Brooke Boyer

Brooke Boyer, a 25-year-old aspiring photographer, has been interested in photography her whole life, but it wasn't until three years ago that she began selling her work. One of her favorite subjects is a crabapple tree that sits on property that belonged to her grandmother, who passed away a few years ago. Brooke photographs the tree every season and this particular photo is one of her favorites.

Brooke, who works for First Bank in Gladstone, Michigan, says that being a finalist has really boosted her visibility in the community. Previously, she had sold her photographs to friends and family, but she says others in the community are now interested in her work.

A selection of Brooke's photos are on display in her father's restaurant, Mikey B's Grill. In the past, she has shown her work at the Home Craft Connection Store in Gladstone, Michigan.

Brooke plans to use some of the $5,000 prize money for a trip to Florida, pay off some bills, and then invest the remainder. She says winning the contest has raised her confidence in her work and she plans to start selling her photographs at local arts and crafts shows.

2006 Finalist artwork also published for sale in Kirkland’s Home.

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Perry Winkler

Finalist

Perry Winkler has had a profound interest in art since the age of five. In Asheville, NC Perry studied under accomplished muralist and oil painter Roger Nippress. Perry became one of the original members of the Asheville Gallery of Art and sat as a board member for the gallery.

From 1987 - 1990 Perry was invited to work as the Fine Art Consultant for High Country Crafters in Asheville. For the past several years Perry has been teaching watercolors at the DuBois Area School District with the Artist in Residence program. As the founder of the Winkler Gallery of Fine Art, Perry continues to donate much of his time as the gallery manager.

Known for his acute attention to detail, compositions, and use of color, he has the ability to evoke strong emotions and take the viewer to a larger perception of the world. Perry says, "Stretching the watercolor medium to the extreme in different styles has always been exciting to me. I feel that for a painting to be successful it should reflect the beauty of the subject as well as the personality of the artist. There should be a place in the work for the viewer to impose their own thoughts as well."

 

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Jack Ragland

Finalist

Jack Ragland is an accomplished artist residing in Fallbrook, California, where he has worked as a full-time artist for the last 30 years.

Since the age of five, Jack knew he wanted to pursue a career in art.

"Initially I wasn't a full-time artist," he says. "I was head of the Department of Art at Simpson College in Iowa. It wasn't until I took a sabbatical leave in Europe and had a successful one-artist show in Vienna that I realized I could be successful as a full-time artist."

Jack describes his art style as romantic and impressionistic. In his painting, Il Castello Bella Collina, he says he was trying to capture the golden light of the afternoon.

"I am enchanted with Tuscany. I saw this castle while I was there and it seemed an idyllic place. I have used some artistic license with the surrounding scenery and tried to create a sense of visual excitement through the textures in the painting and the variety of brush strokes."

Locally, Jack's art is on display in Desert Art Source in Palm Springs and the French Gallery in Fallbrook. He has exhibited his works in solo and group shows in galleries from New York to California. His works can be found in private, corporate and public collections in the United States and in Europe, including the Los Angeles County Museum, the Phoenix Museum, the Albertina Museum in Vienna, Austria, the Kunstmuseum in Basel, Switzerland, and the Bibliothèque National in Paris, France.

 

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Michael Askew

Finalist

Michael Askew is a well-known photographer and resident of Plano, Texas. Michael captured his finalist image, Sant' Antimo Ambulatory, while visiting the 12th-century Tuscan abbey for which the piece is named.

"I have traveled all around the world, capturing beautiful places," he says.

The abbey photo is one of a series of Tuscan photographs Michael exhibited in a recent show at Dun Bros. Coffee in Addison, Texas.

"In Tuscany, you can really see a passage of time in the buildings," says Michael.

Michael became interested in photography 30 years ago while backpacking through various mountain ranges. Since then, his travels have carried him around the world. He has been in all 50 U.S. states and on every continent except Antartica.

A native of California, Michael's work is displayed in galleries in his home state, Oregon and Texas. He also has had his work displayed at the National Cathedral in Washington.

His passion for art and music is shared by his wife, a painter, and their five children, all of whom possess artistic talent.

 

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Deborah Smith

Finalist

Deborah Smith is a professional artist who has resided in Orlando, Florida, since 1981.

She has worked as an artist with The Walt Disney Company and her art is showcased throughout the state of Florida in the form of murals and interior decorative design.

Although not a musician herself, many of Deborah’s paintings, like her entry The Cello, focus on musicians and their instruments.

"I am intrigued by the hands of musicians, so I chose to focus on them as I painted The Cello," she says. 

Deborah is married with one daughter and two grandchildren, one of whom she describes as a "budding artist."

 

 

Other finalists (artwork not available in Kirkland’s Home)

Randi Anderson, artwork "Tree of Life" Longview, TX

Kay Wilson, artwork "Bottles on Red" Canfield, OH

Janice Beck, artwork "Making Soup" Santa Rosa Beach, FL

Donna Shortt, artwork "Walk to the River" Indianapolis, IN

Rulei Bu, artwork "Gerberas" Boyds, MD