News
about the SAS and IMC alumni
Announcing the winners of the first SAm Art Prize!
July 29,2020
Sixty eight artists submitted a total of more than 200 artworks in the first SAM Art Prize. The response was overwhelming and Juror Lauren Panepinto went above and beyond by selecting not only a winner, but also several honorable mentions and she provided commentary about her choices, some of which is included below.
Congratulations to everyone who entered by submitting a new portfolio or updates!
Sixty eight artists submitted a total of more than 200 artworks in the first SAM Art Prize. The response was overwhelming and Juror Lauren Panepinto went above and beyond by selecting not only a winner, but also several honorable mentions and she provided commentary about her choices, some of which is included below.
Congratulations to everyone who entered by submitting a new portfolio or updates!
Overall Winner: Francesca Resta
Lauren's Notes--
This was hard! There was a lot of great work submitted, and it was very hard to narrow down to one piece. I could pick completely different pieces depending on whether I was wearing my Art Director of Bookcovers Hat, my Gallery Curator Hat, or my Personal Fan of Art Hat, so I chose the piece that most appealed to all three at once: Selkie Niji by Francesca Resta. This piece would make both a great book cover and a fine art piece. I love the texture in it, and the nuance of emotion, but I especially appreciate the visual hierarchy: there’s a lot going on here, in a limited palette, but it catches the eye and then draws it in confidently.
This was hard! There was a lot of great work submitted, and it was very hard to narrow down to one piece. I could pick completely different pieces depending on whether I was wearing my Art Director of Bookcovers Hat, my Gallery Curator Hat, or my Personal Fan of Art Hat, so I chose the piece that most appealed to all three at once: Selkie Niji by Francesca Resta. This piece would make both a great book cover and a fine art piece. I love the texture in it, and the nuance of emotion, but I especially appreciate the visual hierarchy: there’s a lot going on here, in a limited palette, but it catches the eye and then draws it in confidently.
Honorable Mention 1: Eelis Kyttan
Lauren's Notes--
I really like this composition, and I would put it on a book cover in a heartbeat. The design of the background really supports the strong visual hierarchy well, and there’s a lot of world building in this piece that tells you there’s story here without screaming it at you.
I really like this composition, and I would put it on a book cover in a heartbeat. The design of the background really supports the strong visual hierarchy well, and there’s a lot of world building in this piece that tells you there’s story here without screaming it at you.
Honorable Mention 2: Charis Loke
Lauren's Notes--
I love this piece for it’s really interesting color palette, nice mix of graphic and painterly textures, and strong composition. I itch to put type over this piece so badly and turn it into a book cover.
I love this piece for it’s really interesting color palette, nice mix of graphic and painterly textures, and strong composition. I itch to put type over this piece so badly and turn it into a book cover.
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Series Honorable Mention: Mike Miller
Lauren's Notes--
Shoutout for a solid body of work. I really love the Boy on the Tower, and Girl with the Sword, and the Child Devil with the Cat. These need to be on middle grade book covers. Great compositions, storytelling, color, and sense of humor.
Thanks to everyone who made judging really hard! There are so many other pieces I’d love to shout out to!
Shoutout for a solid body of work. I really love the Boy on the Tower, and Girl with the Sword, and the Child Devil with the Cat. These need to be on middle grade book covers. Great compositions, storytelling, color, and sense of humor.
Thanks to everyone who made judging really hard! There are so many other pieces I’d love to shout out to!
Dan Cohen's latest mural in Portland
July 27, 2020
Recently the windows of a business boarded up due to Covid 19 become Dan Cohen's surface for a commission in support of the Black Lives Matter movement in Portland, OR. Congratulations to Dan for this commission bringing art to the closedown and art to the movement.
Dan Cohen
Recently the windows of a business boarded up due to Covid 19 become Dan Cohen's surface for a commission in support of the Black Lives Matter movement in Portland, OR. Congratulations to Dan for this commission bringing art to the closedown and art to the movement.
Dan Cohen
annual Enchanted brush Exhibition at the Mazza Museum Features dan Watson
July 15, 2020
Dan Watson will have two of his works shown in his first museum show in the Dudley and Mary Marks Lea Gallery of the Mazza Museum in Findlay, Ohio. The show runs from July 10 through August 7. This year the show will be held online, exclusively. Enchanted Brush is a yearly exhibition curated by the artist Dan Chudzinski. Find out more below. Congratulations to Dan!
Dan Watson's work in the show: Here
More about the Enchanted Brush annual exhibition: here
Dan Watson
Dan Watson will have two of his works shown in his first museum show in the Dudley and Mary Marks Lea Gallery of the Mazza Museum in Findlay, Ohio. The show runs from July 10 through August 7. This year the show will be held online, exclusively. Enchanted Brush is a yearly exhibition curated by the artist Dan Chudzinski. Find out more below. Congratulations to Dan!
Dan Watson's work in the show: Here
More about the Enchanted Brush annual exhibition: here
Dan Watson
Primary Hughes Showing at Modern Eden
July 10, 2020
Steven (Primary) Hughes' opens his debut exhibition at Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco July 11. Congratulations!
More about the exhibition here
Primary Hughes
Steven (Primary) Hughes' opens his debut exhibition at Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco July 11. Congratulations!
More about the exhibition here
Primary Hughes
Announcing our first juried portfolio competition!
June 26, 2020
Your work will be entered automatically when you update your SAM portfolio or create a new portfolio page this July. Lauren Panepinto—creative Director at Orbit Books will review everyone’s portfolio updates and new portfolio submissions to decide who wins the prize, which includes the following:
—Their win announced on all our media platforms
—£75 (about $100) gift certificate for high quality brushes from Rosemary Brushes
—A free lecture of their choice from the SAS fall lecture series.
In addition, every person who updates their existing portfolio this July will be able to add two more images to their SAM portfolio (see below).
—Their win announced on all our media platforms
—£75 (about $100) gift certificate for high quality brushes from Rosemary Brushes
—A free lecture of their choice from the SAS fall lecture series.
In addition, every person who updates their existing portfolio this July will be able to add two more images to their SAM portfolio (see below).
How do you send in a new portfolio?
Just email me these things between July 1 and July 21:
- up to six images of your artwork (1mb-3mb each)
- a bio
- a bio photo
- links to all your sites and socials (promote yourself!)
- a notation of which IMC or SmArt School program(s) you took part in
How do you update an Existing Portfolio?
Just email me these things between July 1 and July 21:
Feel free to email me with any questions, and best of luck!
Matt Mitchell
- New images (1mb-3mb each)
- Tell me if you want me to take down any of your existing images on your SAM page—only keep your best work in your portfolio!
- You can now show up to eight images, total, of your artwork.
- You can also update your bio, links, and bio photo.
Feel free to email me with any questions, and best of luck!
Matt Mitchell
Illustration by Rovina Cai, winner of the gold award in the Books category
We spotted 22 ImC & Smart school alumni who won entry into the spectrum juried annual this year
June 15,2020
Each year Spectrum aims to showcase the best talent in the fields of science fiction and fantasy. This year it includes at least 22 alumni of the IMC or SmArt School. This list doesn't include our teachers and honored easel artists at the IMC, some of whom won entry. Congratulations to everyone! Spectrum 27: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art will be out this fall.
Steve Argyle
Tommy Arnold
Wylie Beckert
Bruce Brenneise
Rovina Cai— Winner of the Gold award in the Books category
Hilary Clarcq
Galen Dara
Eric Deschamps
Hope Doe
Allen Douglas
Micah Epstein
Justin Gerard
Chuck Grieb
Ben Hill
Howard Lyon
Aaron Miller
Reiko Murakami
Tran Nguyen
Alessandra Pisano
Vincent Proce
Cynthia Sheppard
Allen Williams
More about Spectrum 27 here
Buy Spectrum 27 it at a local store or here
--also, if I missed anyone, please let me know: smarterartmarket@gmail.com
Each year Spectrum aims to showcase the best talent in the fields of science fiction and fantasy. This year it includes at least 22 alumni of the IMC or SmArt School. This list doesn't include our teachers and honored easel artists at the IMC, some of whom won entry. Congratulations to everyone! Spectrum 27: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art will be out this fall.
Steve Argyle
Tommy Arnold
Wylie Beckert
Bruce Brenneise
Rovina Cai— Winner of the Gold award in the Books category
Hilary Clarcq
Galen Dara
Eric Deschamps
Hope Doe
Allen Douglas
Micah Epstein
Justin Gerard
Chuck Grieb
Ben Hill
Howard Lyon
Aaron Miller
Reiko Murakami
Tran Nguyen
Alessandra Pisano
Vincent Proce
Cynthia Sheppard
Allen Williams
More about Spectrum 27 here
Buy Spectrum 27 it at a local store or here
--also, if I missed anyone, please let me know: smarterartmarket@gmail.com
Tran Nguyen gets the cover of ImagineFX July Issue
June 1, 2020
There's an in depth interview with Tran inside. Great coverage.
ImagineFX July 2020, issue 188 here
Tran Nguyen
There's an in depth interview with Tran inside. Great coverage.
ImagineFX July 2020, issue 188 here
Tran Nguyen
IMAginefx magazine, May Issue, Features three of David Calabrese's illustrations
May 30, 2020
The lead image of his work, shown in the FXPosé section, is the illustration he created during IMC 2019.
Find ImagineFX issue #186 here
David Cabrese
The lead image of his work, shown in the FXPosé section, is the illustration he created during IMC 2019.
Find ImagineFX issue #186 here
David Cabrese
Tommy Arnold's Painting will be the cover of this year's Spectrum
May 22, 2020
The cover of Spectrum 27: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art will feature SmArt School and IMC alum Tommy Arnold's illustration, originally done for Tor Books' Harrow the NInth.
Tommy Arnold's site here
More about Spectrum here
Buy it at a local store or here
The cover of Spectrum 27: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art will feature SmArt School and IMC alum Tommy Arnold's illustration, originally done for Tor Books' Harrow the NInth.
Tommy Arnold's site here
More about Spectrum here
Buy it at a local store or here
Allen Panakal "Ancient Ones" Kickstarter ends Wednesday, May 20.
May 15, 2020
It's stretch goal time! Allen's book is fully funded and going for a victory lap.
Check it out here
Allen Panakal
It's stretch goal time! Allen's book is fully funded and going for a victory lap.
Check it out here
Allen Panakal
illustration by Arthur Bowling
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Illustration by Ben Hill
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Arthur Bowling and BEn Hill Both win Juried contest for inclusion in: Writers of the Future
May 11, 2020
Read more about the ongoing illustration contest and see the recently published 36th edition of Writers of the Future here.
Ben Hill
Arthur Bowling
Read more about the ongoing illustration contest and see the recently published 36th edition of Writers of the Future here.
Ben Hill
Arthur Bowling
Matthew Huntley's Kickstarter "Vigilant Lioness"
May 5, 2020
The campaign ends soon, on Sunday, May 10.
To learn about the book and help make it happen, click here
Update May 11, 2020
Congratulations to Matthew Huntley! His Kickstarter was a success.
The campaign ends soon, on Sunday, May 10.
To learn about the book and help make it happen, click here
Update May 11, 2020
Congratulations to Matthew Huntley! His Kickstarter was a success.
new Netflix series "The Midnight Gospel" features work by gregery miller
May 1, 2020
Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward just released a new show on Netflix, The Midnight Gospel. Gregery Miller (IMC 2019) was a background artist on the series and designed the worlds of multiple episodes with his team.
The show: Here
Great Indywire Review here
Gregery Miller's Patreon Page Here
Gregery's profile Here
Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward just released a new show on Netflix, The Midnight Gospel. Gregery Miller (IMC 2019) was a background artist on the series and designed the worlds of multiple episodes with his team.
The show: Here
Great Indywire Review here
Gregery Miller's Patreon Page Here
Gregery's profile Here
Scott Brundage's New Book
April 24, 2020
"Where'd My Jojo Go?" by Jill Esbaum, Pictures by Scott Brundage
For sale here
Kirkus review here
Great interview with Scott with lots of good images of the book in progress on the author Jill Esbaum's blog here
Scott's profile on SAM: Scott Brundage
"Where'd My Jojo Go?" by Jill Esbaum, Pictures by Scott Brundage
For sale here
Kirkus review here
Great interview with Scott with lots of good images of the book in progress on the author Jill Esbaum's blog here
Scott's profile on SAM: Scott Brundage
Arthur Haywood Mural Proposal
April 20, 2020
Arthur Haywood had a mural up for public vote until April 22. Click here to see the proposal and learn more about The DaVinci Art Alliance, who sponsored this mural competition in Philadelphia.
Arthur Haywood had a mural up for public vote until April 22. Click here to see the proposal and learn more about The DaVinci Art Alliance, who sponsored this mural competition in Philadelphia.