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Colorful Creatures 2025, International Juried Art Exhibition


Sheila Daube
Daiju 3, by Sheila Daube

Congratulations to all the artists of Colorful Creatures 2025! This is a celebration of animals and color. We asked for not only vibrant and bold colors for this iteration of Colorful Creatures, but also for subtler color theory.


Artists submitted an incredible variety of color relationships and art styles. We were also surprised by some of the methods used to create color in these pieces, including the use of firing techniques on clay sculpture (check out the cat sculpture below).


It is the goal of Wild Heart Gallery to support and promote animal and wildlife artwork in a wide range of genres and styles.


Artwork for this exhibition was selected by jury based on theme, originality, skill, and quality of work. Jurors were Sarah Soward, Sharon Eisley, and Christine White.


Awards: Best of Show, Overall Runner Up, Artivism Award, Overall Honorable Mentions, and Finalists.


Click on an image below to enlarge it.



 

BEST OF SHOW


Daiju 3, by Sheila Daube, abstract expressionism meets contemporary equine art in this colorful horse painting
Sheila Daube

Daiju 3, by Sheila Daube 36 x 48 inches, Mixed Media


From the artist, "Part of my Daiju abstract horse series. There are 4, but all much bigger than this one. Foil, oil, acrylic on wood panel."


This emphatic piece of art is where abstract expressionism meets contemporary equine art. Materials, color, and (e)motion come together exuberantly. Splashes and drips are used with purpose, applied in a way that feels complete and deliberate while remaining fresh in their individual moments.



 

OVERALL RUNNER UP


The Question, by Diane Pike, painting of a rabbit and crow
Diane Pike

The Question, by Diane Pike 36 x 36 inches, Painting

From the artist, "What happens when dreams intersect with reality? When what you take in, watch and experience during the day finds its way into your subconscious and presents itself in a dream?"


This is what happens when representational Surrealism and Contemporary Art collide. It's a union of control and freedom, looseness and epic color theory. The battle between the light/bright background and muted foreground colors adds to the feeling of movement or unrest.




 


ARTIVISM AWARD


Amber Smith
Amber Smith

Penguins in Peril, by Amber Smith 48 x 36 in, Mixed media 


From the artist, "Penguins in Peril spotlights Emperor Penguins, a species symbolizing the challenges faced by nearly two-thirds of all penguin species. Penguins are endangered by climate change, oil spills, illegal fishing, foreign predators, and plastic pollution. Serving as a community outreach project for the Atherton Earth Day Festival, "Penguins in Peril" invited children and adults to adorn a pre-painted canvas with colored plastic bottle caps. Each participant signed an artist page, symbolizing collective action against the plastic crisis and advocating for sustainable practices. The piece was further adorned by the artist with objects found in parks using a metal detector."



 

OVERALL HONORABLE MENTIONS



Congratulations to our Overall Honorable Mention winners, Diane Pike, Cheryl Harley-Volz, Chris Brain, Tracey Pinnington, Cheri Dyk, Nancy Schier, Susan Nowogrodzki, Angel Eduardo Machuca Martínez and Steven Marshall.


 

FINALISTS



Congratulations to our award Finalists, Angel Eduardo Machuca Martínez, Julie Freund, Shawna Hinkel, Monica Puryear, Diane Pike, Alyssa Dunlap, Jon Lew, Sheila Daube, Nancy Schier, Cheryl Harley-Volz, Nancy Jakubowski, Cagla Oyman, Brenda Martin, Suzanne Nielsen, Lisa Kirschman, Debora Soule, and Elisa Possenti.


 

Award Distribution for 3rd Annual Animal Portraiture Open

Best of Show receives $400 cash award and promotion on the following: Art Week, Wild Heart Gallery’s (WHG's) growing social media and other online media channels, WHG's eNewsletter, and WHG's home page (for duration of the exhibition).


Overall Runner Up receives $200 cash award and promotion on Wild Heart Gallery’s (WHG's) growing social media/other online media channels and WHG's eNewsletter and inclusion in a virtual group exhibition that lasts at least one month.


Artivism Award receives $50 cash award and promotion on Wild Heart Gallery’s (WHG's) growing social media/other online media channels and WHG's eNewsletter and inclusion in a virtual group exhibition that lasts at least one month.


All award recipients receive promotion on Wild Heart Gallery’s (WHG's) growing social media/other online media channels and WHG's eNewsletter and inclusion in a virtual group exhibition that lasts at least one month. All award recipients also receive an award certificate, emailed as a PDF to the email address used for the submission process.


This art exhibition was juried by Sarah Soward, Sharon Eisley, and Christine White.

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