To contact these Best in Show artists directly for purchase inquiries or to see more of their work, please visit the 7th Annual Animal Kingdom Art Exhibition page for contact information.
Congratulations again to the winners and thank you for sharing your talent with us.
Best in Show (Traditional) – Annik Janssens – “TIME FOR ACTION” – pastel
All my life I have had a huge passion for animals and everything that has to do with nature. I strive to convert my passion for animals into photo-realistic portraits to be able to portray the character of the animal as well as possible. Images say so much more than words. The viewer has to want to touch the animal, to feel it.
To learn more about Annik and to see more of her work, please visit her website.
Best in Show (Photography & Digital) – Maggy R Pease – “GRACE AND NANUK” – digital art
Maggy was born and raised in Reykjavik Iceland. She was interested in Photography in her teens but didn’t really get into it until she got her first digital SLR. She took online photograph classes and later signed up with Photoshop Artistry with Sebastian Michaels and is currently in his Awake and Kaizen courses. Nature and Animals especially dogs are her passion and her inspiration. Maggy has several images published in the Living the Photo Artistic Life Magazine and was the feature artist in May of 2019.
To learn more about Maggy and to see more her work, please visit her website.
Best in Show (3 Dimensional) – Deana Bada Maloney – “KING SOLOMON” – whitestone clay, iron oxide wash and ink
I have been an observer of nature all my life. I am continually awestruck at the beauty of the natural world and the magic and mystery in every living thing. My work is a study of living forms, celebrating the structure of how something is made along with the transcendental presence of the subject. I have a BFA in Drawing and Painting from the Art Institute of Chicago, with a strong focus in anatomy and scientific illustration. I have found sculpture to be another vehicle for me in which I am able to express the beauty and stories woven in nature and the world around us.
I tell a story in each of my pieces using symbolism in found materials that I incorporate into my work whether it is from the subject’s natural surroundings or a component of the story. I use a method of using oxides during the final firing of my pieces to capture all the marks made in the creation of the piece. This makes my sculptures look like 3D drawings harkening back to my strong drawing roots.
To learn more about Deana and to see more of her work, please visit her website.
