I recently started showing my paintings at a new gallery in Pacific Grove, CA called 480 Lighthouse, deemed the largest art gallery on the Monterey Peninsula.
This incredible space in Pacific Grove, CA, is currently hosting one of the most unique art contests I’ve seen. The challenge? Each participating artist gets randomly assigned a 16×16-inch square on a massive board, is provided with acrylic paints, and has 30 days to complete their masterpiece. Once all squares are painted, a panel of judges will select the top three winners. Currently, only artists showing in the gallery are eligible to enter. Here’s the real kicker—first place takes home $6,000 with $10,000 in total prizes! That definitely caught my attention, so I jumped in.
I was assigned a square in the lower right corner of one of the two giant panels. The painting surface? Rough chipboard covered in white gesso—not exactly a smooth canvas! Maneuvering into my little section was a tight squeeze, but luckily, no other artists were working nearby while I was painting. After a number of visits, I completed my piece—a vibrant depiction of a Boracay sunset, inspired by my recent trip to the Philippines.
Here are some photos of the panels.
Here is the final painting. If you look closely, you can see the texture of the particle board.
Right now, less than half the squares are finished, and the variety is amazing—everything from bold abstracts to intricate animal portraits and still life. It will be interesting to watch the artwork evolve, and see the final result. I suspect this contest is also a clever way for the gallery to bring in new artists—fitting, given the sheer size of the space!
If you are in the area of Pacific Grove, be sure to stop in and see what develops, view, and purchase some great artwork!!