NATURE
OCTOBER 2026
BEST IN SHOW
CARINA IMBROGNO
* WOOD DUCK *
Acrylic
“While this piece is acrylic, my practice moves between painting, drawing, and layered mixed techniques - whatever best serves the moment I want to capture. I am a perfectionist by nature, drawn to realistic detail: the iridescence of a feather, the dry texture of reeds, the way light shatters in moving water. I am fascinated by reflections — not perfect mirrors but rippled, fragmented and beautifully warped. They remind me that beauty doesn't have to be flawless or immediate to be real.” — CARINA IMBROGNO
DIAMOND AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
THERESA POALUCCI
* STILL GETTING HIS KICKS *
Mixed media digitized on metal
“My work combines the desert lifestyle with a fascination for the future, especially the evolving technological world. I blend nature's wonder with digital tools — "painting with pixels" to capture and enhance my vision. My digital art process begins with crafting a composition, using my computer screen as a canvas. I combine photos and hand-drawn or painted elements into the piece. The result is an original artwork. I add art filters and then refine the colors to complete the composition. The final file is sent to a professional printer, who prints my art on acrylic.” — THERESA POALUCCI
DIAMOND AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
JOHN DIEPHOUSE
**RUBY ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2024**
**CRYSTAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2023**
* I'M ALL EARS *
Photography
“I am a self-taught photographer and digital collage artist and am attracted to a wide variety of subjects ranging from natural landscapes, botanicals and wildlife to images that provide either abstract expression or social commentary. I am interested in sharing images that evoke a story of some kind. Images may be simply documentary, reflect a sense of time and place or resonate on a more abstract level of color, shape or form. Others provoke an indefinable question that does not readily yield answers
without further study and reflection.” — JOHN DIEPHOUSE
DIAMOND AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
PATRICK GRACEWOOD
* INDRA'S NET MEETS NOAH'S ARK *
Oil on carved wood
“I make carved relief art from construction debris. Douglas fir is a horrible wood to carve as it resists any attempt at detail. It is coarse, it splits. That forces me to be direct and to collaborate with the material. Because the scrap wood is short pieces, I use the cross sections, piecing the work together like a mosaic — each block of wood is a pixel of information. The end grain becomes compositional lines. I am drawing with time as each line equals one year of growth. The viewer is looking into recorded time. The stories vary but all are concerned with how we experience time and mortality. My objective is that the viewer engages with the story of the artwork and simultaneously witnesses time itself, creating an experience that is both cognitive and somatic.” — PATRICK GRACEWOOD
GOLDEN TRIO AWARD
HENRIK BAKMANN
RUBY AWARD
MICHAEL A. HIDALGO
* WHERE MEMORIES BEGIN *
Oil
“My Lifescape Series celebrates the extraordinary beauty found in ordinary moments, particularly those shared with family amidst the wonders of nature. Whether walking a sunlit trail, wandering beneath a canopy of trees or discovering the ocean's edge, I find inspiration in the simple experiences that quietly shape our lives and become cherished memories. Through my paintings, I seek to preserve these fleeting moments, capturing not only the surrounding landscape but the warmth, connection and emotion experienced within it. Nature becomes more than a setting; it is a place where relationships deepen, curiosity flourishes and life's most meaningful memories unfold. This appreciation for nature and its emotional resonance extends throughout my artistic practice, influencing how I interpret light, atmosphere, movement and space. Ultimately, my work invites viewers to rediscover the beauty surrounding us and recognize the profound significance of life's simplest shared moments, often overlooked in our busy world.”
— MICHAEL A. HIDALGO
SAPPHIRE AWARD
NORM ELLIS
* FANTASY 76 *
Mixed media
“The imagination in my work is inspired by my observations of nature, Native American culture prior to the 1800's and the experiences I have had in the world about me. I fell in love with Surrealism because it is limitless in dimension. It allows me the freedom to create what is in my heart. I am creating a visual communication with the world that words alone cannot express. I enjoy the use of empty spaces so the imagination is not confined — and the awesomeness of seeing the imaginary transformed into reality.”
— NORM ELLIS
EMERALD AWARD
ARUNI WIJAYAKOON
* BETWEEN THE TIDES *
Acrylic
“My artistic practice explores colour, light, atmosphere and emotion — inspired by the beauty of nature and the moments that often go unnoticed in everyday life. Working primarily in acrylic, oil and watercolour, I seek to capture not only what I see but also the feelings and impressions that a subject evokes. Growing up in Sri Lanka nurtured my lifelong passion for art and deepened my appreciation for the natural world. Through my paintings, I explore the intricate beauty of flowers, the movement of the ocean and the relationship between people and their surroundings. I aim to create expressive works that invite viewers to pause, reflect and discover their own personal connection to the image. For me, painting is a way to interpret the world through my own perspective and share moments of beauty, wonder and emotional connection with others.” — ARUNI WIJAYAKOON
CRYSTAL AWARD
(in random order)
AWARD OF MERIT
(in random order)
(in random order)
FINALISTS
**WINNERS VIDEO**