OCEAN PARK – A public, intent on purchasing art, and a group of 50 PAA artists intent on supplying it, came together at the recent Peninsula Arts Association 39th Fall Art Show, and the results were incredible. Not only were art purchases up at the Columbus Day Weekend event, but raffle ticket sales benefiting PAA’s High School Graduate Scholarship Program and the new Art Enrichment Fund, broke recent records too.

“To say we were surprised is an understatement,” said PAA Vice President Myrna Kay Thompson. “People came in asking where to buy raffle tickets and that is not what usually happens.”

“Artists in the show really brought their best work forward,” said Debbie Haugsten, PAA recording secretary, and who, along with Thompson and President Bonnie Cozby serve as joint chairs for the event. “Many stepped into new areas (or mediums) and several categories, like color photography and mixed media showed an increase in interest and entries.”

Top honor of Judge’s Choice – Best in Show went to Normandie Hand for her mosaic portrait, “On a Mind Trip.” Hand recently joined PAA and was speechless seeing the top award hanging on her art.

“I was stunned, astonished and deeply moved and I’m not afraid to admit that it was difficult to stop myself from crying,” said Hand. “I’ve always felt I never had a creative bone in my body. I was the analytical, logical type, and to receive this honor plus a blue ribbon in the portrait and collage categories absolutely tilted my world.”

The art show entries are judged by three judges from out of the local area. This year the judges were: Judith Altruda of Tokeland, Susan Bish of Warrenton, Ore., and Margaret Stermer-Cox of Ocean Shores.

Judith Altruda attended Cornish College of Arts, graduating magna cum laude in 1991 with a BAA degree in fine arts. After graduating, she returned to Tokeland and taught art in elementary and high schools in southwest Washington and on the Shoalwater Bay Indian Reservation. She apprenticed and worked for three years with a master goldsmith in Aberdeen, while at the same time developing her own unique style of jewelry in her home studio. She shows her work in Astoria at the Riversea Gallery and at the Astoria Sunday Market.

Susan Bish has been a member of the Gearhart, Ore., Trail’s End Art Association for 20 years. Majoring in art and theater arts in Long Beach, Calif., Bish has continued her art education through classes and workshops over the years. Accepting commission work, most recently a large project in Cannon Beach, Ore., Bish also shows at Astoria’s Riversea Gallery and with the Palette Puddlers (three times a year) in Cannon Beach.

Margaret Stermer-Cox, from Ocean Shores, traveled the farthest to judge the show. Her art training started as a child. As the daughter of New Mexico artist John H. Stermer, she was seeing and studying art on a daily basis while growing up. Stermer-Cox continued her self-guided studies after retiring from a career in the United States Army. She has taught watercolor at Grays Harbor Community College and several other locations. The Grays Harbor Audubon Society has invited her to demonstrate the techniques of drawing birds to their organization. Stermer-Cox is a member of the Northwest Watercolor Society and the National Watercolor Society. Her paintings are in collections throughout the western states and New York. She recently launched a Web site listing art workshops at www.artistworkshops.net.

The People’s Choice ribbon, awarded by votes from visitors to the show, went to local favorite, David Bright for his watercolor, “Night Diggers.” The mystery and beauty of night clamming has been captured in his impressionistic painting. Bright is not new to the local art community. In 2001, he captured both the Judge’s Choice and People’s Choice and the blue ribbon for watercolor with his “The Toy Box.”

“I have never been able to recreate the tackle box in that piece,” said Bright. “I don’t have a print or photo of ‘The Toy Box,’ so I was happy to win People’s Choice for Night Diggers … I have prints of this one. This is really cool.”

Next up for PAA is the newly expanded to two days, Artist Studio Tour held over Thanksgiving weekend. More information on that may be found at www.beachartist.org.