Santa Cruz Artist Mary Karlton Wins Award at California "Celebrate Agriculture with the Arts" Show

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. - Oct. 10, 2013 - PRLog -- SANTA CRUZ, Calif. - October 7, 2013 - Santa Cruz artist, Mary Karlton, was awarded second prize in the “Human Factors” category for her painting “Sweet Summertime” by the Madera County Arts Council’s 2013 Celebrate Agriculture with the Arts juried art exhibition. The annual art exhibit, held at the Circle Gallery in Madera, was juried by renowned Santa Cruz, California painter and teacher Mike Bailey.

Ms. Karlton’s painting, which depicts a young boy enjoying a juicy red watermelon, celebrates the abundant fruits of the summer season. With its high-contrast chiaroscuro style and shimmery copper and bronze underpainting, the portrait has a vintage feel that simulates the look of old sepia-toned photography of the mid-twentieth century. The painting was inspired by an old photo of her father that Ms. Karlton discovered in a box of family memorabilia.

In 2012, Mary Karlton was awarded first prize for her painting entitled “How Are You M’ Lord?” by the Madera County Arts Council’s Celebrate Agriculture with the Arts exhibition, Pomegranate Festival category.

“Sweet Summertime,” along with the works of many other fine California artists, will be on display at the Circle Gallery until November 16.  For more information about Celebrate Agriculture with the Arts and the Madera County Arts Council, visit http://www.maderaarts.org/celebrate-agriculture-with-the-....

About Mary Karlton

Mary Karlton studied painting and printmaking in Chicago, San Francisco, and Santa Fe. Her style is eclectic with highly textured works that combine elements of collage, photography, and abstraction. She is captivated by the versatility and expressive potential of acrylic media. Her heroes in the art world are multifaceted and innovative - da Vinci, Lautrec, Van Gogh, Picasso, Dali, Magritte, Klimt, Kandinsky, Schiele, de Koonig, and Richter.

Her work has been displayed in a wide array of exhibitions in Northern and Southern California, including museums, competitions, and galleries, and reproduced in various books and on wine labels.

Mary lives in the scenic coastal town of Santa Cruz, California with her husband, musician, and photographer Peter Sterbach. To learn more about Mary Karlton or to view her online gallery of artwork, please visit www.marykarlton.com

About Madera County Arts Council’s Annual Celebrate Agriculture with the Arts Showing

Originally funded by a grant from the California Arts Council, Celebrate Agriculture with the Arts has been a tradition and source of pride in Madera County and the state of California for 20 years. The contest promotes a broader interest in and understanding of agriculture as an industry while showcasing the work of professional California artists. It is a juried show, with approximately $8,000 in prizes offered across seven categories. In 2013, 180 entries from 79 artists around the state (up 27% from 2012) were received. Jurors selected 93 pieces, including watercolor, acrylic, and oil paintings; pencil and pastel drawings; metal and clay sculptures; photography; and mixed media. 2013 marks the first year that photographic entries were fully integrated into all of the show categories, and the first year that paintings and sculpture were included in the “Human Factors” category.

For this year’s list of winners, or for more information about the Circle Gallery, Celebrate Agriculture with the Arts, or the Madera County Arts Council, please visit http://www.maderaarts.org/?page_id=334. (http://www.maderaarts.org/?page_id=334)