"Explorations in Colored Pencil II" award winners

Friday, September 6 was opening day for our Explorations in Colored Pencil II show at the Coastal Arts League gallery in downtown Half Moon Bay, CA.  The opening reception was a success!  Thanks to the kind folks at CAL, Chris Swetlin who hung the show, Nenette Santos who took charge of the refreshments, and Mike Purdy who took photos.  An original and several prints were sold on the first day.

There are 40 pieces in the show, by 13 artists.  The show runs through October 6.  Go see it if you can--it's a strong show!  We heard that some of the locals are saying it's one of the best the CAL gallery has hosted in years.

The show was juried for awards by Half Moon Bay gallery owner Ellen Joseph, who had this to say about the difficult task:

Walking into this diverse exhibit, I was struck by the high level of skill visible in each piece. It is amazing to me that colored pencils can produce such brilliant results. It was certainly a challenge to pick just a few winners because each entry has it's unique beauty and story to tell. I applaud all the artists who contributed to this show. Keep up the excellent work!

Here are the award winners!

1st Place and $100:
Rest Stop by Gemma Gylling

2nd Place and $50:
Sophie by Megan Seiter

3rd Place and $25:
Malibu Succulents II by Phillip Zubiate III

Honorable Mention:
Reflections by Gemma Gylling

Honorable Mention:
California Poppy Quintet by Denise Howard

Honorable Mention:
Pescadero Surf by Christopher Swetlin

Phil Zubiate receives his 3rd Place certificate from DC210 president Denise Howard

Chris Swetlin receives his Honorable Mention certificate from DC210 president Denise Howard

Here are some miscellaneous photos from the reception....

To see even more photos from the reception, click here.