The Top 5 Landscape Paintings of the Past 5 Years
These paintings — 1st Place winners in the landscape category of the past five Artists Magazine Annual Art Competitions — truly capture a sense of place and are sure to inspire.
Ah, the landscape painting — a framed view of the great outdoors, a window into our unique perspectives of our surroundings, captured in time. Here at Artists Network, landscapes are our community’s most popular subject. From cityscapes and small towns to seascapes and forests (and everything in between), these breathtaking scenes speak to us in ways that not quite any other subject can. And since the deadline to enter Artists Magazine 38th Annual Art Competition is fast approaching (June 30!), we thought we’d revisit the paintings that snagged the competition’s 1st Place spot in the landscape category over the past five years, from 2017 to 2021. May these winning pieces — in watercolor, pastel, and oil — not only inspire your next landscape painting but also motivate you to submit your work to be considered for this year’s winning lineup. Enjoy!
The 2017 1st Place Landscape Winner
The Alley by William Vrscak
My primary medium at present is watercolor. But I don’t consider myself a watercolorist because I’m not a purist, as I occasionally use gouache. I’ve never lost my love of drawing, so I’m still filling sketchbooks. My earliest paintings were illustrative, influenced by my work in the graphic arts profession. For a short time, I experimented with abstraction. Now I’ve come around to making more personal statements about things that have a special meaning to me. That’s the reason I’m so often drawn to the back alleys in the inner city neighborhood where I grew up.
Check out the January/February 2017 issue of Artists Magazine to see the rest of the Artists Magazine 33rd Annual Art Competition prizewinners and honorable mentions.
The 2018 1st Place Landscape Winner
Bermondsey, London by Ron Stocke
My advice to other artists is to fail frequently. This is so very important in painting. I’ve learned more from failure in every aspect of life than success.
Check out the March 2018 issue of Artists Magazine to see the rest of the Artists Magazine 34th Annual Art Competition prizewinners and honorable mentions.
The 2019 1st Place Landscape Winner
Canyon Snows by Robert Highsmith
The subject of Canyon Snows is Spider Rock, at Canyon de Chelly, Ariz. — a national park in Navajo lands. I’ve been there many times in different seasons. I’m never disappointed with its awesome beauty. And I always feel a spiritual reverence when I’m there. During my last visit, I toured the canyon floor by horseback — one of the best ways to view the canyon.
Check out the January/February 2019 issue of Artists Magazine to see the rest of the Artists Magazine 35th Annual Art Competition prizewinners and honorable mentions.
The 2020 1st Place Landscape Winner
Autumn Creek by Marcia Wegman
Once a week, I join a hiking group to walk one of the many trails in the Iowa county where I live. Two Septembers ago, when I’d thought to bring my camera along, I took a quick photo as I crossed a bridge over this creek. When I was looking at all the photos I’d taken on the hike, I was particularly drawn to the rich colors of the water and to the composition possibilities. The light blue reflection of the sky was such an interesting contrast to the deep blue shadows and warm reflections of fall trees. Painting water with reflecting forms takes close observation, which I find a likable challenge. I enjoy working with images that have a strong contrast in values, textures, edges and colors.
Check out the January/February 2020 issue of Artists Magazine to see the rest of the Artists Magazine 36th Annual Art Competition prizewinners and honorable mentions.
The 2021 1st Place Landscape Winner
Under the Shade Sails, No. 2 by Ni Zhu
I’ve painted many of the narrow streets in my hometown as well as those I’ve seen in the ancient towns of Italy. These streets are expressive — full of character and potential. This painting is one of a series that explores the shade sail as an emblem of local culture as well as an organic element of the “streetscape.” Although my typical format choice for these scenes is portrait, I had so much time for painting during the pandemic lockdown that I challenged myself to try a square.
In my work, I attempt to make ordinary things appear unusual and beautiful. At first, I was drawn to the way the light and shadow plays around the figure, and to the way the diagonals of the sails break into the horizontals and verticals of the buildings, creating a sense of dynamic harmony. The square format ultimately helped in achieving a fresh impression of the subject.
Check out the January/February 2021 issue of Artists Magazine to see the rest of the Artists Magazine 37th Annual Art Competition prizewinners and honorable mentions.
And the 2022 1st Place Landscape Winner…
…could be you! Ready to submit your work to the Artists Magazine 38th Annual Art Competition? Learn more and enter here before the new extended deadline, June 30, 2021. Best of luck, artists!
Have a technical question?
Contact UsJoin the Conversation!