Lone Boat
Bonnie McCann

This spring, artists across the U.S. and Canada submitted over 550 images to The Artful Home Portfolio Competition. Led by David Ross, former director of the Whitney Museum of Art and San Francisco MoMA, our jury selected ten finalists from among them.

Then, the competition culminated in an exciting online vote, where visitors to our website cast their ballots for the images that spoke to them. This week, we unveil the three winners of our Competition.

Grand Prize winner Bonnie McCann is a photographer who alters her images to create the emotion she is striving for. When asked what influences her work, she says “being quiet, and seeing the small things.” This is exactly the sense I get when I look at her winning entry, “Lone Boat.” I want to go there…and stay for awhile.

Congratulations to Bonnie, and thanks to all the participants – artists and voters – who helped make our second competition a resounding success!

Poseidon Sky
Walter Gabrielson

We had a glorious Fourth of July weekend; the sun shone all day, every day. It reminded me of Picasso’s poem…

A Love Supreme
Guy Kemper

My husband and I live in Madison, Wisconsin, and we also have a small apartment in New York, which is shown in this photo. The architectural glass installation is what my husband and I gave each other last year for our 25th wedding anniversary. The piece is by glass artist Guy Kemper, and it has absolutely transformed our small space.

Guy is an old friend from Kentucky who uses ground-breaking techniques in his architectural glass. A painter who literally paints on a large scale with his glass, he creates award-winning installations for large public spaces such as airports and churches. Lucky for us, he also creates for small private spaces! Check out his website at www.kemperstudio.com.

There is a revolution going on in the glass world, and we are all the beneficiaries of it. Artists are etching glass, beveling it, sandblasting it, slumping it, fusing it, and making traditional stained glass in untraditional ways. Their amazing creations catch our imagination, floating like the air and sparkling like fire. Just as importantly, artists have figured out new ways to harness our precious light.

As a result, the world is a more beautiful place, whether you are looking out at it or in on it.