Winners! for the 34th International Miniature Art Show

May 24, 2025

34th International Miniature Art Show at the Seaside Gallery, Nags Head, NC

Judge’s Decisions

I’ve been a part of many juried and judged shows over the years. I’ve also been rejected from several shows, even after submitting what I thought was my better work. I always tell my students that judging is always uniquely particular and subjective and you may not understand or agree with the judge(s) decisions. But we have to keep doing our best work, for ourselves and no-one else. And, if it is important for us to get eyes on your work (and I think it is…after all, art makes the world a better place!) then we need to keep on entering those exhibits, judged or not. It can be frequently disappointing, to say the least. I hope my decisions here don’t dissuade anyone from keeping on making your beautiful art. This is the toughest show I’ve ever judged, due to the incredible talent displayed, the excellent
craftsmanship, and the sheer quantity and variety of entries. I wish I had more awards to give, for sure. I spent many hours looking at ALL of the entries, and judged many of them according to 18 different criteria…(edge quality, value map, use of space, perspective, use of color, composition, surface quality, presentation, etc) One suggestion I would make to everyone who puts their pieces under glass, is to use anti-reflective acrylic or glass if possible. It makes such a difference when
judging them against other pieces, or when attempting to look closely at the pieces, which is required for miniatures! After the initial evaluations, I set aside the highest scoring pieces and was forced to judge them by comparison, the mood they elicited, and other intangible or personal impressions. I also took into account the Miniature Artists of America exhibit rule: “Miniature art is often described as "fine original art done in small scale." A commonly accepted American guideline among many of
today's miniaturists is that subjects do not exceed one-sixth their natural size. Exceptions are permitted for abstractions or tiny subjects not lending themselves to the "one-sixth" application provided they embrace the delicate essence and spirit of miniaturism.” Please join me in congratulating the winning artists this year.
Sincerely,
Lori Goll, PSA

FIRST PLACE - Lynn Ponto-Peterson “Lost and Found” (opaque watercolor)
At first glance you may think this is cliché or sentimental subject matter. But when you see this hanging on the wall of the gallery it almost looks like a 3D relief. The forms of the girl and the lamb are so well depicted, with dramatic light and shadow, believable textures, subdued harmonic color and masterful handling of the fabric. The eyes of both the girl and the lamb follow you, and the expression on the girl’s face suggests possibly conflicting emotions. I suspect that this period piece is a religious reference, but regardless, it sure elicits feelings in me.

SECOND PLACE - Akiko Watanabe “Looking Back” (acrylic) This dynamic painting had it all…beautiful and dramatic light and shadow, skilled use of edges in portraying textures, believable spot pattern, etc. The handling of the fur and textures of the belly and hindquarter make it feel almost palpable. It seems like at any moment he will turn his head back around and saunter off.

THIRD PLACE - Irina Kouznetsova “Colorful Bird” (oil) This tiny painting is achingly beautiful. The artist composed the bird and the vegetation perfectly in the beautiful oval frame. The complimentary color scheme enhances the beauty. Through a magnifying glass you can see the incredible skill of the artist through the perfectly depicted leaves, fruits, and feathers.

HONORABLE MENTION - Susan Triplehorn “Houses at the Beach” (graphite and watercolor) I loved this little painting the first time I saw it, and I kept going back to look at it again and again. It is just charming and whimsical. With correct but loose perspective, a subdued and pleasant primary color scheme, and just enough believable detail to make you keep looking, I knew I had to recognize it. The placement of the playful flowers in the foreground and the confidence to leave the sky alone were other delightful qualities.

BEST WATERCOLOR/GOUACHE - Anne Landis “Emergence” (transparent watercolor)
This was the toughest category to judge, with by far the most entries and very different subject matter. This one really evoked a mood, though, and I kept going back to it. I love the rich color of the blue vase, and the deep shadows, all of which made the white flowers glow right out of the paper. The clever composition of the diagonal dark and light areas kept my eye moving around and around.

BEST OIL/ACRYLIC - Judy Lalingo “Ladybird” (acrylic) This tender portrayal of a female cardinal is hard to stop looking at. The artist convinces us of a warmly lit atmosphere even with the dark foreground and cool background. The color is absolutely beautiful. One of the things I do when I judge is put a monochromatic filter on the painting to look at the value structure. This painting holds its own even when “blown up” to be put on the show poster!

BEST DRAWING/COLORED PENCIL - Sue deLearie Adair “Formal Attire” (graphite)
The artist shows amazing skill in depicting all the varied textures of the animal using (mostly) graphite…beautiful soft fur, shiny liquid eyes, harder little nose and whiskery whiskers. This is another piece that stands out on the wall, and draws you in to look more closely.

BEST GRAPHIC - Viviene de Kosinsky “Hare Piece” (hand-colored etching) The clever design of this little hand-colored etching keeps your eye moving around and around. With the bold color choices, it beckoned me from across the room to have a closer look. And the little tortoise, which appears as almost a stamp, is a clever addition to the story.

BEST SCULPTURE - Paul Eaton “Ice Bears” (sterling silver and aquamarine) This sculpture stood out from all the other beautiful entries, with it’s icy coolness. There is definite poignancy about the way the small family of bears clings to the beautiful aquamarine ice. And the smooth silver base lets us know that the ice is melting. This piece is breathtakingly beautiful.

BEST OTHER MEDIA - Claire Russell “Sun Worshiper” (22ct gold leaf on glass)
This artist uses an innovative and inventive technique! This piece draws you in to look at it closely…the photograph doesn’t really show this too much, but the use of the gold leaf as the hot sunlight, with the lizard and the shadow etched out and painted in black, was very interesting and effective.

BEST LANDSCAPE/ARCHITECTURE - Christian Rzyski “Peaceful III”. (gouache) This was another tough category to judge. This little landscape was a fascinating combination of a faux-naive style and a superbly rendered scene. Through a magnifying glass one can see individual branches and leaves painted in an orderly but still random manner. The atmosphere is mysterious and beautiful, and the color palette tranquil and believable. It makes one feel good, but perhaps a little wistful, to look at it.

BEST PERSON - Valarie Wolf "Stillness I” (oil) I loved this classic, timeless, and moody painting the first time I saw it. The expression and feminine posture of the young woman are enhanced by the sensitive use of chiaroscuro. The dove adds another dimension and interest to this allegorical painting. It is just lovely and unforgettable.

BEST BIRDS/ANIMALS - Rachelle Siegrist -Dressing to the Nines (opaque watercolor)
Animals and birds are the subjects of a lot of my own paintings, and I was fascinated by this little painting. I had to look up the bump on the Pelican bill (caruncle) which apparently is an ornament developed by both male and female birds during mating season. This piece has a delightful rosy glow, with prismatic light colors in the “white” feathers, and lots of warm reflected light. When looking at this painting, one feels like they’re witnessing a beautiful and primal animal love story.

BEST STILL LIFE/FLORAL Sheri Liebschner “Still Life with Gouda”. (watercolor) This is one of the most amazing little paintings I’ve ever seen. At only 3/4” tall, one realizes that these plump and juicy grapes are less than 1/8” round. The glass bottle is in the “distance” with it’s subtle highlights and vague but believable label. The value map with it’s cool light and warm shadows and the composition keep your eye moving. I was also surprised to read that these deep rich colors were achieved using watercolor. Amazing!

BEST ABSTRACT - H. Linda Trope-In Balance II (ink)
This piece not only stood out for it’s bold color, pattern and design, but under close examination with a magnifying glass, the skill and precision of the artist was astounding. The line quality and the evenly-applied stippling was amazing. It almost looked like it was mechanically printed, but it was hand-drawn, proving great patience and skill of the artist.

BEST OTHER SUBJECT - John R Good “Shrikes & Egyptian Tomb Painting” (colored pencil) This unusual blending of bird illustrations and Egyptian Tomb painting design elements was imaginative, daring, and very creative. The more you look, the more you see and the more you think! I’d like to know more about this artist and this painting. Also, I was impressed by the rich color achieved using colored pencils.

PEOPLE'S CHOICE - Luanne House "Morning Reflections" (oil). This award was chosen by 180 people that came into see the show and voted. Most people that came to see the show were too amazed to try to pick one piece, so thank you to those that took on this daunting task. 

OTHERS I LOVED (judge: Lori Goll)

Here are some other beautiful paintings that there just weren’t enough awards for. These were some of the last to be eliminated from the final judging table, and it hurt my heart. Keep up the good and beautiful work!

Mary Hathaway - Carolina Panthers (oil) This piece didn’t follow the 1:6 proportion rule so it wasn’t eligible for an award, but I loved it so much that I BOUGHT it. Mysterious, compelling, beautiful!

Karla Mann - Just Hanging Out (oil) This beautiful piece was one of the last ones to be “eliminated” from the awards. The color, depiction of light, textures of the animal, and the design of the vegetation were almost flawless. The relaxed
but ready posture and the alert look in the eyes let us know that he may stealth off at any second.

Sherri Trial “In The Dark Pine-Wood” (mixed media) This tiny piece was expertly crafted, unique and memorable. With so many components (embroidery, embossing?, lettering, etc), each one so well done, I’m in awe of the multiple skills of the artist.

Tony Craig “Gramophone Needles” (watercolor) If you’ve ever painted with watercolors, you will surely recognize the incredible difficulty of this subject matter. I encourage you to look at it closely on the seasideart.com website. The artist had to painstakingly paint around the white letters, controlling bleeding and edges. I am blown away by the skill and patience shown by this artist, using this unforgiving media. Bravo!

Christine Bass “Sunny Border” (pastel) I think its challenging to depict bright colors convincingly in bright light and shadow, but this artist has done so in this beautiful little pastel painting. It depicts a garden hedge with mixed flowers…an interesting enough subject, but the artist creates a lovely tranquil mood with her use of subtle shadow colors and soft edges.

Jean Cook “On the Wing”. (Oil) I was very glad to be introduced to the work of this artist. I love the warm color palette, pleasant feeling of light, the loose brushwork, and daring composition.

Debby Faulkner-Stevens ‘As Beautiful As Spring” (gouache) This artist demonstrates excellence in almost every category…lettering, composition, rendering, etc. The seasonal colors contribute to springy mood, and the interesting patterns in the background are reminiscent of illuminated manuscripts of the past.

Ozlem Tasel “Lemonade Dreams” (oil) This beautiful little piece stands out on the wall with it’s beautiful bright yellow lemons and primary color palette. All of the elements…the bowl, fabric, and lemons are rendered expertly. Just a beautiful
little piece!

Linda Rossin “Shore Decor” (acrylic) This little piece had it all...delightful color palette, a clever composition, convincing portrayal of the multiple textures, light and shadow, variety of edges, etc. Just not enough awards!!!

I have to stop because I’m out of room. SO much beautiful work! - - Lori Goll

Also in Blog