Winners named in Hockaday's new artists show

Three Montana artists have won top honors at the Hockaday Museum of Art’s annual Catch the Vision: From Dreams to Discovery competition.

Catch the Vision, the Kalispell museum’s annual emerging artist competition, is devoted to the discovery, introduction and promotion of emerging artists. A jury selected three winners from the scores of entrants.

Paul Tunkis of Livingston won first-place honors in this year’s contest. His work will be featured in a solo exhibition at the Hockaday this fall.

Tunkis combines his artistic skills with his 24 years of experience as a professional hunting and fishing outfitter in Montana and the West. He paints Montana’s landscape and wildlife in transparent watercolor, utilizing graphite and watercolor pencil on Arches hot press paper.

Tunkis hopes to pursue art full time, sharing his work and vision with fellow Montanans as well as bring awareness of the necessity to continue to preserve Montana’s diverse wildlife and heritage landscape.

Patrick McClellan of Sheridan has taken second place in the competition and will receive paid tuition to a professional artist workshop at the Hockaday.

McClellan’s formal art training began and ended with an introductory drawing class at a local junior college when he was in his 50s. His instructor encouraged him to try plein air painting, and McClellan discovered he had a passion for the form.

The world-class views and vistas of Montana often inspire him to create small plein air studies in the field, which he then utilizes later along with additional reference photos to create larger format paintings in the studio.

James Corwin of Kalispell is the third-place winner and will receive three paid Crits and Croissants sessions at the Hockaday.

Corwin’s work is reminiscent of the late 19th century and Hudson River School. His landscapes are rich, exciting and romantic as they depict dramatic skies and lights. The presence of the painting is sensational, emotional and fleeting.

As an artist with a passion for the Romantic era, Corwin has found it his exploration to reinvent the sensations produced during that era. James uses the same processes and materials to build the glazes and luminous quality adherent to the 19th century. The landscapes he chooses are familiar, but the paintings are unique, original and recognizable.

Catch the Vision: From Dreams to Discovery is open to all Montana-resident artists of all ages working in any media who are in the beginning stages of their careers as professional artists. The Hockaday’s goal is to help the emerging artist gain confidence, assist in the development of skills, aid in building professional connections and to gain experience exhibiting in a professional gallery setting.

Catch the Vision: From Dreams to Discovery will be on exhibit through Feb. 23. See it at the museum, 302 Second Ave. E., Kalispell.

For more information, visit www.hockadaymuseum.org or call 755-5268.