Exhibitions
April 1 - June 30, 2022
CAC Virtual Gallery
The Beauty of the Story, the fifth installment of the quarterly Excellence in Traditional Fine Art Competition, spotlights exceptional works of art that present a strong narrative. Inspiration for the works could include a beloved fairy tale, an intriguing composition of characters, or a distinctive setting or plot to spark the imagination of the viewer.
Our gratitude goes to Julie Perlin Lee, Executive Director for the Laguna Arts Museum, for being the guest judge and curating these images for this virtual exhibition, showcasing the most exemplary submissions as well as the prize-winning works.
Artwork is available for purchase. If you have interest in acquiring a work, please submit a purchase inquiry. In addition, we suggest consulting our Terms of Sale.
Congratulations to the Winners!
First Place – $1,000 Prize
Patricia McGeeney
Between Two Worlds
Oil on panel, 16" x 20"
Full of sensory-stimulating components, here is a scene that evokes the reality for the many who rely on selling a little for a little. The artificial lights and colors, the plastic chair, and the individuals blurred by drink, all accentuate the authenticity of the woman, her personal items and her clear purpose.
– Julie Perlin Lee
Second Place – $500 Prize
Brian Belfield
A Morning at Rocky Point
Oil on canvas, 24" x 30"
The sweetness of losing time is buttressed by the comforting repetition of ocean and geology. Here is a painting that makes you wish you could hop right in to it. As that is impossible, we fortunately have the second best option to gaze and dream.
– Julie Perlin Lee
Third Place – $250 Prize
Carole Rafferty
Second Marriage
Oil, 24" x 30"
Here we have an imperfect couple becoming more imperfect by the moment as they accept the rays of intense sunlight. For them, the situation seems perfect, as are the warm and cool color combo of this painting.
– Julie Perlin Lee
Honorable Mention – $75 Prize
Eric Von Berg
Saying Goodbye to Sausalito
Oil on panel, 48" x 60"
California living at its finest is captured in this painting arranged to highlight the textures of modern living. We can appreciate the reflections throughout, including the one in process by the solitary figure on the balcony.
– Julie Perlin Lee
Special Recognition– $50 Prize
William A. Schneider
Any Port in the Storm
Oil on linen, 30" x 30"
What can I say, it is good go be the judge, and this one is partial to nocturnes. I appreciate the moments of complete abstraction throughout the picture plain, grounded in reality only by a person here and there.
– Julie Perlin Lee
Patricia McGeeney
Between Two Worlds
Oil on panel, 16" x 20", $3,000
Strolling down the beach one evening on a trip to Belize, I noticed a Hispanic woman selling her embroidered bags and trinkets. In the background tourists were boisterously enjoying their drinks indifferent to their surroundings. The narrative was so compelling and the image seemed to have so many visual elements that I thought it might translate well into a painting. The ongoing struggles of those less privileged is always evident around the world, but no matter how simple their lives are I always can find dignity in their faces.
– Patricia McGeeney
Purchase InquiryBrian Belfield
A Morning at Rocky Point
Oil on canvas, 24" x 30", $2,100
Like many of my studio paintings A Morning at Rocky Point was inspired by a plein air sketch. I thought it turned out well and that the subject deserved a grander realization. The sketch served me for color and I had taken some reference photos. The kids existed and were playing on the beach that day. The painting uses a circle of focus that moves from the children up and around the ridge and to the end of the point, then back down the water to the kids.
– Brian Belfield
Purchase InquiryCarole Rafferty
Second Marriage
Oil, 24" x 30", $5,500
I met this couple on the beach and we got to talking. They told me this was the second marriage for each of them. I saw them several times that day but each seemed to be in their own world.
– Carole Rafferty
Purchase Inquiry