Previous Years - Members' Art Challenge


​Every year, JRAL creates an art challenge for members; members share their results with the League in one of our meetings, with a guest artist to critique and comment on the art presented. These are our challenges in past years.

Member Challenge 2024:  Paintings of Common Objects

This year's challenge theme was inspired by Wayne Thiebaud, who in 1962 was in a groundbreaking and historically important exhibition called "New Painting of Common Objects". You can also think about similar themes in the work of Warholdd, Dine, Lichtenstein, et cetera.  Every artist can put their own spin on it, including revealing the common objects in their own daily lives.

The guest critiquer for our challenge was Betsy Kellum.  Learn more about her at www.betsykellum.com.

Member Challenge 2023:  Let There Be Light & Shadow

We have heard about light and shadow in our pursuit to paint from books, teachers, workshops, etc. Our 2023 challenge was about light, but with a twist. Light must be incorporated from a particular source: i.e. candlelight, lamp light, street light, firelight, moonlight, sunlight, reflective light, fog light, etc.; basically any source of light you choose. Have fun, be bold, take chances and enjoy the process! 

Our guest critiquer was Adele Castillo.  Find out more about Adele at her website adelecastilloart.com.

Member Challenge 2022:  Whimsy, Fun, & Funk

After 2 years of a global pandemic, we thought it was time to have some fun!  Our 2022 challenge was to have some fun with our art with the theme Whimsy, Fun, & Funk:  "Almost anything goes -- let your mind wander and your fingers fly. Tease the senses! Laugh a lot! Make someone else laugh! Communicate joy! Turn inside out, outside in! Try satire; invent the impossible. But, you don’t have to be whimsical, funky, & fun all at the same time. One or a bit of some will do. It’s your art."

Doug Mock was our guest critiquer and he also gave us this fun challenge.  Find out more about Doug at his website DougMockFineArt.com.

Member Challenge 2021:  The Medium is the Message

The 2021 challenge theme was "The Medium is the Message".  With the medium of their choice, members tried something new: a new medium, new technique, new surface, new paints or pencils, and so on, and shared what they learned with other members.

This art challenge was critiqued by artist and instructor Fiona Ross.  Find out more about her at fionarossart.com.

Due to continuing Covid gathering issues and restrictions, our Challenge presentation was again virtual.
Click on the button above to view the members' gallery with their comments on their approach, and the video critique for this challenge.

Member Challenge 2020:
​A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Everyone has a favorite quote, a beloved poem, a personal anthem, or an inspirational quote that is near to their hearts and adds meaning to their lives. In this artist challenge, we were invited to express those favorite words through a visual art, to illustrate that a picture can be, in fact, worth a thousand words! As an added incentive, the art created for this challenge was the foundation and theme of the July 2020 judged show at Cultural Arts Center of Glen Allen.

Christopher Wynn (www.wynncreative.com) was our guest artist for the critique of this challenge.  Because of the COVID-19 quarantine situation, the members' art and their inspiration were presented in an online virtual gallery, and Christopher viewed and critiqued our art remotely on video, which will also be loaded online.
Click on the button above to view the members' gallery with their inspiration, and the video critiques for this challenge.

Member Challenge 2019: Bird is the Word

For the theme for this year’s Artist Challenge, JRAL members were invited to paint anything to do with birds or the word ‘bird.’  They could paint a picture of a bird, either factual or fantastical; or paint Cardinals in ecclesiastic robes, a Toronto Blue-Jay mascot, or even a prehistoric ‘Terry-dactyl’ who resembles our JRAL Treasurer, Terry Atkinson. They could paint a British ‘Bird’ or American ‘Chick’, nicknames for young unattached females; or maybe portray a golfer putting for a birdie; or an entire murder of crows or gulp of cormorants.  They could even spin the sound of the word ‘bird’ and paint a ‘brrrr’d’ winter scene, or a ‘burred’ rough textured surface. The possibilities were endless!

Our guest critique artist was Robert Caldwell, a nationally recognized and published wildlife artist who lives in Richmond.  Learn more about Robert at his website www.rlcaldwell.com.

Member Challenge 2018: Love Connection

The theme for JRAL’s annual Artist Challenge was “Love Connection” and was held on April 20th, 2018. "Love Connection” is the connection that one person has for another person, for an animal, flower, book, or for anything that brings joy to your life.  Our members each created their own expression of the theme.
 
Our guest critique artist was Thomas Bradshaw. Bradshaw is a nationally renowned impressionist artist and teaches a mixed media class at For Art’s Sake.  He has opened his own Gallery in Blackstone, VA. Click here to learn more about Thomas Bradshaw.

Member Challenge 2017:  Reflections

“Reflections” was the theme of the 2016-17 JRAL Artists Challenge. It is one of the themes suggested in our 2014 members’ survey, and it provides members with the opportunity to interpret the concept of “reflections” anyway we like, be it literal, symbolic, meditative, or metaphysical.

Peggy Davis, Richmond artist and art instructor, was our judge for the challenge.

Member Challenge 2016:  Emotions

"What does Love look like? How about Joy? Anger? Serenity? Regret? If you could paint an emotion, how would you do that? Well, now’s the time to find out! “Emotions” is the theme of JRAL’s 2016 Artist Challenge, as we learn to channel our Inner Expressionist. Portray one or a roller coaster of emotions! Paint/create in any medium you like, in a realistic or abstract style — use whatever you feel best represents the emotion(s) you hope to portray and/or invoke."

We also wanted to know a little about the process of painting the emotion selected, and what the member was feeling as they painted it.  Each member wrote a short “message of intent” to go along with their painting.  Christophora Robeers was our guest critiquer. ​

Member Challenge 2015:
​Painting with Complementary Colors

Picture
The 2015 Member Challenge was to explore an important aspect of the artistic process -- painting with complementary colors.  Our members rose to the challenge and presented a wide array of art pieces focused on this aspect.

​Adele Castillo, artist and instructor, delivered a thorough critique of our members' art work.  

Member Challenge 2014:  Hats!

The 2014 Member Challenge was to create a piece of art (painting, drawing, collage, etc.) with the focal point being HATS.  Dozens of members threw their hats into the challenge, culminating with a show and critique at our May 16th meeting.

Artist and instructor Christopher Wynn delivered the lively critique, commenting that "There are a lot of talented people in this organization!"

Member Challenge 2013:  JRAL Does RVA

The 2012-13 Member Challenge was called the "River City" Challenge.  The goal was to produce a piece of art that truly speaks of Richmond.  Art works from this challenge were exhibited at our 50th Anniversary Exhibit Celebration at Crossroads Art Center in March 2014.  We had a wonderful turnout for this member challenge, and many thanks to Christopher Wynn, who gave insightful and helpful critiques for the works.  

Member Challenge 2012:  Revisit a Famous Work of Art

The 2012 challenge was to reproduce, translate or expand upon a famous piece of art.  The turnout and member entries were spectacular.  Thank you to Sally Bowring, who provided critiques of many of the works.  Janice Clark was the winner of the People's Choice award, with her inspiration from Andy Warhol.  Thank you, members, for your participation!