The Seattle Artist League Portrait Awards 2021

The Seattle Artist League Portrait Awards encourage artists to develop the theme of portraiture in their work. The competition celebrates outstanding and innovative work in drawing, painting, printmaking, and mixed media. In this first year, we received 232 submissions from 151 artists. Throughout our selection process, the jury focused on choosing interesting work that engaged the artistic medium to convey the essence of a specific person, or moment in time. The final selection is a collection of 11 artworks with a diversity of voices, and a broad range of personal experiences.

“A huge congratulations to all that entered. The skill level and determination and personal response of all participants should be greatly acknowledged and highly commended.”
– Fran O’Neill

“Through the artist’s medium, these portraits have a depth of feeling and expression that conveys the artists own true experience.”
– Jonathan Harkham

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First Prize

“I remembered this portrait after I looked at it initially, and I kept coming back to it. There is such a direct connection with the viewer. There is a lot going on behind those glasses. I think there is a look of curiosity about the viewer. This makes me turn inward a little bit and feel kind of inspected. What am I doing? Who am I? I think this work creates a dialogue with the viewer. I don’t feel like a voyeur. I feel like I am in a silent conversation.

The glow is nice. I think it supports the conversation by giving this young person a presence. It’s to the right a little, so it’s not as obvious as the glowing orb that surrounds Jesus, but I think it works similarly.” 
– Lendy Hensley

Martha Campo Late Night Stroll paper and digital media I was inspired by the color theory class I took in Fall quarter. We learned about making paintings glow without the need of using only bright colors. I did the sketch on paper and transferred it to procreate.  It is a mix between traditional materials and digital tools.

Second Prize

Marina Vogman Self portrait oil on canvas 12 x 9″

Third Prize

Nina Katz Colette (she/her) 65 x 45 x 1.5″ ninakatz.com

“The painting, ‘Colette (she/her)’ is part of a series of nine portraits of trans people that I painted in 2019, entitled, ‘Larger than Life’.

As a mother of a trans child, I am all too aware of the discrimination and obstacles that trans people face; more so since 2018, when the Department of Health and Human services put forth a memo that would define sex as either male or female, unchangeable—threatening the very existence of trans people. I was compelled to paint these portraits through my love for my child and the trans community.

The process of each painting began with photographing the subject and recording an interview of their journey. These conversations helped feed my painting process and were paired with each individual’s painted portrait. I purposefully painted them large and vibrant, defying the notion that they could be erased from our society and to show the diversity, joy and pride of trans people in contrast with mainstream media portrayal.”
– Nina Katz

Honorable Mentions

Gary Tang Into the Wood 16 x 20 x 1.5″ As kids my siblings and I loved to explore the wild, but we lived a dense urban environment. In this painting I follow our dreams.

Kathy Paul My World 11 x 14″ Self Portrait showing how I see the world now that my sight is impaired…

Eileen Jimenez Otomi Matriarch: Maria Cruz 10 x 8″ This is a portrait of my mother, Maria Cruz. It is a mixed media linocut print. The portrait of my mother was created in linocut, and finished with watercolor and acrylic paint and mounted onto handmade paper in colors that are sacred to my indigenous group. I wanted to create this portrait of her to celebrate her life and to celebrate brown indigenous matriarchs.

Ava Gedicks Strange Fruit 12 x 12 x .5 Portrait of Nina Simone

Martha Campo Siesta digital media I was inspired by my aunt. Every time she comes to “visit,” she falls asleep in our couch.

Arvia Morris Self Portrait 20 x 16 x 0.24″ This self portrait is oil on cardboard and inspired by the style of Henri Toulouse-Lautrec.

Anne Walker Tim Pencil on paper 11 x 14″

Wendy Lumsdaine Yalie 12 x 9″ This gouache painting is the essence of poet, educator and researcher, Yalie Kamara, first generation Sierra-Leonean American. Currently, Yalie is the author of two collections of poetry and the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships. yaylala.com In this portrait I hoped to capture the shimmer and shine that is this incredible human which was illuminating from her even as a toddler.

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