Past News

Contest Winners Congratulations go out to Marie Strydom. The Contest Committee has announced that Sea side Sunset has won the Nature's Art vote and the $100 prize. In second place finished Mt Ruapehu by NJMcClunie. In second place also finished Bubo Bubo Bengalensis by kronus. And tied for third place was Of natural design by FXFortune and Swan Lake Ballet by MissNoma. Posted May 9 Contest Winners Beau Baigner by Mike Roberts is the new Traditional Artwork of the Month. In second place finished Alpha bite by Wolf-girl. In third place finished Dia de Mercado en Atitlan by venix. Posted May 8 Contest Winners Congratulations go out to Katy. Sleep is the new Mixed Media Photograph of the Month. In second place finished Winter's Breath by channeled. In third place finished A duck landing by perole. Posted May 7 Contest Winners American Resolve, Oil on canvas by Mike Roberts is the winner of the New Arrival Art contest and the $100 prize. In second place finished I dare ya! by Julie Dennett. In third place finished charm by LOUISE DIONNE. Posted May 1 Contest Winners Congratulations go out to lil_nitelite. Pansy Magic has won the New Arrival Photography vote and the $100 prize. In second place finished Harry the Hairy Bee by Rockdoc. In third place finished A Sticky Place To Be by mshuterbug. Posted Apr. 30 Contest Winners Congratulations go out to DrCArt222. Sands of the Serengeti is the new Digital Composition of the Month. In second place finished Winter's Last Stand by Clyde B.. In third place finished Just Hanging Out by S.I.Sheehan. Posted Apr. 20 Contest Winner The Reviewer Recognition Panel has announced that Heartfelt Annie has won the Reviewing Competition and the $100 prize. This monthly competition rewards reviewers that write detailed and helpful reviews. Click here for information on the Reviewing Competition. Posted Apr. 15 Contest Winners Congratulations go out to Theolonius. Marsh Fork Falls, WV Feb 08 has won the Traditional Photograph of the Month vote. In second place finished Atlantic storm by FXFortune. In third place finished Waiting for you by dtrsommer. Posted Apr. 14 Site Upgrade A site upgrade has been released. When artists reply to reviews a new confirmation page is shown that shows the saved replies. From this page an artist can nominate reviewers for the reviewing competition that offers a cash prize. In addition, we have expanded our "content sharing" feature. Artists can share and bookmark their work by using the buttons provided on the new "Share This" toolbar shown below the posted work (if content sharing is turned on). Posted Apr. 12 Contest Winner A winner has been announced for the Family Art contest. The committee has announced that family beach scene by skoropinski1 has won the Family Art contact. In second place finished Family Portrait by MinoYasue. In third place finished Family as Traveling Tribe by Iconoclast. The committee members have the option to comment on the winners. Comments For "family beach scene" by skoropinski1 Amazing amount of beautiful detail in this warm vibrant colored painting. the brush work is simply awesome, excellent composition and depth. telling the story of a family day together. just loved it. 'family beach scene' is an exceptional piece of artwork offering the viewer plenty of exciting detail to enjoy and study. Beautiful colors, great shading, blending, and highlighting giving this a super impact, a thrill to view! I would like to say this is some amazing water color artwork with an emphasize on work and I would think this piece has a lot of it. Although work I can clearly see the joy and talent in the brush. A breathtaking entry and a sure winner for this competition. Brilliant work. Fits the theme to a T. Love all the detail she has accomplished. Great work! Comments For "Family Portrait" by MinoYasue lovely color balance with a wealth of detail. great composition. love the warmth this painting radiates. Your extreme attention to detail makes your artwork such a thrill to view and study. The simple fact that you have given the male child the mother's eyes and the female child the father's eyes shows to me your passion you put into each piece you create. This is a stand out piece of work and a thrill to view! Love the brillance you have allowed to show through with this pencil work. The joy of family is portrayed from corner to corner. So very expressive on the high and joyous end of the spectrum. A wonderful portrait of family. Love all the details in this one. Well done! Posted Apr. 10 Contest Winner Congratulations go out to yankeesbaddest. Dying in my hands is the new Traditional Artwork of the Month. In second place finished Winter Retreat by michaelJH. In second place also finished Eyes of Owl's #10 by Life Portraits. And tied for third place was Blue Birds by JP's Creations. Posted Apr. 9 Contest Winner The Contest Committee has announced that Having Fun by sms467 has won the Family Photography contest. In second place finished Brother and sister by FXFortune. In third place finished A Journey Begins by Nick1. Some members have shared comments about the winning entries. Comments For "Having Fun" by sms467 I love the closeness and happy playful spirit of these two. Certainly a priceless photo for the family album to look back on and cherish in years to come. great black and white shot, the fun is plain to see. beautiful impact filled composition with excellent clear focus. love it. 'Having Fun' is a truly wonderful capture of family photography. I really like the eye captures and just the seemingly 'simple' fun portrayed by this brother and sister team. Really nice composition with a very nice impacting 'pose', so nice to view! I am liking you brother sister theme in this family photo contest. A fun and brilliant photo that shows some great smiles. Your B/W rendition with no background distractions works great. This one is great! I love the smiles on each of their faces. Comments For "Brother and sister" by FXFortune Theres just something that draws my eye to this wonderful photo. The closeness as they hold hands. It seems to imply that the older brother will always be there to protect and comfort his little sister. I love the silhouette of them as they look off in the distance and admire the beautiful lake. This one is no doubt my favorite. wonderful capture of this brother and sister. love the feel and clarity, well done! I love the silhouette approach in this capture, the tree limbs frame so nicely along the left frame and top frame, wonderful depth with nice sky character and calming subtle colors, a real pleasure to view! The shot may be posed but the results do not strongly suggest that it is. Very well done photography of you son and daughter. The silhouettes work and tells a story that spans generations. Comments For "A Journey Begins" by Nick1 An excellent photo. The composition is perfect. I love the naturalness of the presentation and the ship on the horison is a very clever incusion to make the symbolics of this very fitting to the title and the competition. 1st choice a real winner for me, what family is all about. The specs good on this one. Posted Apr. 8 Contest Winner The Contest Committee has announced that I am dog by drlefty has won the My Pet Photography vote. In second place finished Who, me? by Gypsi. In third place finished Heaven is.... by Glass i. Posted Apr. 6 Contest Winner charlie by skoropinski1 has won the My Pet Art vote and the $100 prize. In second place finished Twitchy. by MinoYasue. In third place finished My Pug by wildmanink. Posted Apr. 4 Contest Winner Congratulations go out to Pensans. The Contest Committee has announced that Raw Power has won the Photographing Water vote. In second place finished Sea and Sky Water by Glass i. In third place finished Purple Water Drops by faisoft. Committee members carefully consider each work submitted including the theme for the contest. When voting they have the option to include comments for the winning entries. Comments For "Raw Power" by Pensans What a beautiful photo. I love the depth of field and the nuclear power station in the distance. A wonderful sky/water shot. It really draws you in to see all of the beauty captured in this magnificant shot. This is such an exceptional shot, total clarity throughout, wonderful composition, beautiful water capture, and perfect lighting; an exciting view! Fantastic shot with great impact, the movement of the wild waves and textures and excellent clear focus makes a spectacular shot, and my reason for picking this. A perfect photo. It fits the theme 100%. The techs here are spot on and it is a photo that can be viewed over and over again, every time a new little detail pops up. A sure winner in my books. This is gorgeous. The clairty is just wonderful, love the splashing waves. The colors of blue are awesome on this. This is a strong, powerful shot, no pun intended! The title fits it so well. Super focus, detail and dof. Comments For "Sea and Sky Water" by Glass i I simply love the sky and the water in this shot.From the powerful rocks,beautiful water, to the wonderful cloud formation. It all adds to the very wonderful initial visual impact. I love everything about this photo, the techs are perfect. The lady is wearing the perfect color to draw attention to the massive formations. The water is gorgeous topped off with a sky full of character. Super work! Love the brilliant color and impact of contrasting textures, excellent clarity of this shot for me made it my first choice. just beautiful ! Beautiful. The crystal clear water is just gorgeous. The clairty is perfect. Such a beautiful image. Stunning! Love the contrast in colour. Posted Apr. 3 Contest Winner Congratulations go out to simondda. Handleabrum is the new Mixed Media Photograph of the Month. In second place finished Midnight Run by gray horse. In third place finished Reflection by Katy. Posted Mar. 25 Site Upgrade A site upgrade has been released. The site now offers reviewer levels. Points you earn by writing reviews now go towards your reviewer level. The site keeps track of your level in real time. Each time you write a review you will see what your reviewer level is and also how many points you need to reach the next level. In addition, when you reach specific levels the site will update your signature. Reaching level 14, for example, updates your signature and profile with a blue star to show this milestone. Posted Mar. 18 Diamond Seal Winners The Diamond Committee has announced that several members have earned a Diamond Seal this year. Drawings II by Gary's Art earned a seal. So did Mountains and Mist by Linky de Bruyn. Congratulations also go out to Lucien van Oosten for earning a seal for pointillism book IV. Big Cats by jadehoopoe also earned a seal. For details on requesting a Diamond Seal from the committee click here Posted Mar. 15 Contest Winners Congratulations go out to DrCArt222. The Timeless Earth is the new Digital Composition of the Month. In second place finished Irish Red by trailblazer101. In third place finished Endless Journey by S.I.Sheehan. Posted Mar. 15 Contest Winners Silence by MyPerspective is the new Traditional Photograph of the Month. In second place finished Upper Proxy Falls by RANBO. In third place finished The Sentinel by StRyCh9. Posted Mar. 12 Contest Winners Congratulations go out to skoropinski1. nut cracker dress rehersal is the new Traditional Artwork of the Month. In second place finished Mountain Stream by michaelJH. In third place finished Calla Lily by MinoYasue. Posted Mar. 8 Contest Winners Congratulations go out to faisoft. Fantasy Water Ripple has won the Photographed Art vote and the $100 prize. In second place finished Moonlit Grace by gray horse. In third place finished On the other side by Marie Strydom. Posted Mar. 7 Contest Winners The Contest Committee has announced that Sweetness by Shade has won the Black and White Photography contest and the $100 prize. In second place finished The Englishman by Bridges. In third place finished Sveinung by perole. Posted Mar. 6 Contest Winners Congratulations go out to Ana Maria Russo. The Contest Committee has announced that open your heart :) has won the Valentines Photography contest and the $100 prize. In second place finished Beloved... by MinoYasue. In third place finished Will You Be Mine? by brigittelee. Posted Mar. 5 Contest Winner The Contest Committee has announced that Dinner for two by art4vita has won the Valentines Art contest and the $100 prize. In second place finished Valentine by BryanOldfield. In third place finished Let Me Call You Sweetheart by Whimsical Creations. Posted Mar. 4 Contest Winner Congratulations go out to perole. The Contest Committee has announced that Hair crank has won the Shutter Speed contest and the $100 prize. In second place finished Stop The Leak by Steve Edwards. In third place finished Yes You Can Bend Light by ducilla. Posted Mar. 3 Contest Winner Congratulations go out to Janrique. New Year wishes to FAR members is the new Digital Painting of the Month. In second place finished Emerge by hazylee. In third place finished All That Jazz by Carolisa. Posted Feb. 28 Contest Winner Congratulations go out to Clyde B.. The Last Utopia has won the Utopia vote. In second place finished Chronicles of Eden by DrCArt222. In third place finished The Land of The Rising Sun by MinoYasue. Posted Feb. 22 Contest Winner Midnight Dancing by S.I.Sheehan S.I.Sheehanis the new Digital Composition of the Month. In second place finished Port of Angelina by DrCArt222. In third place finished Gyles by Skittratt. Posted Feb. 20 Contest Winner Congratulations go out to Theolonius. His photograph Autumn At Greenbrier has been selected by Arts For The Parks for the Heritage Award. He has won the trophy that accompanies this reward. Congratulations also go out to all artists that took part in our first contest with Arts For The Parks. It was such a well received contest that we will continue it. Look for new contests to be announced in the upcoming weeks. Artists and photographers can again help share the beauty of the US National Parks through art. Posted Feb. 15 Contest Winners Diamond Dunes by RANBO is the new Traditional Photograph of the Month. In second place finished Dawn at the Bridge by Gypsi. In second place also finished Roller by Marie Strydom. And tied for third place was Just Before Dawn by channeled. Posted Feb. 13 Contest Winners The Contest Committee has announced that Ida Marie by perole has won the Photogenic vote. In second place finished african princess by lox83. In second place also finished Enthralled by lil_nitelite. In third place finished El Toro Bravo by Araceli. Comments from committee members on Ida Marie by perole This is a beautiful presentation for this photogenic contest. I love the composition as it shows much thought was put forth. Your lighting is wonderful giving her the exciting glow that her expression seems to demand. Super job and thrilling to view! Excellent composition, light handling, and focal clarity, but the artist has definitely captured that little bit of mischief in the model's eyes, which is the definitive hook for this voter! This photo is up against may good portrait shots that show personality in their capture. This one shows personality from a different angle. Not only is the capture in some very good and unique lighting but the candid nature of the photo catches the eye. Well sort of a stage candid take but for me this the the number one shot. Very well done. african princess by lox83 This beautiful young princess is photogenic indeed. I love this capture offering a wonderful calming expression with her mesmerizing eyes, very nice clarity, love her body language, great color and just a pleasure to view! The take seems to have got her at a somwhat shy moment. This has considerable impact on the viewer as the eyes seems to help rell the story here. Good lighting and processing make a good photo and here it is excellent. The framing of this yound lady is perfect in the colorful outfit. Enthralled by lil_nitelite great shot love the expression and clarity of focus a real winner in all aspects. A perfect example of portrait composition and the unposed expression captured is priceless. Perfect Techs on the photo. El Toro Bravo by Araceli Super photograph, great detail, those eyes are really scary! Posted Feb. 12 Contest Winners Congratulations go out to MinoYasue. The Contest Committee has announced that Butterfly has won the Unexpected Angles Painting contest and the $100 prize. In second place finished Sampson by heatherzart. In third place finished eclipse by bertom. Committee members shared comments about some of the entries. For Butterfly by MinoYasue: This is an absolutely beautiful painting offering a great presentation of an unexpected angle. Seeing the world through the eyes of the butterfly is very creative and unique to view. I so enjoy all the wonderful colors, shading, highlighting, and blending are terrific topped off with the superb creation of bringing soul to the eyes. A thrill to view! Beautiful angles all around the butterfly. Wonderful colors used in this. Everything is flowing perfectly. Top winner for me. Lovely acrylic work. Seems your brush has wings. I love how the butterfly is hovering above and looking down seeming to say come on up and fly away with me. The color harmony here is atractive and soothing. Beautiful work. Sampson by heatherzart Just love those awesome expressive eyes that entice you into this painting , lovely fine detail and good depth with well balanced color harmony . excellent brush work. love the feel of this impressive painting. Sure love how you highlighted the large blue eyes of Sampson. The flow in the lines and the detail in your work is such a joy to view. A brillinat showing from corner to corner. Posted Feb. 11 Contest Winners The Reviewer Recognition Panel has announced that Perole has won the Reviewing Competition and the $100 prize. This monthly competition rewards reviewers that write detailed and helpful reviews. Click here for information on the Reviewing Competition. Posted Feb. 10 Contest Winners Congratulations go out to heatherzart. Taking a Break is the new Traditional Artwork of the Month. In second place finished Charles the basset hound by skoropinski1. In third place finished Art On A Feather by HandlewithCare. Posted Feb. 8 Contest Winners Congratulations go out to michaelJH. The Contest Committee has announced that Canadian Rockies Mountain has won the Traditional Art For The Parks vote and the $100 prize. In second place finished Autumn at Mabry Mill by Whimsical Creations. In third place finished Fish creek provincial Park by MinoYasue. The committee members wrote about the winning entries for this contest. Canadian Rockies Mountain by michaelJH Just love the depth and flow of harmonic colors that make this painting such a joy to view . beautifully balanced , excellent technique and feel. the majestic peaks sweep you up and into this painting. Beautiful colors in this painting. I really like how the mist is rising above the mountains and into the clouds Very nice flow in color harmony across the canvas on your oil work. The light, reflection and highlights all fall into a very natural state and I can feel the majestic serenity of this place. Autumn at Mabry Mill by Whimsical Creations what I love about this painting is the amazing amount of fine detail and beautiful reflections in the water, lovely tranquil scene with well balanced colors. This is interesting to view from corner to corner. Colors are so brilliant and the details are so life like and reminds me of a trip I have on the Blue Ridge parkway and the stops at such places. Posted Feb. 7 Contest Winners Congratulations go out to Diannatilley. We the People has won the Digital Photography For The Parks vote. The committee is still considering the paintings and traditional photography entries. Click the details button for comments on this contest. Congratulations also go out to sidewinder. Joseph has won the Digital Painting of the Month vote. In second place for the parks contest finished Crater Lake National Park by Countrygirl. In third place finished The Secret in the Mist by brigittelee. In second place for the Digital Painting vote finished The Snowflake Fairy by Janrique. In third place finished The World by Anne. The committee members wrote about the winning entries for the Digital Photography for the Parks contest. We the People by Diannatilley I think this is an exceptional piece of artwork standing above the other submissions mainly for the initial impact this offers the viewer as well as the effort and passion I feel went into the creation of this presentation. Beautiful work and a real pleasure to view! Excellent results from this very patrioictic setting. The US Constitution is looking so perfect in this layout. The balance and highlights is perfection. The expression should mean a lot to any American. Outstanding work by a fine digital photographer. Excellent detail, wonderful composition, and lighting to die for. Wow! The artist used her photography and software skills to create a beautiful work. Both the photos used here are good photos and the combination makes an excellent presentation, very fitting to the theme. Crater Lake National Park by Countrygirl You succeeded beautifully with the subtle changes yet noticeable with this piece of artwork. I believe this to have been an exceptional photograph to begin with and your enhancements brought out the true 'thrill of the view'. Superb presentation! Your use of filters and balancing the transparency levels worked like a charm that seems to only enhance the natural beauty of this great park. It is a majestic wonder looking along the rim of this ancient crater. Colors and light show this natural beauty very nicely. Posted Feb. 4

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