“Through the Looking Glass” - MCA’s 4th Annual ‘Best of the Best’ Juried Art Exhibit

BEST OF SHOW

Dimensions: 30 x 24 x 1.5
What is the MEDIUM of the piece? (ie: acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, clay sculpture, etc.): Acrylic
What is the inspiration behind your piece?: I was inspired by creating a painting of Alice in wonderland that shows not only Alice going through the mirror, but how she got up on the fireplace, but also hints at where she’s going.

FIRST PLACE

Dimensions: 24 x 36 x 1.5
What is the MEDIUM of the piece? (ie: acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, clay sculpture, etc.): Oil Paint
What is the inspiration behind your piece?: I was inspired by the Mad Hatter character from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and the sequel Through the Looking Glass and what Alice found there. I feel that the character best represents the madness and absurdity of the stories. I feel like we all have a bit of madness in us somewhere. The Hatter Character was inspired by real life Hatters and the madness affecting them as a result of their work and as an Artist I sometimes feel like the process of creation can bring out my inner madness.

SECOND PLACE

Dimensions: 18 x 24 x 1.5
What is the MEDIUM of the piece? (ie: acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, clay sculpture, etc.): acrylic
What is the inspiration behind your piece?: The Red Queen - Deadly, beautiful, coldhearted, determined.

THIRD PLACE

Dimensions: 30 x 22
What is the MEDIUM of the piece? (ie: acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, clay sculpture, etc.): Charcoal on paper
What is the inspiration behind your piece?: Inspired by award winning artist Grace Netanya and Alice in Wonderland

HONORABLE MENTION

Dimensions: 16 x 20 x 1.5
What is the MEDIUM of the piece? (ie: acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, clay sculpture, etc.): Oil paint on canvas
What is the inspiration behind your piece?: I created a portrait of an experience inspired by what I imagine exists in the realm of Alice and Wonderland. I see a cryptic multidimensional conversation that only leads our protagonist and the viewer to be more confused than prior to the start of it.

HONORABLE MENTION

Dimensions: 48 x 28 x 28
What is the MEDIUM of the piece? (ie: acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, clay sculpture, etc.): Mixed media.
What is the inspiration behind your piece?: This piece is inspired by this year's Applaud the Arts theme - Through the Looking Glass. It's about my transition from the military to civilian life. I have found that for many, it can be a hard and heavy transition... Bringing all kinds of emotional baggage, good and not so good, and many different forms of PTSD. It represents my struggle to find a healthy mental balance, going from a place of darkness to light. By examing the past, I can now love myself and my future.

Gallery Director Award

Dimensions: 20 x 16 x 1.5
What is the MEDIUM of the piece? (ie: acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, clay sculpture, etc.): Oil and cold wax
What is the inspiration behind your piece?: This painting was inspired by the theme Through the Looking Glass. What is behind that door? Does it lead to infinite happiness or your own demise.

Executive Director Award

Dimensions: 24.75 x 22.75 x 1.5
What is the MEDIUM of the piece? (ie: acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, clay sculpture, etc.): glass, ApoxieSculpt, grout on wood substrate
What is the inspiration behind your piece?: Alice begins her journey through the looking glass and enters the dreamlike world along a checkered and confusing path. The looking glass is at the top of the path and is shattered throughout the blue sky of her journey. She happens upon the Cheshire Cat perched atop a brambling tree. And so my tale begins.

Dimensions: 5.5 x 6.5 x 6.5
What is the MEDIUM of the piece? (ie: acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, clay sculpture, etc.): Mixed media
What is the inspiration behind your piece?: I really wanted to create an illusion box that screams wonderland, And gets curiouser and curiouser the more you look

Dimensions: 48 x 48
What is the MEDIUM of the piece? (ie: acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, clay sculpture, etc.): Acrylic
What is the inspiration behind your piece?: This piece and series was inspired by a conversation I had over dinner with a friend about the Imposter Syndrome. I was intrigued that this highly successful professional had thoughts of not being good enough or smart enough.

Dimensions: 36 x 36 x 1
What is the MEDIUM of the piece? (ie: acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, clay sculpture, etc.): acrylic
What is the inspiration behind your piece?: I tried to create what Alice saw looking through the glass and following the rabbit

Dimensions: 12 x 20 x 10.5
What is the MEDIUM of the piece? (ie: acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, clay sculpture, etc.): mixed media
What is the inspiration behind your piece?: the challenge of turning garbage into a charming sculptural display.

Dimensions: 12 x 24 x 1
What is the MEDIUM of the piece? (ie: acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, clay sculpture, etc.): Acrylic
What is the inspiration behind your piece?: Researching Lewis Carroll, his book Alice’s Through the Looking Glass and Jefferson Airplane’s song White Rabbit

Dimensions: 32 x 48 x 3
What is the MEDIUM of the piece? (ie: acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, clay sculpture, etc.): Mixed-media hand painted collage on a framed, wooden panel.
What is the inspiration behind your piece?: I am absolutely inspired by God's creation. The mountains are my first love with the ocean being a close second. This piece is one of many to come in a series of work I will call, "From Sea to Shining Sea".

Dimensions: 18 x 22.5 x 0.75
What is the MEDIUM of the piece? (ie: acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, clay sculpture, etc.): The Good Boy is done on 140 lb.cold press Arches paper
What is the inspiration behind your piece?: The Good Boy is inspired by my love of dogs and the magical connection between man and his best friend.

Dimensions: 14 x 20 x 1.5
What is the MEDIUM of the piece? (ie: acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, clay sculpture, etc.): Watercolor and Acrylic on Paper
What is the inspiration behind your piece?: Go ask Alice

Dimensions: 3.5 x 4.5 x 1
What is the MEDIUM of the piece? (ie: acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, clay sculpture, etc.): Watercolor
What is the inspiration behind your piece?: This watercolor was inspired by nature and the story of Alice as she finds herself in an upside-down world, a metaphor for the world today. Finding the creative truth and the joy in the little things is my passion. I seek to capture enduring moments in my artistic style, simply and thoughtfully often with a little whimsy. The blending of hues and the layering reflects differently in the transitioning light of the day. I love the possibilities and evolution this original piece presents as it aw

Dimensions: 16 x 20
What is the MEDIUM of the piece? (ie: acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, clay sculpture, etc.): Acrylic on canvas.
What is the inspiration behind your piece?: My art is inspired by a sense of inner reflection.

Dimensions: 24 x 29 x 2.5
What is the MEDIUM of the piece? (ie: acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, clay sculpture, etc.): Framed Oil on canvas
What is the inspiration behind your piece?: This was inspired by the world and all we are enduring. There are symbols throughout the piece to remind us of the peace we have around and inside us.

Dimensions: 60 x 48 x 2
What is the MEDIUM of the piece? (ie: acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, clay sculpture, etc.): Oil on Canvas
What is the inspiration behind your piece?: The garden of Eden and human kinds innate sense to follow their own personal hungers is the immediate theme to this particular work. Temptation paired with adoration along with restraint and scrutiny amalgamate into a dichotomy of surreal expressionism.