After long deliberations we are happy to say that we finally have a winner of the “Creative Spirit 2007” Contest.

The judging panel was:



Special thanks to those who took their time to look through all the entries, help voting as well as writing wonderful commentaries of why they chose each piece.

We were all truly surprised by the diversity and amazing work being submitted for the contest. Not only the Traditional community truly shone the light beacon letting everyone know we were still alive and kicking, we as a community have shown the amazing power of creation.

Here is how judging process worked:

• Each of the judges had to select 5 works and write few sentences on why they liked those specific works

• Each work was given a score of 1 to 5, 5 being the highest score

• The scores have been tallied and winners selected based on that

• All votes and reasons behind them are published in this article in order to keep transparency.

The first place will go to:
*Bibelota for “Rainy Day”

_{with 14 points (5 points `sbaraci, 4 points ^RockGirl1582, 3 points ^stigmatattoo, ^JesusIV 2 points)}

This work has won the majority of the judges hearts.

^RockGirl1582 said: “Fantastic usage of the media, I love how the hair doubles as a rip into a night sky.”

^stigmatattoo said: “The intricate decorative elements and well chosen palette build an special atmosphere, supported by the hieratic expression of the subject. The horizontal elements in the composition alternatively suspend and anchor the weight of the image, and the play of cold and warm hues also take part in cleverly defining the piece's fields.”

`sbaraci said: “Aside from all the detail work that went into this mixed media piece, I really like it the most from design perspective and from the mood it sets. It is fluid and moves, it is dark, and earthy at same time, it oozes, it is grounded and free at same time, full of contrasts. It makes me really sad to look at this work, it fills me with memories of my home, amazing nature, storms brewing, as well a mother nature looking over us.”

1st Prize devWEAR t-shirt or print up to $30 + 1 year subscription + a feature in `sbaraci's journal and 8"x10" Nude Painting by `sbaraci!

The 2nd place:

Primordial Sin by *Mihai82000

_{10 points (^JesusIV 5 points, `Denis-Peterson 5 points)}

`Denis-Peterson said: “Eyecatching symbols of familiarity such as partially eaten apples can be easily passed over by viewers searching for unrecognizable complexities and stylistic novelties in painted works. However, this particular rendering of an apple core is particularly attractive in its meticulous verisimilitude in detail and in its simple, straightforward compositional design. Convincing illusion of translucency in the fiber and a polished surface texture in the skin both add to the image’s credibility.”

2nd Prize Box cap or print up to $20 + 6 months subscription + a feature in `sbaraci's journal!

Highly Commended Award:

“Red Abstract” by ~elmisti

_{7 points (^RockGirl1582 3 points, `sbaraci 2 points, ^stigmatattoo 2 points)}

^RockGirl1582 said: “Fantastic use of media, such soft tones against hard lines. The globe in the middle seems almost alive, as if it's a throbbing centre of a larger universe.”

`sbaraci said: “I love the peacefull sadness in this piece, as if reminiscuing. It creates new forms out of memories and thoughts, its warm, it emerges like flower, it gets lost and obscured. I love the depth of this one, how it warps, how the shadows are handled. To be able to handle pastels like this I have to take my hat off to the author.”

^stigmatattoo said: “Rich earthy tones and great dynamism in the play of depth and shape, this abstract work is sensuous and alive.”

Highly Commended Lanyard or Buttons + 3 month subscription + a feature in `sbaraci's journal!

_{The winners must place their Prize's choice on their Wishlist and note ^stigmatattoo for details and/or questions!}

There is a number of works that caught the judges' eyes. Here is what they had to say about them and the points awarded:

“Origins of Art” by *Mihai82000
_{8 points (^stigmatattoo 5 points, ^JesusIV 4 points)}

^stigmatattoo said: “Classic surreal piece with a finely achieved illusion, it drives its point across through the use of well chosen details. The wooden texture and the palette-shaped fragment are great notes, showing the care of the author for the elements chosen to carry its message.”

“Mange Avec Mes Yeux” by ~ABitMadInTheHead
_{7 points (^stigmatattoo 4 points, $spinegrinder 3 points)}

^stigmatattoo said: “The dramatic angle and lighting, together with the wonderful expression give this piece an unusual strength. Fascination and craving fill the canvas in a tense, suspended moment”

$spinegrinder said: “We lust for art. We'd eat it if we could! We stare at it with big eyes, our mouths are watering, we lick our lips after it. We want to consume it in any way possible to feed our imagination and creativity.”

by ~Bisat

`Denis-Peterson awarded 1 point and said: “Dramatic figurative representation of a female nude. Painterly and expressive, this oil painting uses hot and cool colors to suggest surface qualities and to describe volume of space both in the figure and outside its boundaries. Subject is well placed in space to keep viewer’s attention on the figure and on the flow of light across and around it.”

`sbaraci awarded 1 point and said: “I like how the author handles the light and shadow in figure work. He takes the figure, and makes the shadows flow, creating wonderfull abstract forms in the back. It is a classic pose handled masterfully. I like the most the upper part of the painting, the way the colours are distributed, the light shing off translucent hair, and the way the author kept the simmilar approach used in figure in background.”

^JesusIV awarded 4 points

by *flesh-was-sweet

`sbaraci awarded 3 points and said: “I really love this painting, not only from the composition point of view, but i love its madness, of patterns, of flow, lines, and colour. Its perverse in a way, charged with sexual energy, its seductive in front of underlying darkness.”

:devjesusiv” awarded 1 point

by ~cadencedwaters

^RockGirl1582 awarded 3 points and said: “Beautiful bold colours that leave off with an emotionally charged feeling. Love the creative use of layering.”

by :devsiudastej”

:devrockgirl1582 awarded 4 points and said: “The warm tones against the cool really allow for this piece to pop. It melds well with the theme as it incorporates a very abstract, but duly painted cello.”

by *papadieee

^RockGirl1582 awarded 2 points and said: “Despite your need to make use of the "download" button, this is a lovely melody of mixed paints and tones. The artists' means of creating this series is rather abstract and the end result is fantastic.”

by *papadieee

$spinegrinder awarded 5 points and said: “The idea and choice of medium and tools makes this my personal winner. Something that is usually orderly flat and two-dimensional was sliced apart, reassembled and transformed into a three-dimensional chaos. That's what I call thinking outside the box and creative!”

by *Mihai82000

$spinegrinder awarded 4 points and said: “Very soft, yet so strong at the same time. Soft light is shining on the smoothly textured face with a peaceful expression. Very emotional. The black tear... a forceful, powerful and strong outlet of that emotion. All that collides with each other in Art, and Art sparks new emotions and forces. It's a never ending chain reaction.”

by =ayhantomak

$spinegrinder awarded 2 points and said: “I can't help but be amazed at the fractal like anatomy of this fantastical being's head. What I see here is a human like being that embodies its own creative imagination - a concept with lots of potential!”

by ~colorfullfrootloops

$spinegrinder awarded 1 point and said: “I have a little habit for such pictures. Music is a unique power that can set our minds free to an infinite flow of creativity.”


by *damiankafe

^stigmatattoo awarded 1 point and said “The calligraphic markings and their careful arrangement invite involvement and alternative readings: sometimes faces, stylized figures and organic shapes are evoked in an enjoyable trip.”

by ~kint

`Denis-Peterson awarded 4 points and said: “A wonderful composite of sensitively rendered dots in all size and shape variations make this a compelling drawing. Subtle shading is used to enhance the modeling of form as well as to emphasize mood and message. Intricacies of miniaturized designs add to an already intriguing drawing.”

by ~publicdisregard

`Denis-Peterson awarded 3 points and said: “The design looks simple and challenges the typical response “that’s so easy, heck, I could have done that!” However, it is not easy; even with stencils. Outdoor murals are difficult at best. You get one shot at it and then it is there recording your work, complete with mistakes…forever..or at least until the town officials come by with a cleaning crew!
What I really like here is the artist took the time, and had the creative insight to include herself as part of the art. So rarely do visual artists have this opportunity, and as such, this artist gave a dynamic and well balanced element of human spirit to the wings that suggest life on another plane.”

by ~Omerican

`Denis-Peterson awarded 2 points and said: “A painterly and bold style help to create an engaging nude work in a frontal, but subdued pose. Warm and cool hues are deftly managed to create depth of field as well as to describe volume, weight and constrained movement in the figure.”

by =Jessica-Joy

`sbaraci awarded 4 points and said: “I like the flow and movement of it, as well how =Jessica-Joy uses forms of the real world and transcends them, creating amazing contemporary work. It has amazing contrasting elements of earth and water, intertwining feeding each other, interdependant. It is as if rain is cleansing and reforming the existing plane, breaking the composition into subelements all beautifully layered.”

In our opinion, every piece that entered the contest could have been selected as a winner, because each was an expression of amazing artists' ideas, emotions and dreams, all poured into one. Each piece of work stood their ground, and all should be commended for entering. We all personally know that it takes a lot of courage and spirit to enter a contest. Congratulations to everyone who has participated, as well as to all the winners!

_{Special thanks to `sbaraci for their tireless collaboration in the organization and success of Traditional Art Day, The Creative Spirit Contest and this very article.}