Mahogany Woman

Diane Mannion, Mahogany Woman, 20x16" oil  Sold

This painting won the Bowles Portrait award at the Punta Gorda Art Center this year, and now another major award:

I’m still floating on an inflated ego after winning a top prize this weekend in Jacksonville, Florida! 

My painting, Mahogany Woman won the FINE ART CONNOISSEUR MAGAZINE AWARD OF EXCELLENCE at the Eileen Corse Gallery.  The premier juried exhibition for the Woman Painters of the Southeast.  WPSE is a group created by Eileen Corse to help women painters in the SE region gain recognition.  And thanks to WPSE I am honored and grateful!

I’m awestruck to be in the winning circle along with KatieDobson Cundiff who also took a top prize.  Katie is in my Light Chasers Plein Air Painters of the Sun Coast group and we are proud to have had five of our artists represented in this show. 

WPSE promotes and strengthens the links between women artists.   I felt this beautiful and warm camaraderie at the gallery opening Saturday night!  The room was filled with artists that I had known for years only by name through Facebook and blogs.  Nametags jumped out at me… “I know you!”  To look them in the eyes and actually pat them on the shoulder was very moving to me.  Technology is great but nothing takes the place of a personal encounter.

WPSE has created a circle of women artists that will continue to encourage and educate other artists regardless of gender, age, or skill level.  The enthusiasm and love for painting in this group is contagious and will be far reaching.  As a group, we are strengthened and will have more opportunity for recognition outside of this region.  Move over Southwest… Southeast is gaining.

I’ve always been uneasy about belonging to any group that excludes another, but after tossing so many art magazines across the room that only had token female artists represented… I see the need!  It’s the sad state of female representation throughout art history.  Pick up any textbook and do a count.  But groups like WPSE intend to do something about this.

Thanks again to Eileen Corse. 

And I’d like to thank a few other women artist friends that have helped me reach this point.  There are many more, but these few have touched me deeply… Mary Erickson, Eileen Wright, Sally Christansen, and Terry Mason.  Thank you.

 Eileen Corse, judge Barbara Flowers, Diane Mannion

Paparazzi!