2025 Artwork of the Year Award

Artist locale: Canada

Title of work: L'heure dorée

Medium: Pastel

Thoughts about this artwork:
"It is easy, looking at this beautiful creature, to forget it could harm you with only one swing of its clawed paw. But capturing the grizzly at the golden hour still makes me want to hug him." Caroline

Juror Notes 
L'heure dorée

"The detail in the thick fur is magnificent, makes one want to run their fingers through it.  I love the color distinctions, creating more interest in the shape and form of the bear.  That one eye turned towards viewer adds to the impact. I can see him in my mind’s eye gliding silently in the water, beautifully majestic."  Marie McCallum, Juror

​"The artist's use of light and shadow to create volume and depth made the painting seem so tangible and real. The linear execution forms are clearly defined with crisp edges and precise brushstrokes that minimize artificiality. Every surface came with painstaking detail to make the scene calm, it really draws the viewer in to experience every detail without getting to close!" Kassandra Kaye, Juror