Best in Show!

Exciting news to report! My painting “The World has Appetites of its Own”, (Oil on canvas, 30×60″), has won the Antoinette Stevens Award for Best in Show at the Society of Canadian Artists 53d Open International Juried Exhibition. < Follow the link to view the entire show online.

The award comes with a weighty bronze medal, which has me feeling very Olympic. I’m very grateful of course to the Society and the judges. It’s a tremendous honor!
This was an online show, which means of course we miss the chance to see people and their work in person. But, on the other hand it is nice to be able to enter work of any size, and not to have to ship the work across the country.
As well – probably more people will see this post, than would have gone to a physical exhibition, so, there is that as well.
I would hope that we’ll keep doing online shows, even after the pandemic is resolved. There are ways of course we can make the online experience better, including something like this! Posting detail shots and work-in-progress along with the final artwork. One day we can offer an AR experience where we can see the piece on the walls of our home! I’m looking forward to online exhibitions getting better and better ever year.

Here’s a glimpse back in time, what it looked like after the first sketch. I kind of miss some of the unfinished, immediate nature of the sketch. Someday I will try something similar and see where I can land between the first impression, and a more advanced rendering.
Thanks! ~Marc





Congratulations!
CONGRATULATIONS! Lovely image that says more than words and you are well deserving of the award. Thanks for posting as I always enjoy seeing your work and how it is evolving. Frank
Congratulations! Well deserved. I love the work❤️
Congratulations on your award and amazing painting!
Get Outlook for iOS ________________________________
Bravo! An epic work! Congratulations.
Congratulations!!
Congrats Marc, well deserved
Beautiful work, congrat’s on an award much deserved! At full size it is impressive! Many of us have followed your work and development in watercolor and then oils, and this painting is a major leap forward. Just remarkable!
Fabulous painting Marc. Congratulations for the well deserved recognition. Can’t wait to see it for real.
Stunning! What a super painting.
Well done!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!! That’s a large painting- well deserved!
Sent from my iPhone
>
Congratulations Marc. Beautiful painting
CONGRATS.
WELL DESERVED.
A fan,(lol)
Rhonda Carson
Absolutely breathtaking piece! This is truly a well deserved award Marc!
Lucy
Congratulations from Pennsylvania! It’s amazing!
Big congratulations to you! It’s a marvelous painting and you’ve got a special vision.
Many congratulations Marc – your painting is stunning – a well deserved honour
Congratulations! Well-deserved by a fabulous artist. 😊👍💖
The painting is fantastic. The movement of the space and fish are perfect so are your colors and execution. Congratulations on your award!!!
Congratulations! What a cool painting!
Congratulations, Marc,,,,I’ve followed your work for eons. Well done.
Congratulations !
Congratulations Marc, well deserved, beautiful work!
Heartiest congratulations!!! And a well deserved honor.
Heartfelt congratulations, Marc. It’s a fascinating work. I’ve been following you for some years now, and this award marks a huge achievement for you. Onwards and upwards!
its brilliant Marc.. the idea and title are so clever you clever chap!
Olympian indeed! Congratulations
Wow! It looks very nice and it’s a very large painting. I hope It will be possible to see It in real.
Wow! Congratulations.
Congratulations! Well deserved!
Congratulations! I’ve enjoyed following your website and processes as you work. Thank you for sharing your expertise.
Congratulations Marc! Your work is inspiring and it’s super cool to be able to follow your journey! : )
Fantastic! Well deserved prize! Congratulations! Joy 🤩
Sent from my iPad
>
Congratulations. A great work.
Congratulations. A great work!
Congratulations!Joan
Congrats, Marc. Love the subject matter.
. Congratulations !
Marc ! Marc!
Your painting is incredible! Well deserved prize! Thanks for showing us details and mostly,… the painting on its easel. It is the only way to judge the size. I have lots of words in French to qualify your… masterpiece, but my English has not enough words to be able to translate them. Imagine them !!!!! Félicitations !!!! Congratulations, Marc!!!!
Marc
>
Congratulations!!! So proud to have had you as an instructor . . .keep up the good work. E
Spectacular piece!
Congratulations on a well-deserved award for an amazing painting!!! (and I’m so proud to own 2 original watercolors of yours!). Cheers to the great news!!!
Congratulations Marc – a mighty work – ‘Best in Show’ – wow – awesome creativity. Delighted to see you recognised…and thank you for sharing your hints and skills – I’ve learnt some valuable concepts from you over time.
Applause applause –
Stefan
This piece of work is just remarkable! Congratulations on your award!
I came to citizensketcher today expecting landscapes of some kind, and I am stunned by this work. You continue to amaze me.
Could you possibly say something about the origin of this idea? Thank you.
Well, I have always liked the Coelacanth, which is an armoured fish, probably and ancient species. It was thought to be extinct, but then it was rediscovered – which is a great symbol of natural resilience. The smaller fish (piranha), eating the larger – those could represent any number of forces in the world, whatever you see as the things chipping away at society or the world. Be it greedy humans or even negative thoughts. The things that wear us down and feed off our energy. So that’s the story behind the painting! Thanks for asking :)
Congratulations!!! Such a powerful piece and I like your statement in the comment above.