Gold Medal Show: 2008

Romel Della Torre
(Gold medal, People's Choice)





Stuart Fullerton





Don Yang






Michael Van Zeyl






Detail of the above








Clayton Beck III







Stephen Giannini







Barbara Lockhart





Kathleen Newman







Phil Renaud







Roger Akers







Nancy Albrecht






Barbara Herring







Christine Body







George Clark



Commentary:

Overall,
this was a disappointing show for me,
because I know that these people
are not presenting their best work,
and
why else have a
"Gold medal Show"?


The most successful paintings were,
as usual,
the small landscapes.

Hats off to the Plein Aire painters
of Chicago!

Figure painting
is so much more difficult
in so many ways,
and I appreciate the challenge
that Michael Van Zeyl set himself
with a 5 figure painting
(or 8 -- counting the reflections in the mirror)

I also enjoyed the drama
attempted by Stephen Giannini,
and the strangeness
of Don Yang's
version of Natanya.