Saturday, August 09, 2014

Scott Krohn wins CPSA's 22nd International Exhibition

This is an interview with American coloured pencil artist Scott Krohn who has won the top prize at the 22nd International Exhibition of the Colored Pencil Society of America

More details after the interview - which includes images of the work in progress - about
Winner of the CIPPY Award & CPSA Best of Show $5000
"Stone Faced; Self Portrait" by Scott Krohn

25 x 19 inches, Prismacolors on Mi Tientes paper
The exhibition can currently be seen at The Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens until 25th August 2014.

An Interview with Scott Krohn


Scott Krohn is a coloured pencil artist living in Minnesota.  I wanted to interview him because his artwork drew a spontaneous and vocalised expression of my appreciation as soon as I saw it online - and that doesn't happen a lot!

Fortunately Scott was very happen to answer my questions!  He's also provided me with some pics of this drawing as a work in progress and these intersperse the answers to my questions.

Scott Krohn 
with his prizewinning colored pencil drawing - in the exhibition
It has been very exciting since I learned I won Best of Show. It is a dream come true and one of the highest goals I had set for my professional career.

How long have you been using coloured pencils? What do you like about them? 

I have been a high school art teacher for the past 20 years teaching mainly Drawing, Pottery, and Graphic Design and began seriously using colored pencils in 2006.

I've always loved drawing as a medium, but colored pencil is my favorite because of the abundance of possibilities it allows. It also gives the artist such potential to create realism, which I've always been interested in.

Which are your preferred brands and surfaces to work on - and which did you use for your prizewinning work? 

I use Prismacolor pencils on Canson Mi Tientes paper almost exclusively, although I recently purchased Faber Castell Polychromos so I'll be experimenting with those in the coming months.

"Stone Faced; Self Portrait" was done with Prismacolors on Mi Tientes paper.

How long did it take you to do the work which won? 

It took me six months and approximately 150 hours to complete. 
"Stone Faced; Self Portrait" by Scott Krohn - work in progress #1

How long have you been drawing rocks? 

I got into drawing rocks at the same time as I discovered the potential of colored pencils. I was on the north shore of Lake Superior, which has become my sacred space in the last several years. I am fascinated by the rocks there and the variety of their shapes and sizes. I can spend hours on the beach there just looking at the rocks and taking in the serenity the place offers. Much of my past work uses rocks as subject matter.
"Stone Faced; Self Portrait" by Scott Krohn - work in progress #2

Have you previously won any prizes? 

This was my 8th year entering the CPSA Exhibition and my 5th year getting accepted (so I also earned my 5 year merit award this year).

The prize money is incredible. I plan to invest some of it into my art (supplies, prints, a new web site, things like that). I'm also remodeling my bathroom, so some of the money will go towards that.

I have won various awards at local shows this past year, including first place drawing and third place drawing in the Savage Arts Council Competition, best drawing and fourth place overall in the Elk River Alliance competition. Before that, I had won the award for excellence and second place overall at the Burnsville Art Fete three different times. And I was just accepted into the Minnesota State Fair competition for the third time.

"Stone Faced; Self Portrait" by Scott Krohn - work in progress #3

Do you have a website?

My only web site right now is www.mnartists.org/scott_krohn although I am working on getting a new web site up and running.

Images by the other prizewinnersCPSA 22nd International Exhibition
Click the link in the caption to see larger versions
CPSA Awardwinners - 22nd International Exhibition, Florida

This is the list of the awards, the title of the works which won and the names of the artists.

You can read about who were the donors of the very generous prizes on the CPSA blog post 22nd International Exhibition Award Winners Announced

CIPPY Award & CPSA Best of Show $5000 - Stone Faced: Self Portrait 
Scott Krohn, CPSA (MN)

CPSA District Chapters Award for Exceptional Achievement $2000 - Fran (Artist)
John Smolko, CPSA (OH)

Dixon Ticonderoga Award for Exceptional Merit $1000 - Falling Into Place
Arlene Steinberg, CPSA, CPX (NY)

Prismacolor Award for Exceptional Merit $1000 - At Face Value
Lori Garner, CPSA (TX)

Award for Outstanding Achievement $800 - Homage to Leonardo
Dennis Angel (NV)

Award for Outstanding Achievement $800 - Adrift
Shawn Falchetti, CPSA (PA)

Award for Outstanding Achievement $800 - The Best of Friends
CJ Worlein, CPSA

Award for Outstanding Recognition $600 - Elise
Holly Bedrosian, CPSA (NH)

Award for Outstanding Recognition $600 - Looking Good
Suzanne Hunter, CPSA (TX)

Award for Outstanding Recognition $600 - Holiness
Rhonda Nass, CPSA (WI)

Award for Excellence $400 - Mermaid of Table Rock Lake
Deane Ackerman, CPSA (SC)

Award for Excellence $400 - Noesis
Tanja Gant, CPSA, CPX (TX)

Award for Excellence $400 - Canned
Jeff George, CPSA (CA)

Award for Excellence $400 - Whisker to Whisker
Sheila Theodoratos, CPSA, CPX (WA)

Award for Excellence $400 - Mass Appeal
Paul Van Heest, CPSA (MI)

Awards of the same value are equal in rank, and artists are in alphabetical order within each award group.

NOTE: I was a little surprised when looking for websites to note that:
  • very few had an individual URL for the page their artwork was on
  • rather a lot had had their artwork pinned to Pinterest - BY OTHER PEOPLE.
The moral of the story is that if you have an identifiable URL for individual items of artwork you can tell where the visitors are coming from if you use a decent statistics service - and hence can tell when your artwork has been pinned. Some people don't mind - and others mind a lot. Just a thought.

Selected Artists


Below is a list of the artwork and artists selected for the exhibition - from all over the USA and countries and continents - organised by the location of the artist.

This provides something of an indication where coloured pencil art and CPSA branches are active within the USA as the numbers being selected do not correlate with the population of those states.

Alabama 


Susie
Garrett
Lady of Lowe Mill
Arizona 


Barbara
Dahlstedt
El Blanco
Elliott
Everson, CPSA, CPX
Fragmented
Toni
James, CPSA
Vintage Allure
Jane
McCreary, CPSA
Raindrops in Ireland
George
Shively
Ruby Crystal Geometry
California 


Mikela
Cameron, CPSA.
Roundup Ready
Janki
Chokshi
Reveal
Jeff
George, CPSA
Canned
Gemma
Gylling, CPSA
Hear Me Roar
Denise
Howard, CPSA, UKCPS, MPAS
Tree of Stories
Buena
Johnson
Deliverance
Andrew
Purdy
Morning Sun
Mike
Purdy
Reaching for the Sky
Barbara
Rogers, CPSA
Surf at Sunrise
Megan
Seiter
Sophie
Christopher
Swetlin
39th and Hacienda III
John
Tolomei
Kauai Palms
Phillip
Zubiate III
Un"BEE"lievably Dahliacious
CANADA 


Vickie
Lawrence
Before and After
Colorado 


Cynthia
Haase
Peaches and Green Ribbon
Florida 


Jeffrey
Baisden, CPSA
Decadence - Broken Promises
Donna
Caputo, CPSA
Southwestern Silver Dance
Anda
Chance
Time Keeper
Patricia
Lentine
Summer Dreams
Agnes
Manganelli
Just Add Water
Suzanne
Marcil, CPSA
Crystal Clear
Mari K
Moehl, CPSA
Matriarch of the Crop
Melissa Miller
Nece, CPSA
Skimming Past
Glinda
Pennock
Healthy Choice
Faye
Wilkins
Rhiannon2
Georgia 


Kim
Hamby
On the Lookout
Nancy
Suffolk Guerine, CPSA
Three Old Friends...Crusty, Rusty, and Trusty
Debra
Yaun, CPSA
Swan Reflections
GREECE 


Titika
Faraklou
Born in the Land of the Gods
Idaho 


Dava
Dahlgran
Making Salsa
Sonja
Johnson
Out on a Limb
 Illinois


Andria
Burchett
Trencadis
Gail
Collier, CPSA
Finding My Niche - Almost Home
Barbara
DeWaard, CPSA
Autumn's Interlude
Tracy
Frein
Jason: The Fighter
Priscilla
Humay, CPSA
Reptilian Goddess
Alfredo
Martinez
Portrait in G Major
Linda
Palmer
Peek A Boo! Whoooo!
Joan E.
Robertson, CPSA
Looking for Gold
Amy
Turner, CPSA
Season of Remembrance
 Indiana


Pamela
Clements
Spring Forward
Kansas 


David
Fonseca
Larry, Moe & Curly
Kentucky 


Vanessa
Lawrence
The Golden Girls
Louisiana 


Carol
Scott
Crystal #29, Dome
Melanie
Wallace
Turf Wars
Massachusetts 


Deborah
Friedman, CPSA
The Transparency of Summer
MALAYSIA 


Sharon
Kow
To Have and To Hold...
Maryland 


Deborah
Maklowski, CPSA
Relic
Maine 


Elizabeth
Patterson, CPSA
Reclining Onion
Michigan


Bonnie
Auten, CPSA
Robert the Bruce
Travis
Erby
Ronnie's Tears
Erwin
Lewandowski
Streamside Cove II
Linda
Lutze
Interloper
Gail Borgman
McGuire
Bass Harbor Lighthouse
Wendy
Mersman
The Twins
Dean
Rogers, CPSA
Tired of the Hunt
Rita
Skoczen, CPSA
Sunny Day
Paul
Van Heest, CPSA
Mass Appeal
 Minnesota


Scott
Krohn, CPSA
Stone Faced: Self Portrait
North Carolina 


Liz
Guzynski
I Am Lylah
Kate
Lagaly, CPSA, CPX
Dousing
Donna
Slade, CPSA
In My Eyes
New Hampshire


Holly
Bedrosian, CPSA
Elise
New Jersey 


Paula
Madawick, CPSA
Ward-Ryerson-Patterson House: Spring
Andrea
At Rest on Rusted Metal
 New Mexico


Melinda
Beavers, CPSA
The Race Begins
Jean
Thurow
Spring Cactus Garden
Martin
Vela
Molto Moto
Nevada 


Dennis
Angel
Homage to Leonardo
Anna
Hammer
Amused To No End
Holly
Siniscal, CPSA
Dancing Shoes
New York 


Kurt
Altschul
Bookended
Carol
Maltby,CPSA
Fairgrounds I
Arlene
Steinberg, CPSA, CPX
Falling into Place
 Ohio


Cecile
Baird, CPSA
Tear Jerker
Barbara
Byram, CPSA
Frankie
Marsha
Gilger
Ellie Divided
Jonavon
Herr
Killing Time
Margaret (Margi)
Hopkins
Waiting
Jamie
Hosler
Abarat
Amy
Lindenberger, CPSA, CPX
October Morning, Fog Receding
Sharon Frank
Mazgaj, CPSA
Chipper
Cheryl
Metzger
Closer to the Light
Lee Ann
Novotny, CPSA
Winter Time
John
Smolko, CPSA, CPX
Fran (Artist)
Katherine
Thomas
Souvenirs
Oregon 


Susan
D'Amico, CPSA
Counterpoint
CJ
Worlein, CPSA
The Best of Friends
Pennyslvania  


Shawn
Falchetti, CPSA
Adrift
 Rhode Island


Kendra
Ferreira, CPSA, CPX
Discovery
South Carolina 


Deane
Ackerman, CPSA
Mermaid of Table Rock Lake
Gretchen
Parker, CPSA
Fallen Stars
Faith
Wheeler
Them Basses
Tennessee 


Carla
Sexton, CPSA
Carmen Takes a Sip
Dena
Whitener, CPSA
Nellie's Gift
 Texas


Nika
Cranmer
Farley
Tanja
Gant, CPSA, CPX
Noesis
Lori
Garner, CPSA
At Face Value
Merri
Hanson
Kaleidoscope
Linda Lucas
Hardy, CPSA, CPX
I Am Not What I Seem
Suzanne
Hunter, CPSA
Looking Good
Lisa
Mills
Reflections on Cool Jazz
Irma
Murray
Do Not Disturb
Christi
Tompkins
It's a Dog's Life
Cathy
Ward, CPSA
The Terminator
Vermont 


Karen
Coleman, CPSA
Hope is the Thing with Feathers
Sherry
Smith
Reflecting on Spring
Suzanne
Vigil
Teal the Coes Come Home
Washington 


Elizabeth
Dobes
Country White
Junkyu
Lee
Rest a While
Paula
Parks, CPSA, CPX
Plum Delicious
Iris
Stripling, CPSA
Tipping Point
Sheila
Theodoratos, CPSA, CPX
Whisker to Whisker
John
Ursillo, CPSA
Woman of Rovinj, Croatia
Ranjini
Venkatachari, CPSA, CPX
Omne Trium Perfectum
Wisconsin 


Jody
Beighley
December Morning
Rhonda
Nass, CPSA
Holiness
Wyoming 


Eileen
Nistler, CPSA, CPX
Riches and Honor
Dorothy
DePaulo
The Gate Keeper
 

Links:

1 comment:

  1. nice interview :) loved this piece when I saw it, very interesting portrait

    ReplyDelete

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