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ART CHALLENGE #94 FINALISTS

Each receives an Award Certificate and
a one-year subscription to International
Artist magazine PLUS having their work
seen worldwide by international galleries
looking for new talent.

Bernard Cameron
New York, USA, A Dream Deferred, acrylic,
78 x 60" (198 x 152 cm)
Finalist
My Inspiration
Initially, I had in mind to do something
bright and colorful. In the week just prior to
starting this painting, I visited a gallery that
showed some of John Chamberlain’s colorful
twisted metal sculptures. They were very
impressive, powerful pieces.
For the past few years, my work had been
almost devoid of color, mostly grays and
blacks with perhaps a hint of color of similar
value. This palette came about because
I had always struggled with color, while
my graphite drawings were generally quite
successful. I did a monochromatic painting
with the idea of glazing the color over it.
Before I could apply the glaze, I realized with a jazz piece by Archie Shepp. The notes colors with the airbrush and flattening some
the painting was complete; it didn’t need help dictate the color, the rhythm and the large areas with a contrasting stone blue
anything. I fell into the comfortable trap of manner in which the paint is applied. I’m spatula. The result was dramatic but the
painting my drawings. This painting is an an action painter and I do not hesitate to balance was off. There are many ways to
effort to shake off that trap. let the paint fly. I enjoy the visual path of correct this, but I was already invested and
the music. For me this is a large canvas, wanted to minimize changes. I elected to
My Design Strategy so I drip, pour and toss. I conduct and draw the attention by introducing a jagged
I’ve always admired the abstract smear with my hand, my forearm and even oval shadow in the area, which created an
expressionists; however, when I paint in that a Wolfgang Puck spatula. The idea is to interesting dynamic between the foreground
manner, I can never resist the temptation immerse myself in it, not to control it, but and background, but also emulated shapes
to tamper with part of the raw ambiguous to allow it to happen, to enjoy the music, already in play. I finished it off with lettering
imagery. For me, there is always something to let it grow, to play, to dance, to let it be. as if part of a torn flyer or poster. It’s a bit of
that must be defined one way or another. After a few days, I stand it up, and after an anomaly, but I did like the idea once
a few days of staring, it introduced itself I hit upon it.
My Working Process to me. I had a powerful form incased in
My canvas is flat on the floor and I amp up a lot of paint staring back at me. I started Contact Info
the music. This particular painting began pushing and pulling, sculpting some warm
» Email: camerongraphix@optonline.net

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Challenge Winners 110.indd 8 6/29/16 4:02 PM