New Lights: Results & Exhibition

Thank You.

Judging is now complete and I want to say thank you to everyone who entered our first competition and online exhibition, we had over 60 entries from 24 countries. It is just the start and we hope to do more competitions and even an in-person show in the future. If you have any comments or input in to this competition or future events please don’t hesitate to contact me here.

A message from our judge, Brian Sindler

“I’m proud to be judging the inaugural Tonalism.com “New Lights” Competition. The competition received entries from artists all over the world, including New Zealand, England, Sweden, America, and Japan. It’s wonderful to see that the Tonalist movement is alive and well. There are many artists working in the Tonalist style. For some, it’s a lifelong way of working; for others, it may be a phase or simply an exploration of something new. However you’ve arrived at this particular movement, it’s a pleasure to see such a beautiful and diverse body of work from artists around the world.”

In memory of David Sharpe

“Before we get to the entries, I’d like to say a few words about David Sharpe. David was originally supposed to be the judge for this competition. Unfortunately, because of his passing, he never had the opportunity. I was asked to step in and judge the competition in his absence, and I feel it’s important to acknowledge him before we begin. I never had the opportunity to meet David in person. We exchanged several direct messages on Instagram, and we talked about art to some degree. I was a fan of his work, and we shared a common aesthetic. David had a way of describing that aesthetic—“It says nothing, but it says everything,” as I remember him saying, or something close to thatCFrom our brief conversations, David seemed like a true gentleman. I was very saddened to hear of his passing. Although I never had the chance to meet him in person, I have great respect for him as an artist, and from everything I’ve seen and heard, he also seemed to be a devoted husband and father. I’m honored to be judging this competition, and I’m sorry that David never had the opportunity to do it himself.”


Brian Sindler’s work is collected and shown all over the world…
Instagram    @brian_sindler
Facebook.   https://www.facebook.com/BrianSindlerArtist/
Website       briansindler.com

The Awards

Brian: “A Note on Judging
Before we get to the awards, I want to say a little bit about how I approached the judging. There’s certainly no exact science to judging a painting. For me, it often comes down to gut feeling—how a painting hits me emotionally or even viscerally. Of course, I’m one person with one opinion, and another artist or another judge might see things very differently. So, to everyone who entered, don’t be too discouraged if you didn’t receive an award, and don’t be too confident if you did. When you enter competitions, sometimes you win and sometimes you don’t. Sometimes you paint a really good painting that goes unnoticed, and sometimes a painting you may not think is your strongest work gets recognized. I think the important thing is to take it all in stride, keep painting, and enjoy the process.
All the best, and congratulations to everyone who entered.”

Best In Show

Denise Mahlke: D.LaRue Mahlke “In Quiet Reverie”
Brian: “This is simply a beautiful painting. The deftness of the values, the design, and the beautiful color all contribute to the overall mood of the painting. This painting stood out immediately as the work of someone who has a real understanding of color and value.”

1st Place

William Worcester: “Twilight
Brian: “This painting has a really nice feel to it. It caught my attention right away. I can try to analyze it, but this is the type of painting that just tends to flow over you and hit you with a feeling rather than with the technical details.

Although it’s softly painted, it still has a strong graphic quality and a nice abstract design that pulled me in.”

2nd Place

Justin Worrell: “The Voice of Centuries”
Brian: “The interesting yellow sky, the warm purplish clouds, the light coming through at the horizon, and the lighter snow on the ground all contribute to making this a beautiful winter sunset. The sparse trees contain just enough information to capture the beauty of bare trees without overdescribing them.”

3rd Place

Carol Lee: “Solace”
Brian: “The simplicity of the design, the hazy atmosphere, and the reflections in the water all create an interesting, almost nostalgic painting. It looks like a place I’ve never been, but it feels like something I’ve seen before. It has a very appealing narrative quality, and what little drawing there is is very well done.”

Full Exhibition