Jennifer Reddick

Jennifer Reddick is this year's winner of Kirkland's Home Next Great American Artist. Jennifer, of Fayetteville Arkansas, is a 1st Grade teacher in Rogers, AR and an amateur artist.

The winning work of art will be available in more than 340 Kirkland's Home stores across the country. In addition to having her work showcased, she will receive $5,000 for her winning entry. More important than the money, the widespread distribution of her work could give her art career a major boost.

Jennifer has never received formal art training. "I entered the contest on a whim and never expected to be selected as a finalist, much less take first place," says Reddick. "This has come as a total shock and I'm excited, but a little nervous at the prospect of going from an amateur photographer to having my work shown all over the country in such a short time!"

As for Reddick, she plans to spend her winnings following her passion for travel and photography. For a few weeks this summer, she'll take her dream trip to France and Italy, snapping as many photos as she can along the way.

2007 Finalist artwork

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Gwen Gorby

Vandiver, AL

Treasures of Her Heart

Treasures of Her Heart is a representation of Gwen's mother, Edna Gorby. The "History of Art" book and pearls were given to her by her mother, who was also an artist. The plate has the same pattern as the set of dishes Gwen's mother bought over years of collecting one dish at a time, as she could afford them. And, the Bible represents Gwen's mother's faith in God above all things. You'll find more information about Gwen and her work at www.gwengorby.com.

 

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Sam Alfano

Covington, LA

Ancient Entrance

Besides being an internationally known master engraver (www.MasterEngraver.com ), Sam and his wife, Abigail, are both freelance photographers who enjoy nature, bird photography and photographing people. Ancient Entrance was photographed in rural Italy near the town of Vernazza in the Cinque Terre. "It was October 2005, and Abigail and I were hiking in the mountains and came upon this beautiful doorway to a vineyard which overlooked the Mediterranean. The building is probably 400 or 500 years old, and like many structures in Italy, is rich with color and texture. The shot was handheld in late evening light."

 

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Pamela Roehm

Tampa, FL

La Pietra

Encouraged by her son's teacher, Pamela created La Pietra just for this contest. Pamela had painted 2 pieces for a local calendar, is a former fashion illustrator and has done some modeling for Hallmark cards and calendars. Pamela started a decorative painting business as another means of income to help her support her twin boys.

 

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Jeff Gandy

Greenville, SC

Painting 17

Since Jeff was a small child, he has been interested in art. In college, Jeff majored in advertising and fine arts. He has been a part of the local advertising community for the past 30 years. Jeff is finally acquiring some time for his passion. In the past 7 years, he has created approximately 20 paintings. However, he is quite shy about his work and still feels like a beginner. He actually doesn't name his paintings. Instead, he keeps them numbered chronologically. This way, he can refer back to a certain painting to recall on what was happening in life at that point. He often keeps a diary on the back of the paintings as well. Jeff uses photography (others' work) as a means of inspiration.

 

Other finalists

Derrick Farish, artwork "The Blues", Watauga, TX

Chandler Anderson, artwork "Roman Columns", Maple Grove, MN

Angela Bartley, artwork "Column pt.1", Sun Prairie, WI

Kathy Borst, artwork "Music Abstract", Prescott, AZ

Kim Jolley, artwork "We’ll Always Have Paris", Springfield, MO