It’s about time that I get back to my Artist Spotlight series! Since joining Twitter.com I have got in touch with tons of other artists out in the world. It’s amazing what a simple networking website will help you accomplish! Anyway I’ve a whole new army of artists that I’d like to do spotlights on, but the first one is Rebekah Joy Plett.

>> When You Believe in Things You Don’t Understand – Oils

Rebekah’s work is fabulously whimsical. It brings to mind children’s book illustrations and dream imagery all rolled up and garnished with a hint of surreal. Her palette is colorful, bright, and packs a powerful punch to the observer. Her subjects are always engaging and inspiring. The details are intricate, but not so overdone as to detract from her compositions.

>>The Eclectic Nurse – Oils

I enjoy her art simply because it speaks to me. It’s well drafted, nicely composed, and in general leaves me with a sweet taste in my mouth. I yearn to know the story behind each image, and I find myself getting lost in the piece trying to explore all of it at once. There tend to be fun surprises to discover in each one! It would definitely be considered an “illustrative” sort of style in my book.

When asked about her inspirations for her work, she responded with a small library’s worth of artists! Her first and foremost one was Caravaggio which is clearly reflected in her work with dynamic posing and astute use of the Chiaroscuro technique. Others that she cited include Arthur Rackham and J. W. Waterhouse.

>>Words Take Flight – Oils

Rebekah’s portfolio can be visited at CatchtheRedBalloon.com but her blog is where all of the fun and magic happen. Right now she has a contest going on, you should go check it out! I also urge you to follow her on Twitter; she is very friendly!

Images used with permission, please do not distribute or use them in any way!

So after two long weeks of hard work, the contestants have entered their final pieces to be voted upon. It’s up to YOU to cast your vote and decide which entrant deserves to win!!

Entry #1	Entry #2	Entry #3	Entry #4*

*(This one was submitted with the title “Believe Me When I Say….”)

Update: The official winner is Entry#4 with a staggering 61% of the votes! Congratulations to Prentice O. of Marietta, GA!

That’s right, a contest! Want one of my prints but don’t have one? Here’s your chance to win one for free! Time to crack out your favorite art supplies because this is going to be a coloring contest. What better way to win some art than be a little creative yourself? Here’s how to get started.

1.) Download the Contest Lineart.
2.) Color it in any way that you wish– it can be done digitally or printed out and colored traditionally (markers, crayons, colored pencils, paints, etc.) and then scanned in.
3.) Submit it to me to become an official entrant in the contest!

Easy, right? You bet! You can get your entry to me via Twitter, Facebook, DeviantArt, by email or right here in the comments of my blog!

Now, how do you win? By being the Fan favorite! I’m going to set up a voting system with all of the entries so that you have a chance to win by popular vote.

!!WAIT that means you can enlist your friends to come vote for you! Spread the word about the contest, get your friends to come vote for you, and WIN!!

Prize:
The winner will be able to select ONE (1) print from my Etsy store and I will mail it to them after the winner is announced.

When is your entry due?

Deadline for Entries: March 21th, 2010 at 10:00 PM EST

The voting will begin the next day, and the winner will be announced on March 28, 2010. That gives you a FULL week to rally your friends to come vote for you!

OMG, are you excited? Colored pencils quivering in anticipation? Hold on, gotta read the RULES first!

Rules:
-One entry per person, please.
-Only entries received prior to the deadline will be considered.
-No voting for yourself, that’s just dirty.
-No purchase necessary.
-The prize can ONLY be selected from Joie’s Etsy Store Account: No exceptions will be made.
-Entries may be submitted via tweet, Fan page posting, Facebook wall posting, email, or comment at Joieart.net.
-No entries that someone else colored for you. This is supposed to be about having fun and being creative!
-No entries may be submitted by postal snail mail. Sorry– visit Kinko’s if you need scanning help!

What if I can’t/won’t/don’t color? Don’t worry. There is a contest made just for you coming next month!

Ok, that’s it! Here is your lineart! GO!

Download the lineart here!