Art Classic Offers Feast For Eyes, Scholarships For Students

It was a rewarding day all around, with fine art creators and aficionados filling Hart Hall with a visual feast. More than 200 pieces of art in all mediums were presented at the annual Santa Clarita Artists’ Association Art Classic XXII gala held Saturday afternoon.

The art remained on display throughout the day Sunday for the public to enjoy.

Artist C.M. Cooper earned Best of Show honors for her oil painting “Another Sunday Morning.”

“It’s a woman lounging in an unusual position, sort of leaning over,” Cooper explained.

Asked why she thought her creation was selected, she said the painting’s statement may be the key.
”Composition comes first, something that grabs you from across the room,” she explained. “I used a variety of brush work and the palette knife. Some paintings look like they are ‘starts,’ and I have a lot of those, but every so often I make a statement and feel I should put that piece in a show.”

Cooper rejoined the SCAA three years ago after being a member more than a dozen years earlier.

“It’s ironic, about 12 years ago, I got an Honorary Merit award, then when I rejoined, I got a First Place and last year, earned the Second Place and the City award. In my third year back, I got Best of Show. There’s no duplication.”

She considers herself a professional painter, but with the current slump in the economy artistic reality has kicked in. She’s doing some teaching and her husband is working in development for Disney.

She likes working in oils because she says they are “the most forgivable medium."

“You can scrape out anything you don’t like, but they’re also difficult to control. Oil has a luminosity, a richness that allows you to do different techniques.”

Cooper is joined by several other deserving artists who garnered recognition for their creations; a complete list is at the end of this story.

Entertainment for the Classic was provided by the Gary Friedman Jazz Ensemble, Manak Khamvonsga on classical guitar and solo violinist Elana Chao.

“The annual Art Classic Gala is the Club’s biggest fundraiser,” said SCAA President Zony Gordon. “It supports our scholarship program and enables us to provide demo artists at our monthly membership meetings as part of our ongoing art education for the community.”

During the gala, the Association awarded Caitlin Klinedinst of Hart High and Tyler Recchia of Valencia High with $500 scholarships for art education at the college level. Picking just one winner proved to be too much for the scholarship chairs, Pat Thayer and Patti O’Hearn.

“This year the Committee visited seven high schools, viewed and studied more than 50 pieces of artwork, spoke with teachers and students, sponsored and attended several art exhibits and perused photos of the artwork during lengthy discussions. After much deliberation and painstaking analysis, we were able to narrow the playing field down to three or four students and their very creative art pieces,” said O’Hearn. “Choosing between the final two students and their body of work was extremely difficult. In the end, since the artwork of both of the students was fascinating and uniquely different, we found it impossible to choose only one and eliminate the other.”

For more information on the SCAA, visit their website at www.santaclaritaartists.org.

SCAA Art Classic XXII Award Winners

Oils

Gold “Misty Memories Of Days Gone By” – Rick Moore

Silver  “Golden Hour” – Jill Jones

Merit “Only” – Jane Mick

Acrylics

Gold “Rock of Ages” – Laurie Finkelstein

Silver “Bromeliads” – Myrna Medel

Merit “A Westering Sun Over the Cloch Lighthouse, Scotland” – Lee Bosarge

Watercolors

Gold “Fruit On the Vine” – Peggy Patti

Silver “Skip James” – Bob Hernandez

Merit “Mountain Lake” – Sandy Fisher

Graphics

Gold “Nature’s Abstract” – Diane Bruckner

Silver “Bacon” – Brittney Diamond

Merit “Her Majesty’s Cape” – Diane Bruckner

Other Media

Gold “Patriarch” – Hector Fernandez

Silver “Greek Island Getaway” – Gary Friedman

Merit “Bloom” – Patricia Thayer

Photography

Gold “Autumn Apples” – Dody Rogers

Silver “Par Infinity” – Jason Moran

Merit “Rose” – Sharon Bradley

Sculpture

Gold “Eagle Three” – Jim Bakman

Silver “Ubiquitous Trio” – Idelle Tyzbir

Merit “Soquili” – Brittney Diamond

Richard Huff Memorial Founder’s Award – David Veal

Service Award – Olga Kaczmar

City of Santa Clarita Excellence In Arts – “So1uili” by Brittney Diamond

Best of Show “Another Sunday Morning” by C.M. Cooper

People’s Choice (two tied for Gold)

“In the Light of the Night” by Shirley Checkos and

“Deux Rue Vivienne” by Jan Kush