One by one, sometimes couples and small groups, art lovers visited the Cypress Community Center Sunday afternoon to view over 200 entries into this year’s Cypress Art League’s Spring Show.
“We are very excited,” said CAL Treasurer Hedi Roethel, noting that the entries into this year’s show had caught and slightly surpassed the number of entries the local art association once received for its Spring Show.
Like it had in almost every area of modern life, the COVID pandemic greatly impacted local art clubs and associations, virtually eliminating the ability to have major displays without the eventual use of surgical masks and/or online techniques.
Though the practice restarted after the pandemic, Roethel said this is the first year since that the Cypress Art League has equaled or surpassed the number of entries.
Pat Edep, longtime President of the Cypress Art League, said it was a really good showing this year.
Tony Podue, a local artist who took home Best of Show last year, was selected again for that same honor this week, this time for a sun shrouded shadow filled dramatic acrylic painting of the pier at Huntington Beach.
“My dad was a painter, said Podue, noting that as a young boy, he would watch his father paint and asked so many questions that “one day, my dad sat me down, gave me a little canvas, and some paint, and said, ‘paint your own,’” Podue told ENE.
They lived in San Pedro near the ocean, so Podue said he “absolutely loves the water,” and all things about it so painting the famous Huntington Beach pier was a natural for him.
The local artist said the painting required tons of paint to reproduce the orange and golden hues, and said he had to buy special colors of orange to finish the painting.In other awards presented to the local artists, they were as follows:
- City of Cypress Best of Show – Tony Podue
- City of Cypress Mayor’s Award – Eric Seligman
- Uptown Long Beach Lion’s Club – Tony Podue
- Frame Maker Special Award – Darshini Arithal
- Diamond International Award – Elizabeth Butterfield
- Uptown Long Beach Lion’s Club #2 – Joan Boryte
- Print ‘n Copy Center Award – Karen Jackson
- Lakewood Artists Guild – Robert Ball
- Tim and Linda Keenan Award – Richard Dirgo
- Barcellona #1 – Linda Boyd
- Barcellona #2 – Richard Dirgo
- Roethal Family Trust Award – Eric Seligman
- Jesse Guerrero Reflections’ Salon -Carrol Wolf
- Chase Whitney, Inc. – Liberty Dickinson
- Leon Picture Framing – Sandy Winkler
- Art Supply Warehouse #1 – Steven Coler
- Art Supply Warehouse #2- Phyllis Russell
- Konishi Plumeria – Susan Tiiernery
- Dominique’s Restaurant – Leslie Lawson Dirgo
- Stacy Spencer of John Douglas Salon – Hedi Roethel
- Award of Excellence – Carrol Wolf
For complete results of the three divisions, including photography, digital art, Three-dimensional, oil/acrylic, watercolors, and other media visit Cypressartleague.com