Elements of Nature 2022
Art Exhibition Winners
Below are the biographies and/or artist's statements along with the artist's websites or emails.
Please visit the Elements of Nature exhibition page and contact the artists directly for purchase inquiries or to see more of their work.
Congratulations again to all the winners and thank you for sharing your talent with us.
Two Stars
Mixed Media
Margarita Henriksson
First Place Winner
“…My parents are artists, and already from my childhood I was in love with Art. I am very interested to work in different styles of Art: digital, computer graphics, animated graphics, illustrations and paintings in vanguard, visionary and abstract style. There I show the difference and beauty of our world: nature, history, people, theatre, cosmos, and different situations which can happen with us. My latest experiments spread out to new different ideas – from an ice-cream and sweets to a car, engines, geometrical figures, cosmos voyageur - everything where I can use my fantasy…” Since 2016-2021 - I began to participate in different international Art exhibitions /contest online and offline in Russia, France, Cyprus, China, Belarus, Denmark, Slovenia, Turkey, Italy, Sweden, Israel, Greece, Serbia, India, USA. Since 2020 –Member of International Academy of Contemporary Art/ Russia/, and Swedish Association of Artist.
Description of my works: “Serenity”- art photo, which shows the three elements of nature - air, earth, and water in the moment of complete pacification. On the horizon, air and water are completely merged with each other - giving the impression of an indissoluble integrity. Only a thin strip of land dividing them, reminds that there is a lake in front of us, grey rainy clouds looking in the lake like in a giant mirror. In front of the green background is a spidernet with many silver rays scattered in different directions, as if embracing and, uniting all elements of nature, which gives life to everyone and everything on our planet. “Two stars” – artwork where reality is intertwined with fantasy. The plot behind of this work is about two stars – one in the sea and one in the heaven. The starfish dreams of changing her fate and raise up on the sky in the constellation “Cygnus”. And in the moment of a storm, with the help of a powerful wind, her dream comes true. The starfish, with a strong effort of will, rises to the peak of the highest wave, and the wind, picking her up in the sky. This is a very beautiful fairy tale, that tells - that the most cherished dreams can come true with willpower and a great desire. In my work I have combined all elements of nature: water, air, earth (in this case, the seabed) and fire (on the horizon we can see the reflections of the sunset, which represent the fire). And perhaps the fifth element of nature – can be the stars, which often are associated with people’s dreams.
Underwater Rays
8 x 10
Raymond Enriquez
Second Place
Photographing Nature aids in the understanding of my own self-awareness. It eases my mind and soul and momentarily allows me to forget about any stress, anxieties or insecurities in life. When I connect with nature, I feel that I am able to live in the present moment; indulged in the vibrations of the earth, its beauty and its ability to evoke a sense of wonder and imagination. On the quest to express gratitude for nature, my work portrays the tranquil, refreshing and healing powers of the earth, with hopes to encourage preservation, self-awareness, and self-healing.
Blown Away
Digital Photo
16 x 20
Elizabeth Kayl
Third Place
I have always been told that I have an “eye” for capturing a good photograph. Driving down the road or walking along a city sidewalk, I am constantly seeking to find that perfect composition or subject to frame in my mind, hoping that my camera is with me. It wasn’t until the pandemic hit that I became serious about sharing my work with a broader audience than just my family and have been pleased with the success I have received in doing so. As a photographer by passion and not trade, I am intrigued by both the ordinary and extraordinary. For whatever reason, I am particularly drawn toward abstractions and unusual landscapes and have an affinity for the subject matter of trees, skies, and architecture.
Theodore Heublein
Honorable Mention
Why do you paint?’ is often asked of me. My answer is the question, ‘why do you breathe?’ There is something that has driven me from my earliest recollections, to try and capture that perfect moment I experience in the field, underwater, or on the ice, that I want to share. The world I see can be so beautiful it’s breathtaking. I paint all over the world out 'in the wild' at all times of day or night, and paint underwater with scuba gear, to try and capture these moments in various media. I work using Transparent Watercolors, Acrylics, and Oils, depending on what I feel can best express the scene (as well as what materials I can travel with!).My hope is to share these moments with the viewer as close to the immediacy of this experience as I can. I do use a camera as well, for later exploration of the experience in the studio from my personal reference. I share a portion of the sale of my pieces with several marine non-profits and National Parks to raise awareness of and care for our resources. Continuing projects include exploring new (for me) paint colors, painting at night, and revisiting older subject matter with my current eyes.
Ekaterina Lestienne
Honorable Mention
My layered, detailed, textured digital collages refer to the multi-dimensional soul of the world: the combination of the seen and the unseen. It is my intention to inspire those who see my work to look more carefully at the world around them, to feel the connection to the beauty that surrounds us. I ultimately hope to create a space in which people embrace creativity, humanity and compassion celebrating every moment of life.
Christine McCann
Honorable Mention
Christine McCann is a New York City photographer whose primary inspirations are cities and shorelines. Her work is mainly representational and true-to-life but very occasionally includes abstract images. She is self-taught.
Christine McCann - Artist Statement
I love stormy weather. Foreboding skies. Excited air. Moody drenched days. These energize me and draw me to capture the fleeting light and intense colors that precede dramatic weather. I also love cities. To walk in cities is to be alone and anonymous yet connected to humanity and life through every other who shares that urban space. Like powerful, uncontrollable weather, a city immerses and acts on you. I seek to reveal the physicality and spirituality of a city, its grace and flow, it’s reality, the natural world it supports. I strive also to document the beauty in the everyday life and routines of a city’s people - those moments that may be mundane or suddenly made memorable by manifold unpredictable elements.
Maria Puma Perme
Honorable Mention
My creative focus and passion is capturing and creating photos that represent the inextricable connection to all and to highlight the innate essence of God/Divine Spirit in all beings. My style is casual yet professional in nature, welcoming and real. Nature is my biggest teacher, and I am continually surprised, amazed, and enthralled by the Earth's resiliency and beauty and what she teaches. As a photographer, I observe and intuit ways to highlight my subject matter bringing out natural playfulness, joy, and expression. I work with you to co-create photos that are beautiful, natural, and unique.
Julie Simon
Honorable Mention
My work crosses traditional boundaries. Trained in traditional film and video production, I’ve gravitated away from representational reality and toward the abstract and non-linear across many media, most recently photography. I’m most interested in line, shape, and form and how perception changes when the subject is segmented and magnified. Photographing nature lends itself to this theory. By shooting in macro, a flower isn’t just a flower anymore. By printing it large, and removing its context, it becomes something new entirely. I’ve been working with the photographic process for more than 40 years - first in television news, and then in corporate media and education. After receiving an M.F.A. in Film/Video Production, I began to exhibit my experimental video, photographic, and interactive work on television and in art galleries/museums and on the web. I’ve won a number of prestigious awards for a wide range of media projects. I teach photography and video production at The University of Baltimore.
Jim Whaley
Honorable Mention
Jim Whaley makes visual art in rural Wisconsin. It often is Digital Art, though occasionally he will also do acrylics on canvas. He received an MBA from Lake Forest, only to discover that an MFA would actually have more art content. On the other hand, he has really got tight workflow, inventory management, and optimized debt vs capital resources that you seldom see in modern art.