Falls Church Plein Air Painting Competition Results

By BARB CRAM
July 2, 2012

Winners of the 3^rd Annual Falls Church Plein Air Festival Competition received their awards at noon on Saturday, June 23, at ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 S. Maple Avenue, in Falls Church.  The awards ceremony at noon followed a brunch,  where attendees were treated to a wide selection of food, including a crowd favorite—Tupelo Honey Cake—donated by Kendalls’ Cakes and decorated by FCA artist Jacqlyn Sickler. Galleria Florist donated a large, colorful tropical arrangement.

 

Mike and June Beyer presented The Don Beyer Volvo KIA Annual Plein Air Prize for Best in Show. The $500 prize went to Rajendra KC for his watercolor, “Falls Church Landscape, Little Falls Street in a Summer Storm.” The judge, Meg Walsh, said of the painting “this is quintessential Plein Air, catching a moment in time, and this painting is a brilliant example with its intense atmospheric quality.” Rajendra is a Falls Church Arts artist from Nepal.

 

 

Mike and June Beyer presenting Don Beyer Volvo-Kia Plein Air Prize for Best in Show to Rajendra KC (Photo by Barb Cram)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tori McKinney with Ellen Pereira, sister of 2^nd prize winner, Patricia Walach Keough (Photo by Matthew Fierce)

The second-place Tori McKinney, Rock Star Realtor, Plein Air Prize of $250 was awarded to Patricia Walach Keough of Carlisle, PA for her oil painting of “The Falls Church Farmer’s Market.” Her sister, Ellen Pereira, of Falls Church accepted the prize for Patricia.

The Falls Church Arts President’s Prize for $250 was presented by FCA Board Vice-President Joe Wetzel to the winner,  Jennifer Manown of Iroquois Lane, Falls Church. Her oil painting, “The Falls Church Presbyterian Church,” garnered the third-place prize.

 

President’s Award prize winner Jennifer Manown with Joe Wetzel, FCA Vice President (Photo by Barb Cram)

The judge of this year’s painting contest, Meg Walsh of Arlington, is seen below making a presentation on “What Is Plein Air Painting.” Meg is a well known Mid Atlantic plein air painter with many honors and awards and was winner of the 2011 Falls Church Plein Air Festival Competition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meg Walsh, judge, 3^rd Annual Plein Air Festival Competition (Photo by Barb Cram)

The Plein Air Show and Sale is at ArtSpace Falls Church at 410 South Maple Avenue, Falls Church, and will continue through August 5. The paintings will appear shortly on the Falls Church Arts website. See Falls Church Arts’ Facebook page to see a short video by Manuela Costescu of the entries, which span a wide variety of “Scenes in the City,” from lunch at Natalia’s to the Don Beyer Pigs Sculpture on Broad Street to the W&OD Trail to the State Theatre and more. The winners’ paintings appear on FCA note cards and posters, which are also on sale at ArtSpace Falls Church.  FCA is now taking credit card charges by phone.

 For further information about the exhibit and sales please call Falls Church Arts at 703-679-7881 or e-mail info@fallschurcharts.org.