Congratulations to Kerri McAuliffe, whose work has been recognized in the PleinAir Salon, a monthly art competition with cash prizes and many categories in which to enter your art.
Art Competition Spotlight: Inspiration and Process for a Winning Portrait Drawing
BY KERRI MCAULIFFE
My Inspiration Behind Creating “Ava”
Dramatic light contrasted with deep shadows and Ava’s somber expression, was just the beginning of my inspiration for this drawing (shown at top).
Ava is a beautiful, sensitive, precocious child, and a twin to her sister, Olivia. I cared for them for almost three years, submerged in their imaginary and magical worlds, where an abundance of drama sets the stage for a plethora of expressions.
Ava’s deep, childlike pondering and precarious emotion, coupled with the playful breeze in her sunlit hair, is simply a statement of why art is made.
My Inspiration for Entering “Ava” in the Plein Air Salon
I was inspired to enter “Ava” into the Plein Air Salon because not only is it a great way to get exposure for your work, but I find that competitions personally challenge and motivate me to create some of my best work.
Originally, I made the drawing of Ava to enter it into a juried competition. The acceptance provided the opportunity for the piece to be in a show at The Steamboat Art Museum in Colorado. So, making a habit of entering competitions, I feel, is well worth the effort.
Entering the Plein Air Salon is a great opportunity for artists to enter their best work. There are multiple categories and monthly judges. What makes this competition unique is that you can enter the same artwork continually … and a new judge will see it. Different judges all like different things, so my advice is, be encouraged, enter, and get some recognition for all your hard work. You deserve it!
My Portrait Drawing Process
I love expressing the portrait using charcoal. I usually incorporate both the vine and compressed charcoal in my drawings. It provides a great variety of line quality, bold darks, soft gradations, and is extremely easy to manipulate and correct.
My process is simple. I start with a light block-in with the vine charcoal to establish correct proportions and then build up the drawing slowly with darker darks as the drawing progresses.
From the beginning, I also try to establish a good idea of what background shapes, or vignette, I will arrange to compliment the portrait.
Visit Kerri McAuliffe online at kerrimcauliffe.com.
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Other categories for this art competition include Best Building, Best Drawing and Sketches, and many more! Visit pleinairsalon.com to view the complete list.
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