Organic By Nature

As an element of art, the term shape refers to an area that can normally be defined by line. Generally shapes are described as either geometric or organic. Instead of focusing on the type of structure brought on by the focus on geometric shapes, here we ask artists to explore the more free flowing or irregular designs found in nature. Open still to the full spectrum from realistic to non-representational, here we focus on the more free form designs. Juror: Victor Wang The Juried Artists:			CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE EXHIBITION ALBUM
Serena Boschert Ross Clark David Coleman Steve Femmer Julie Ferguson Jan Foulk Marcia Gay Karol Keeteman John W. Kuntze	Kathryn E. Leventhal-Arnold Dennis McCarthy Shirley Nachtrieb Jazmine Poblette Ginger Repke Judith A. Repke Sherry Salant Annie Scheumbauer Christy Schneller	Nora Schomogy Jamie Smith Carl Stone Lee Walter Ann Widner Jody Williams Linda S. Wilmes Joyce Yarbrough

First Place "Dried Palm Branch" Annie Scheumbauer	Second Place "Dogwood Collage" Shirley Nachtrieb	Third Place "Remnants #1" Shirley Nachtrieb
Honorable Mention "No Sign of Ivy" Serena Boschert	Honorable Mention "Best After Ever" Serena Boschert	Honorable Mention "Woodland Rest" Linda S. Wilmes
Honorable Mention "Empty Nest" Joyce Yarbrough	Honorable Mention "Summer: Missouri Botanical Garden" Annie Scheumbauer	Honorable Mention "Birdie Hill" Shirley Nachtrieb

Juror's Statement:
I am honored to be a juror for the Organic by Nature Show. I found interesting art works created from the artists’ discovery of nature, allowing them to showcase recreations and reinterpretations of their observations. I avoided looking for elements of common beauty and instead focused on the certain artists’ unique interpretation and dialogues formed from nature. Several works were quite intriguing in the way the artist carefully selected form, color and textures to engage viewer curiosity. My particular favorites were, Dried Palm Branch, Dogwood Collage, Remnants #1, Empty Nest, and Summer – MO Botanical Garden. These works were able to elicit the viewer’s intrigue and could allow the audience to obtain a sense of the artists’ unique views of nature. Hope you enjoy the show!
Juror: Victor Wang

People's Choice Award
"Not Charlotte's Web"
Julie Ferguson

About the Juror:

American artist Victor Wang was born in China and attended the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts, receiving his BFA. He then came to Washington University as a Visiting Scholar and earned his MFA at Fontbonne University in St. Louis MO, where he is now a Professor of Painting and Drawing in the Department of Fine Arts. Wang is the author of the books: Memoir of Sunflower and Three Major Traditional Techniques of Oil Painting. His incorporation of collages of figures from China’s Tang Dynasty represents his Chinese heritage and is a constant reminder for him of where he came from. The texture and earthiness on the canvas’s surface are inspired by the texture of the soil on the farm where he worked in China. As an artist, Wang’s contemporary figurative work in oil often incorporates imagery inspired by the sunflower farms where he spent his childhood and later in life, in a “reeducation” camp during China’s Cultural Revolution. Wang uses the human face as a vehicle to paint human experiences - worry and wonder, sadness and pleasure - which reflect the emotional stage directly tied to his immigration experiences. His work has been featured in Solo and Group Exhibitions across the country, including galleries in Chicago, New York, Santa Fe, and Los Angeles. Learn more about Victor Wang and view his work at www.victorwang.net.