74 Artists Magazine January/February 2020
Landscape
3RD PLACE
Michael
Ward
Costa Mesa, California
tmichaelward.weebly.comJFK Restaurant
Equipment Supply
acrylic on canvas, 28x482ND PLACE
Nicole Parker
Beltsville, Maryland
nicole-parker-art.comThe Birds at Foxfi re
oil on linen-wrapped panel, 48x60
“My work revolves heavily around the
themes of memory, self and home. The
scene in The Birds at Foxfi re is based
on a childhood memory that has been
formative to me artistically. I grew up
in a house with a wooded backyard and
once, maybe twice, an enormous fl ock—
hundreds or thousands—of blackbirds
gathered in our yard and cul-de-sac for
hours. I’ve never witnessed so many birds
in one place before or since, and it was all
at once surreal, unnerving and beautiful.
The things that I remember best about
that day were the stillness of the air and
the sound of the birds in the backyard.”“The painting is based on a photograph I took in New York City on a sunny September 11th in 2015.
The building is at the corner of Orchard Avenue and Canal Street, where the Lower East Side meets
Chinatown. I made some minor alterations to the source image, but it’s basically as-found. I considered
leaving out the bicycles but ultimately left them in, which was fortunate as they’re a key focal point.
I also worked in references to my realist heroes: Charles Sheeler, Rackstraw Downes, Robert Bechtle
and Richard Estes. For me, this image is symbolic of America—abundant and chaotic, where people
from around the world converge to share their cultures and, hopefully, achieve success and prosperity.”