Meet the 2020 Judges
Christine Towner, Brenda Jiral & Kelli Van Overloop
Christine Towner is an abstract expressionist who has specialized in Encaustic Wax for over 17 years. She studied fine arts at Kendall and Hope college. She was recently featured in the Encaustic Art Institute’s Winter issue for accomplished encaustic artists. She has permanent collections in Holland and the Museum of Encaustic Art (Santa Fe, NM). Christine is also in the gallery “Encaustic Art Institute “in Santa Fe and has exhibited in over 12 different cities in MI along with Chicago, Santa Fe, California and Arizona. She is currently in three galleries, The Zeeland Artists Working Gallery in Zeeland and the JMartin Gallery in South Haven, MI. She has been in ArtPrize in Grand Rapids for 9 consecutive years.
Brenda Jiral is a mixed media and watercolor artist with a strong emphasis on experimental processes and materials. She has developed many different unique methods of using water-media combined with a variety of materials. She has been teaching watercolor classes and workshops for six years at several Michigan locations as well as in her private studio.
Brenda studied fine art at Grand Valley State University and the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan. She has studied under several well-established artists through workshops including Fabio Cembranelli, Joyce Hicks, Linda Kemp and Linda Germain. Each of these educational experiences have enhanced her abilities as a mixed media and watercolor artist.
Her painting titled “Sunlit Tulips” was selected for the top 20 in the Tulip Time poster competition sponsored by the Holland Area Arts Council in 2013. The same painting was selected to be used in a full-page ad for Dick Blick Art Supplies on the back cover of the May/June 2019 issue of Watercolor Artist Magazine. In October 2019, Brenda had an article published as a guest artist, in an online blog at Doodlewash.com. This blog has over 49,000 followers and is read worldwide.
She currently exhibits her diverse works at the Zeeland Artists Working Gallery in Zeeland, Michigan and at All Artworks.com and at Fine Art America, online.
Brenda studied fine art at Grand Valley State University and the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan. She has studied under several well-established artists through workshops including Fabio Cembranelli, Joyce Hicks, Linda Kemp and Linda Germain. Each of these educational experiences have enhanced her abilities as a mixed media and watercolor artist.
Her painting titled “Sunlit Tulips” was selected for the top 20 in the Tulip Time poster competition sponsored by the Holland Area Arts Council in 2013. The same painting was selected to be used in a full-page ad for Dick Blick Art Supplies on the back cover of the May/June 2019 issue of Watercolor Artist Magazine. In October 2019, Brenda had an article published as a guest artist, in an online blog at Doodlewash.com. This blog has over 49,000 followers and is read worldwide.
She currently exhibits her diverse works at the Zeeland Artists Working Gallery in Zeeland, Michigan and at All Artworks.com and at Fine Art America, online.
Kelli Van Overloop is a Michigan born artist who has been perfecting her self-taught technique with acrylics since 2008. Kelli studied acrylics briefly in high school where she first found her passion for the medium. She always dreamed of becoming an artist, so after high school she attended Grand Rapids Community College in the graphic design program for two years and Kendall College of Art and Design for one year as an illustration major. Realizing that she preferred more flexibility with her subject matter, she became a freelance artist. She has done multiple commission projects for clients from West MI to Washington and even California that include murals, charcoal drawings, and acrylic paintings.
Kelli's paintings are done in a photorealistic style and contain a great amount of detail. Kelli often works from a photograph while still managing to create a very real sense of space and atmosphere. She has participated in a few local art contests and even won Zeeland's 2019 Chalk Fest! Kelli offers a wide range of fine art mediums that include acrylic, watercolor, graphite and charcoal. She always welcomes custom pieces specific to the buyer.
Kelli's paintings are done in a photorealistic style and contain a great amount of detail. Kelli often works from a photograph while still managing to create a very real sense of space and atmosphere. She has participated in a few local art contests and even won Zeeland's 2019 Chalk Fest! Kelli offers a wide range of fine art mediums that include acrylic, watercolor, graphite and charcoal. She always welcomes custom pieces specific to the buyer.