Results of the 3rd Annual Ogden Valley Plein Air Competition Saturday, August 16th, 2008 Sponsored by Wilkerson Fine Art & Consulting and OgdenValleyMagazine.com.

The 3rd Annual Plein Air Competition and Silent Auction was a great success for local professional and non-professional artists alike! Artists painted in Plein Air, a French expression for the “open air.” Thirty-four gifted artists participated in this extraordinary event, canvassing various scenes throughout the Ogden Valley. Participants registered early Saturday morning and were off to find the perfect setting for their chosen Plein Air pieces. This event was truly exceptional, for the artists forever captured moments in time, here in the beautiful Ogden Valley. Kris Wilkerson of Wilkerson Fine Art & Consulting was delighted by the turnout of artists. “The caliber of the artists participating and quality of the artwork submitted was exciting to see. Its fun to see the talent that lives right here in Northern Utah.” Kris also commented on how wonderful it is to have such great community support for this event.

The Plein Air judging began at 3:00 p.m. at Wolf Mountain as part of the 14th Annual Balloon Festival. John Poon, a recent transplant to the Odgen Valley via Jackson, Wyoming judged the event. John is well known throughout the West and his numerous awards and honors include “Best of Show” The Society of Western Artists National Juried Exhibition; “Landscape Award of Merit” The Arts for the Park National juried Exhibition; and most recently The Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters Award of Excellence. As an outstanding Plein Air painter and instructor, Poon’s primary focus in his painting is to convey mood through color, brushwork, design, and light. His subjects range depending on region, but is as well versed with boats and harbors, as with mountains and meadows. His work speaks eloquently of Creation in all its wonder and variety. With his fine sense of detail as well as acknowledgments and instructional talents, all those involved in the event were honored to have John as their judge for this competition. John’s assessment and judgment of the pieces with emphasis on composition, execution, color, and brushwork. He had quite a burden, for each piece provided a unique depiction of Ogden Valley. After much time and consideration, John ranked artwork in both professional and non-professional categories.

An awards ceremony took place at 5 p.m. to honor and announce the Plein Air winners and distribute more than $3600 in cash prizes. The first place award in the professional category was given to Susan Gallacher of Cottonwoods Heights, Utah. Susan’s 1st place piece, really captured the feeling of the Ogden Valley commented the Judge, John Poon. Other Plein Air winners for the professional category were David Jackson of Mountain Green, 2nd place, and Steven Hedgepeth of Ogden 3rd place. Gregg Batt of Taylor and George Handrahan of Kaysville took Honorable Mentions. In the non-professional category, winners were Mary Jane Grow of Provo in 1st place for a fine watercolor, Rosemary Waite of Huntsville 2nd place, and Honorable Mention went to 8 year old Connor Sneddon of Pleasant View. Valley citizens and festival goers browsed and admired the Plein Air art painted from their very own surroundings. Several pieces from the Plein Air Competition were auctioned off to appreciative patrons. In case you couldn’t make it to the Silent Auction, you are in luck.

Pieces from the Silent Auction, as well as other Ogden Valley themed art, can be viewed and purchased in the current Plein Air exhibit located at Wolf Creek Utah. Contact Kris Wilkerson to set an appointment to view this extraordinary collection of Plein Air artwork. Check out video and images from the Balloon Festival at OgdenValleyMagazine.com. Thank you to all the artists who participated in this event. Each personal perspective and input made this event possible and a wonderfully enriching experience. Wilkerson Fine Art & Consulting invites you to take time to experience and embrace life enriched through art by participating as an artist or collector at this year’s event.

More information about upcoming events or other services offered by Wilkerson Fine Art & Consulting, contact Kris Wilkerson at 801 745-9557 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it www.WilkersonFineArt.com