We have been delighted with the response to our Inspiration from the Invisible art competition. We had many more artists submitting work this year and hundreds of glorious images from all over the globe to ponder over.
The competition's judges – College Principal Gill Matini, Henry Boxer (Henry Boxer Gallery) and College Curator and Archivist Vivienne Roberts – decided the shortlist of 36 from which a winner, two runners up, and three judge's awards were selected.
Our Winner
Cara Macwilliam with Energies 1 (Watercolour pencil, A5)
Cara says: "I refer to these as my energy drawings. They are created by hundreds of layers of watercolour pencils, which take hours to do. As with all my art they are automatic with no planning of what will appear. Art transports me out of the mundane walls of my sick and housebound state, I drop away and off I travel. I have suffered a number of traumas and creating these drawings are such an anchor when I'm feeling emotional distress, they coalesce with my nervous system which creates an energetic shift within.
It's like every stroke laid down is a moment of love for my sensitized body, touching every fibre and cell of my being. Illuminating its quality to me, exactly what I need in that moment. I love the positivity they exude once finished and it never ceases to amaze me how much of an emotional charge has been enacted at the end. I seem drawn to a similar colour palette for these drawings which obviously has some deeper significance. I could try and work it out intellectually but I think that would take away from the beautiful instinctive mystery they transmit."
Congratulations, Cara!
Our Runners-Up
- Sean Jefferson (At the Intersection of a Visible and Invisible Path, Oil on panel 18"x11", below left)
- Nguyen Duc Hung (Sound From Heaven 120 x 84cm, Ink on paper, below right)
Sean says: "The experience of being 'pixie led' is preceded by a sense of the 'eerie'. I have tried to evoke this by distortions of scale and perspective in a loose representation of a little corner of the Darenth Valley (Samuel Palmer's Golden Valley). I have used a separate colour palette for the elemental spirits, made visible by use of a sapphire wand, by 'two field biologists of the astral plane'. The work is partially inspired by the, probably genuine in some way, 5th photograph of the Cottingley Fairies."
Nguyen says: "With my spiritual research and life philosophy, I have created works of art that focus on meditation and enlightenment from consciousness to soul. Today's life has become civilized, besides it also creates many changes. Thus, there exist two opposing states in human life, suffering and happiness. Therefore, only intellectual and spiritual enlightenment can lead one to liberation from the influence of negative desires. The line between good and evil, good and bad. Humans have strived to find solutions to reach their own liberation, thereby progressing towards greater perfection in life and adorning the world for the better. The "existence" in my paintings here is no longer a response to everyday life, but also a liberation of the soul. This life is full of difficulties, hardships, hardships and temptations, but I still see things in my own way towards a better life. The inspiration for meditation - goodwill, insight, enlightenment and liberation is always present in my writings."
Our Judge's Choices
- Blue Spirit by Carrie Neiss (Gill's choice, below left)
- Angelic Guidance by Christian Román (Henry's choice, below centre)
- The Whole by Marianne McCarthy (Vivienne's choice, below right)
Remaining shortlisted artists
Melissa Alley, Lydia Assor, Paola Bay, Geoffrey Beitz, Zoe Dorelli, Nathan, Drury, Diane Eagles, Daniel Gonçalves, Yassica Ferrer, Ginger Gilmour, Elizabeth Harwood, Patrick Hourihan, Fanny Jemmely, Ian Johns, Cynthia Johnson, Amy Louise Johnston, Anji Main, Judith Maizels, Allen Moore o2o, Linny Nash, Julia Oak, Isa Papasian, Franziska Pohlmann, Evelyne Postic, Ione Georgina Powell, Brendan Rawlings, RivaEtAl, Mientje Smeyers, Jane Stephens and Holly Trinkwon.
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