The art of portraiture is not just about the ruling class or the wealthy. Today, portraiture art is about capturing the essence of humanity one moment at a time. This month the artists who participated in the Portrait / Figurative Art competition and exhibition captured the angst, the gentleness, the soulfulness, as well as the beauty of everyday life of people worldwide.

For the month of April, Contemporary Art Gallery Online received entries for: paintings, photography and digital art, also mixed media categories; as part of the Portrait / Figurative Art competition. Winners were announced, May 16, 2016.

In the paintings category: artist, Wendy Layne was awarded Best in Show for the stunning depiction entitled, "Teacher". The angst ridden “Hush?...No More” portrait by, Barbara Pickering and weatherworn portrait "The Survivor" by, Cotyne were both selected as, Judges’ Choice. The mysterious “Untitled 4 – From Being Series” by, Amin Rostamizadeh won Gallery Choice; while, first, second and third place awards went to: Larry Madrigal for, "Foreknown”; Richard Devine for, "Raine"; and to Rita Romero for,“Flight of Fancy”; all works integrating impeccable detail, sound contrast, character expression, attention to shadow and to luminosity. The romantic “Cali Girl” by, Rebecca Sakovitch received fourth place. While artists: Sylvia Cerri-Bartels and Kathleen Walsh each tied for fifth place recognition. Cerri-Bartels’ titillating work titled, "Recharging" and Walsh’s Picasso inspired rendition titled, “Winnie”.

The following works and their respective artists received Honorable Recognition for vivid and unusual illustrative technique: "Lloyd on the Dunes" by, Darcy Lynn; "Peperina" by, Ceci Burgues; “Last Glance” by, Gregory Emvy; and finally, “Tripartite” by, Colin Gluck.

In the photography and digital art category: Gloria Golden received, Best in Show for, the remarkable “Side by Side” duo photo; while, first, second and third place winners included: Mark Dierker for, “Dryard”; Nicholas Mariano for, “Cuban Dancer”; and Briana Bogucki for, “Broken”; whose images integrate superior digital manipulation also angle and hue variation within and surrounding their subjects. "Fishing Reflection" by, Tisha Clinkenbeard received fourth place to evidence the artist’s advanced ability to manipulate light on film, and “The Pearl Queen” by, Michael Burkowitz received fifth place for its cinematic signature and organic definition of feminine curvature.

Three winners received awards in the mixed media category: Yordy Sanchez as Best in Show for the Mesoamerican profile called, "Breathless"; Pantea Bayat Mokhtari won first place for the abstract work entitled, "Suspended"; and Suzanee Benton received second place for the bindi triumvirate work called, "Trimurti".

Contemporary Art Gallery Online hosts artists of varying life and artistic experiences.

Visit Contemporary Art Gallery Online’s Gallery Exhibition to celebrate your love for art and to drink in the visual display. Also, tune into sound bites of in-depth artists interviews from the “Artists Speaks” series.

Contemporary Art Gallery is Always Showcasing Tomorrow's Art Giants, Today!

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