My intaglio print “Miriam” is on display at the Benedictine Center of the St Paul’s Monastery in the 2019 Seeing God Juried Exhibition of Sacred Art, in the section of work created by the judges. This is my first experience being a judge versus being judged. It was very enlightening and challenging to judge the first round by viewing only from digital images. Digital images do not allow for the impact of size variation and you cannot see virtually any texture which is very important in most pieces. Bold images grab your attention whereas subtle delicate art work can easily be passed by without making a sufficient impact - a lost opportunity for the artist and the exhibition viewers. Judging is a humbling experience to be sure. Judging the awards was a different challenge. My decisions were based my my love of craft, the mark of the hand and creativity besides technical capability and professionalism of the framing or presentation. Did the artist have a unique approach? Is there a sense of spirit or deeper spirituality being communicated. Nature photography is popular and often very beautiful. But too many photos in an exhibit, lovely as they may be, do not necessarily challenge us to explore the deeper reaches of the soul. View “Seeing God” through March 9th. Join us for an Artist Conversation February 10 1-3:00 between the participating artists, judges and viewers. Ask questions and jump into the dialog - it should be lively and add meaningful context to the exhibit.

Blog