
Prime Cat Winner
“We adopted Harry and his brother, Sam, each brown-and-white tabbies, once we have been residing in Manhattan, and each returned with us to Maryland. From the beginning, Harry liked to have his image taken. Not that he understood what I used to be doing, after all, however he all the time perked up and stared straight at me once I approached with a digital camera. He wouldn’t rise up or attempt to sniff the lens; as a substitute, he’d maintain his pose, sustaining eye contact, whereas I took photographs. After I moved, he’d regulate his personal place accordingly and stare on the digital camera once more. It was uncanny, typically, that response, that connection. Then there was the truth that he and Sam each preferred to sit down wherever the daylight got here streaming in as vibrant bars by way of the not-quite-closed Venetian blinds. Apparently, tabbies imagine you may by no means have sufficient stripes.”—Deborah Maklowski
Why It Stands Out
“This glorious drawing instantly stood out to me and drew me in with its compelling and superbly rendered shadows. Upon additional inspection, the mark-making on the textiles and fur have been amazingly drawn. One of the crucial essential parts within the success of a bit is getting the values appropriate, as they provide it depth and kind, and this artist executed them completely. Harry’s pose and pensive gaze actually engaged me as properly, making this a really thoughtfully drawn piece deserving of first place.”—Kathryn Hansen, Juror
Meet the Artist
Maryland artist Deborah Maklowski acquired her bachelor of effective arts diploma from Virginia Commonwealth College and spent 30 years working for the Division of Protection earlier than retiring and returning to artwork full time. She typically attracts her cats, however in any other case focuses on the panorama and landscape-inspired motifs, producing work within the studio and en plein air in acrylic, coloured pencil, pastel, combined media, graphite, and ink. With an emphasis on excellence in composition, her major targets are to govern coloration, worth, line, and edges to attract the viewer into and across the image aircraft; to create the phantasm of ambiance and depth; and to offer an interesting psychological area wherein viewers are invited to seek out their very own compelling story within the work.
She’s a twin Signature Member and previous president of the Coloured Pencil Society of America; a Signature Member and previous president of the Maryland Pastel Society; and a member of the Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Society of Washington D.C., the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Affiliation, the Nationwide Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, and the Worldwide Society of Experimental Artists. Her award-winning work has been proven in New York Metropolis; Paris; Carmel, Calif.; Cape Cod, Mass.; and Alexandria, Va., and has been featured in quite a few publications.
An Animal Artist’s Best Asset
“I believe opinions differ right here, however in my estimation, probably the most important issue is empathy,” says Maklowski. “Every residing creature is a person, together with his or her personal persona and uniquely expressive physiognomy, and cats aren’t any exception. I do know my very own cats very properly, and I’ll resolve to attract one solely once I’m sure that my photograph has caught the essence of that particular person cat. It then turns into my job not solely to seize the likeness, but additionally—and extra powerfully—to assist the viewer look previous the externals and join on a visceral degree with that one particular residing creature.”
Honorable Mentions
“Love You is a white Persian cat that I drew for a good friend. It was tough to depict the feel of his lengthy, tender, and silky fur. I liked engaged on her blue eyes with a number of shades. Love You stays one of many portraits that I loved creating probably the most.”—Cécile Carrega
WHY IT STANDS OUT
“What caught my eye immediately was the direct and intense gaze of this superbly painted kitty. These eyes held me in place for a very long time. The artist was so sensible to accentuate the cat’s eyes by portray a blue background and foreground. Having such a restricted palette like this actually units a temper and creates a beautiful concord that enhances the composition. The rendering of the fur is so superbly dealt with that I can nearly really feel the softness of it. It’s such a shocking piece that I stored coming again to it many times.”—Kathryn Hansen, Juror
“Mad Kitty is a pastel portrait of a white ragdoll kitten with a fierce perspective. The distinction between mild and darkish helped me create the summary really feel. This piece was impressed by a courageous and exquisite kitten I met. I used to be taken not solely by the kitten and its persona but additionally by the distinction of its white fur in opposition to the darkish hallway behind it.”—Nancy Ness
WHY IT STANDS OUT
“This unimaginable piece initially gave me chuckle, as I’ve had hair days like this. However the artist clearly understands how to attract a viewer in with their distinctive fashion of mark-making. This painterly fashion is crammed with emotion, spontaneity, power, and motion, which may be very thrilling. The deep shadows, whiskers, and highly effective gaze of only one eye are superbly painted. The expressive expression on the cat’s face makes this a compelling portray worthy of inserting it in my Prime 5.”—Kathryn Hansen, Juror
“My beautiful pals, Ollie and Simon, have been the inspiration for this portray. It was a winter afternoon, and the solar was streaming by way of the window. I liked the way in which they have been snuggled collectively. This portray flowed simply and got here along with some good success.”—Juanita Nelson
WHY IT STANDS OUT
“What drew me to this piece immediately was the superb lighting. Lighting of a topic is among the key facets in composition. Not solely does it add depth to the piece, however as viewers, we reply to it emotionally. On this piece the sunshine makes the cats seem to leap proper off the floor, together with the artists’ intelligent and considerate use of mark-making. Each space of this superbly executed piece is properly thought out, but seemingly instinctive. These kitties are a complete pleasure to take a look at—and it’s such a memorable portray.”—Kathryn Hansen, Juror
“I imagine the perfect topics are these near us. I really like cats for his or her grace and their tender, delicate fur. I discover there’s no pose cats take that isn’t photogenic. My problem was to seize the ambiance of serenity that emanated from this peaceable second that includes my beloved cat. I selected to make use of complementary colours; the chilly blue contrasted properly with the heat of the orange. I additionally selected as an example the distinction between the material particulars and the broad brushstrokes to outline the cat’s fur to attract the viewer’s consideration into the portray.”—Dominique Bisson
WHY IT STANDS OUT
“What caught my consideration on this portray was the attractive use of complementary colours. Orange and blue are reverse one another on the colour wheel and are a pure match, particularly when utilized in saturated shades. They create a excessive distinction when used collectively, which leads to a dynamic, vibrant look. The adept use of sturdy angles led my eye to the main focus of this piece—the kitty. Assured and full of life brushstrokes, in addition to the stunning lighting on the fur, make this portray a profitable piece.”—Kathryn Hansen, Juror
“I used to be impressed by my cat, Kropka, and I’m happy that I captured her character, particularly in her eyes and smile. I deliberate to reveal her darkish pelage over a brighter, summary background for a better distinction. It was a tough process to indicate the worth nuances between her hairs whereas sustaining an impression of their softness, however I believe I obtained good outcomes.”—Filip Kolat
WHY IT STANDS OUT
“This piece captured my coronary heart instantly with its daring, intriguing mark-making. The marks on the appropriate aspect appear like claw marks, mimicking the way in which the sunshine hits the cat’s whiskers, which is so creative. And that little sprint of sunshine on his nostril, breaking apart the black, was superbly thought out. All of that, plus the cat’s candy expression, countered by his claws being out, sealed the deal for me. Awarding this glorious piece has been an amazing pleasure.”—Kathryn Hansen, Juror