Holiday Spirit Art Contest: Artist Submissions
Tags: Artist, Christmas, Colorado Art, Holidays, Colorado

We were thrilled with the response to our Holiday Spirit Art Contest from Colorado’s artist community! Thank you for sharing your beautiful interpretations of Holiday Spirit throughout our state. Your creativity inspired everyone on our team!

Here are the submissions and artist statements. We’ll announce our winner on Wednesday, December 23rd via our inaugural IGTV artist interview. Watch Towwn’s Instagram page tomorrow!

Nikki Giron → we encourage you to click on the MP3 link below and listen to Nikki’s beautiful song while perusing all of the artwork below!

My submission celebrates the Holiday Spirit because it’s my version of a classic song, melody and feeling of the Holidays. I hope they feel a sense of peace, love and harmony when listening to my cover of this song. From the guitar, to the vocals to the saxophone it is my duty as a musician to provide feelings of comfort and joy especially during the Holiday Season. The Holidays are very different this year, we aren’t able to travel freely or celebrate as we usually would but we can create new traditions. Recording a new Holiday cover each year is one of mine, and I am very grateful I was able to do so this year again.

As a local musician, many of us aren’t working at the moment as we would like to, but music is still extremely powerful. As a native Coloradan, I am a proud local musician and will continue to be. It is my hope that my love and passion through my cover will make somebody feel a sense of peace, love and harmony. Singing and playing saxophone is my passion but playing and recording music for others is my service as a musician and one I truly enjoy. Learn more about Nikki’s music: https://www.nikkigiron.com/

Blake Ballard

The holiday season is always my favorite time of year. Wrapping presents, gorging myself on festive food, decorating the apartment, and spending time with friends and family are all necessary activities during this season. I always get excited for the first snow and can’t wait to walk around my neighborhood and view the decorations. This illustration is reminiscent of that first night viewing Christmas lights. Walking down the sidewalk, arm-in-arm with my partner, enjoying the brisk air, all create a sense of magic and community.

My art practice revolves around a sense of home and the familiar, which is a feeling that’s hard to find nowadays. As we get closer to the end of the year, it looks as though most people will be spending the holidays with only their immediate circle. We need to take more time to appreciate the neighborhood we live in, the neighbors we share our buildings with, and sense of community that we have in Colorado. This year has been hard for a lot of people, so if putting up some twinkly lights a bit early brings joy to you, then by all means, grab the ladder and get up on that roof. Learn more about Blake and his art: https://www.blakeballardart.com/

Artist: Blake Ballard

Remy Joy Zimmerman

When I think of the holiday spirit of Colorado, ski season immediately comes to mind. These two seasons intertwine a uniting and characteristic energy of this beautiful state. I hope that my piece brings others a sense of organic joy — the kind of joy that you feel when you are surrounded by loved ones, the kind of joy that you feel when you are ringed between mother nature’s beautiful landscapes, the kind of joy that is effortless, yet incredibly rare in it’s reality. To me, this piece displays more than just a snow globe dream of Colorado — it displays the beauty of inspiriting togetherness, that holiday happiness that works parallel with luminous light, the artistry of mother nature in her truest form, and the ways that Coloradans are lucky enough to take advantage of the natural art that is the Rocky Mountains. I hope that this piece sparks a sense of comfort, gratitude, and warmth within your soul and holiday season. Learn more about Remy’s art: https://remyjoyart.com/

Artist: Remy Joy Zimmerman

Grace Carberry

I drew this picture because I love whales and dolphins and they make me very happy.

Artist: Grace Carberry

Sam Brennan

Learn more about Sam’s art: www.sambrennanart.com.

Artist: Sam Brennan

Margaret Pollack

There’s no doubt about it, this has been a weird year. From masks to stay at home orders, the holidays even feel a little strange. In my work, “christmas tree” I wanted to capture the strange feeling of the holidays this year in Lakewood, Colorado with a small reminder of the beautiful place that we live in. We still have our roots, and all of us are in this together. The roots of the pine tree create the black outline of everything in this painting, serving as a reminder that we are all connected and must live rooted in hope. There are no lights or decorations on my Christmas tree, just as there are no jobs or social gatherings this holiday. This year has been filled with uncertainty and we could all use a little reminder of the rivilege it is to be alive. Learn more about Margeret’s art: https://margaret-pollack.com/

Artist: Margaret Pollack

Fiona

This piece is meant to honor the unique time we living in. In the midst of a very difficult year, Colorado residents are showing their resilience and support for one another.

It’s be been wonderful to see how our many communities have come together to help each other-offering services, meals and employment help to those who have been impacted by this Pandemic. We may be away from our loved ones this holiday season, but we’re always close in heart. As a Coloradans we’ve struggled together, but the spirit of the holiday season remains strong in Colorado.

Thank you to everyone who has offered help this year and a big thank you to our selfless essential workers. Learn more about Fiona’s artand commercial photography studio: https://www.calypsocreativestudio.com/

Artist: Fiona

Dori Bergman

My family spends every Christmas on the slopes. I hope this painting encourages Coloradans to get outside and reminds them that there is still a whole lot of fun to be had! Learn more about Dori’s art: https://www.myoutdoorart.com/

Artist: Dori Bergman

Elk Raven Photography

We, Ryan Kempfer and Chris Kassar (aka Elk Raven Photography), live in the peaceful mountain town of Salida, Colorado with our canine adventure buddy, Nala. Filled with unceasing energy and the passion to create change, we are committed to producing images that capture the awe and gratitude we feel with each moment spent in Nature.

This image, called “Heart of the Rockies” exemplifies the awesome holiday spirit demonstrated by our hometown. However, if you visit Salida, you’ll see that this spirit isn’t just apparent at the holidays. Chaffee County and its residents show heart all year long with the way we care for each other, for visitors, and for the public lands and nature that sustain us. We hope this image reminds everyone who sees it that now — more than ever — we all need to show some heart in every interaction, regardless of the season.

We hope all of our photos, including this one, inspire our community and Coloradoans to explore — whether it be your own backyard or an exotic far-flung destination — with a sense of wonder and respect. And, we hope our images inspire you to pause for a moment and express gratitude for this incredible planet, and all the beings we share it with. Learn more about Elk Raven’s photography: https://www.elkravenphotography.com/

Artist: Elk Raven Photography

Carrie J. Martin

This year I wanted to give my community a hug this Christmas. When I heard that the Castle Rock Fire Dept. was going to parade Santa through most streets in Town on a fire engine, I sent my colleagues at Police and Fire depts my idea to promote the event.

They signed off, and today my watercolor painting was used in promoting the event in the community.

Artist: Carrie Martin

Neva Hall

I love nature. Art has been a gift to me through grace and talented teachers. I feel responsible to learn and share my interpretation. The attached painting is a plein aire from Pella Crossing.

Artist: Neva Hall

Jennifer Willoughby

Learn more about Jennifer’s art: https://willoucreative.com/

Artist: Jennifer Willoughby

Annabel R. Brown

My piece is a reflection of the beauty of Christmas time in Colorado. I chose to depict the beauty of children bundled in colorful coats while ice skating, and the beautiful Christmas decorations that we all love. Christmas is the time to celebrate this beauty and Colorado is an extremely beautiful place. I wanted to use a style that reflects the beauty of the mountains and of the Garden of the Gods, while remaining fractured like ice and snow. I chose mostly cool colors with warm colors around the focal points of the drawing to bring out the beauty in what I chose to draw. Christmas is a beautiful time in Colorado! Learn more about Annie’s art: https://www.instagram.com/annie_b_artsy/

Artist: Annabel Brown

Julie Kitzes

This piece is about the combination of traditional holiday celebration with the “new normal” level of precaution. I hope it’s a reminder to Coloradans that we need to keep each other safe even when we’d rather just pretend like this wasn’t our reality. Learn more about Julie’s art: https://juliekitzes.com/