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Third Place Fourth Place & People’s Choice
Sponsored by: Portrait Society of America, Scottsdale Artists’ School, Sponsored by: Portrait Society of America, Fredericksburg Artists’ School,
Gamblin Artists Colors, Rosemary Brushes and Turtlewood Palettes Gamblin Artists Colors, Ampersand Art Supply, Turtlewood Palettes, M.
Graham & Co., HK Holbein, Parallel Palette, Atlantic Papers and Silver Brush
Adam Vinson
Philadelphia, PA Rose Frantzen
Social Commentary, oil on panel, 10 x 10” (25 x 25 cm) Maquoketa, IA
Locket, oil on panels, organic matter, resin and ready-mades,
My Inspiration: Social Commentary was inspired by a trend I noticed in 45 x 28 x 28" (114 x 71 x 71 cm)
the media of what seemed like a spike in stories regarding violence and
firearms. Coupled with a culture of bullying, rampant social networking My Inspiration: This work, titled Locket, represents a range of
that encourages a voluntary sacrifice of privacy and a conversation of contrasting themes, including life, death, youth, aging, future and past.
individual as well as national identity, anger and basic disregard for In a way, this is about mothers, daughters, daughter’s daughters...roots,
compassion is what is at heart of the painting. The subject is a self- trees, nests, seeds, life, flowers, decay, eggs, potential, youth...reaching,
portrait made up as a stereotypical “nerd.” The tape painted over the aging, death and not death. Life. Future, past, present to before, fore,
mouth symbolizes silence, but the stoic gaze and the BB’s lodged in the after. What, who is future? What, who is past? Is the past here? Is now a
target represent resilience in the face of adversity. seed, an egg, a future? Held as one, a look at a life, as in a locket.
My Path to Art: I studied drawing and painting with Anthony Waichulis My Path to Art: I am from a small town in Iowa, where, in the ’80s,
from 1999 through 2001 and then at the Pennsylvania Academy of the before the internet, saying you were going to be an artist had people
Fine Arts until 2005. I’ve been exhibiting since 2000. I have always been scratching their heads, a little worried. I bumbled my way to art school in
interested in all forms of creative expression. There was no great splash Chicago, was stirred around and directed toward a career in advertising
that landed me into this as a “career,” but rather small steps of curiosity, art. I followed this guidance, yet, beguiled by the smell of oil paint,
meeting the right people along the way to help harness that curiosity I broke with the norm and found a way to split my day between markers
into a tangible craft, and some great opportunities to reaffirm this and a brush. I was lucky to have Richard Schmid as a mentor. I continue
pursuit. to be a student of every passionate, creative maker that crosses my path.
Professionally, I try to represent the values of lifelong learning, allowing
my work to evolve in unpredictable ways.

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