Nov 5- Dec 5
November 2025
"Honoring Our Veterans"
Judged by Jenny Leeg
“There’s really some excellent artwork in this show. I am very impressed. There are others I haven’t mentioned, and the medals could just have easily been awarded to any of these artists. It was really refreshing to see this work. Well done EAA Members you are achieving quality artwork and skillful creativity.”
Gold Award
Gold Medal Award: Nepalese Man in a Blue Shirt by William Sharer
“I think portraits are always challenging and this is a beautiful portrait. I like that the artist didn’t put the subject in the center of the painting but instead a little off center to the left, it creates a tension. I think the colors are very light and very clean. The whole painting looks very finished. The artist has used a limited pallet, and the background is very simple so it’s not distracting. There is an excellent sense of the light in the background. It’s an evocative, beautifully painted work and very consistent throughout. This painting would have a place in any of the finest galleries I know."
Silver Award
Silver Medal Award: MWD Neptune 380th Air Expeditionary Wing by Cathy Haven
“I just thought this painting was fun and a different way of celebrating veterans because of the service animals. There were a lot of dogs and even pigeons that were used to help the allies in World War II and a lot of them died in their service. I think the colors are fun. She kept with the red, white and blue theme. It looks very finished, and the background is a little more subdued which brings more attention to the dog. It is a charming picture and nicely painted with a lot of character, makes me smile.”
Bronze Award
Bronze Medal Award: Four Eggs by Peggy Stokes
"This is a fun picture. I like the square lay out; it’s an excellent example of repetition and variation. The use of a lot of contemporary colors is striking with the pinks, oranges and yellows. I’d be curious as to how she did that but clearly this photographer is very good and I like all her work. This piece was a little more modern and contemporary and very clean."
Commendations
"Eyes of Combat"
Craig Reesor
"This artwork is striking; there’s a lot of emotion; the soldier looks like he’s been through a lot. Maybe he doesn’t understand why he’s doing what he’s doing. The army green paper was a perfect choice and the unifying theme. This looks like pencil or charcoal and colored pencil on top of paper that was already green so the color was perfect with the colors of fatigue and the colors of camouflage. Lovely work on the face too with subtle colors in the skin, he looks tired almost numb with exhaustion. Very powerful.”
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"Taking it Easy"
Elizabeth Alborn
"This is a beautiful example of watercolor with the composition following a diagonal line from one corner to the other. The animal conforms to the layout of the tree limb, or whatever it is that he’s hanging out on. This person understands letting the paint move a little bit, letting it express the presence of the claws but not worried about getting exact detail but more involved in getting the character of the animal and it’s environment. Very nice."
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Fresh Fish
Bev Coalson
"This is an interesting work. We see a lot of seascapes and a lot of landscapes but to see this is what they’re doing underwater is different and exciting, I think It has a lot of humor The expression on this one fish is pretty funny and the eye seems to be looking right at you almost reversing who is the onlooker and who is the art. It also looks like she used something to scrape the canvas to make the sense of the bubbles in water. A lot of repetitive pattern variation. There also appears to be some variation in the surface of the canvas that is part of the painting. I think it takes you to an underwater world. It’s fun."