Art Challenge

June 2025

The first WAG art challenge of 2025 was REFLECTIONS. It was a huge success!

At the June meeting, our new art center became a bright and cheery gallery filled to the brim with exciting and innovative creations by a whopping thirty-one WAG members! Thank all of you who spent the past two months crafting unique, heartfelt, and thoughtful pieces to share with the group. Pieces included watercolor, acrylic, oil, mixed media, photographs, cartoons, fiber art, and beadwork. Each piece sparked inspiration!

Part of the fun in these challenges is to encourage artists to try something they may not otherwise do, using any medium. The idea is to let ideas flow freely and wildly, simply have fun, and enjoy the process!

Participating artists took turns explaining their creative process and inspiration for their artwork, and then we voted for our favorites.

Arlene Mortimer’s Oyster Catcher came in first place. Ever an inspiring teacher, Arlene shared how she repurposed an old watercolor painting of clay pots and transformed it into a beautiful and interesting new background! Luckily, an oystercatcher held still long enough for her to capture a great reference photo. Now, he graces her painting as he stands at the shoreline, pecking in the sand. Congratulations Arlene!

Runner-up Carol Hansen created a spectacular mosaic called Canada Goose Rising of a male goose with wings spread wide, admiring himself in the water. Carol painted eggshells with gouache in browns and blues, then used small fragments as mosaic pieces.

Runner-up Belinda Botzong had us all sniffing as she read her touching poem Reflections about a life well lived. She created her special piece with watercolor paper, cyanoprint, and glass beads on a wood canvas. She is a wordsmith and a fearless artist with a big heart. Thank you, Belinda, for sharing deep reflections to which we all can relate.

First place received $50, and runners-up each received $25. All three pieces will be on display at the Whatcom Art Market until the end of July. Congratulations!

A heartfelt thank you to the many helping hands before and after the meeting!! A special thanks to Beth Roberson for setting up all the chairs and for taking photos, and to June Kiefer and Beth for tallying ballots! To John and Carrie Trax for sound, prize money, and organizing the winners’ display.

I will announce the September 2025 challenge at the July meeting.

Janille Dutton, WAG Art Challenge Coordinator