Please help us congratulate Deborah Tilby for winning Overall First Place in the March 2025 PleinAir Salon, judged by previous PleinAir Salon winner Lori Putnam.
“When I paint, it is my intention to be relatively faithful to the colour and light that I see all around me while experimenting and playing with the paint application,” Debroah says. “I would like my brush and knife handling to be as interesting as the subject; to have the mark making and the colour working together to be the life and energy of the work. At least, that is my goal! Accomplishing that goal is always difficult but also fascinating and really fulfilling. It keeps me painting almost daily.”
“One word: Energy!” said Lori about the painting. “There is an unexplainable stirring that happens when a painting has this kind of movement,” Lori said. “I compare this to the same sort of excitement I get when I watch an orchestra conductor with baton moving, hitting the downbeat, then moving again while the other hand is begging for more before gently pushing back. It is all but impossible to ignore … float, hit, release, attack, the crescendo, and dramatic finale.
“This artist takes us through a journey here. Compositionally, there is a strong ‘X’ design using diagonal lines. The masses are brilliantly organized by value and contrast. The piece is masterfully painted using a variety of mark-making and brushwork.”
Learn more about Deborah Tilby at www.deborahtilby.com.
About the PleinAir Salon:
In the spirit of the French Salon created by the Academie des Beaux-Arts in Paris, this annual online art competition, with 11 monthly cycles, leading to the annual Salon Grand Prize winners, is designed to stimulate artistic growth through competition. The PleinAir® Salon rewards artists with $50,000 in cash prizes and exposure of their work, with the winning painting featured on the cover of PleinAir® Magazine.
Winners in each monthly competition may receive recognition and exposure through PleinAir Magazine’s print magazine, e-newsletters, websites, and social media. Winners of each competition will also be entered into the annual competition. The Annual Awards will be presented live at the next Plein Air Convention & Expo.
The next round of the PleinAir Salon has begun so hurry, as this competition ends on the last day of the month. Enter your best art in the PleinAir Salon here.
