The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahama artist Sheldon Saint received “special merit” for his painting in an international online art competition by Light, Space & Time Online Art Gallery.

He submitted two of his paintings, ‘East End, Grand Bahama’ and ‘Cutting Bait,’ which received special recognition.

Light, Space & Time hosts monthly themed online art competitions as well as art exhibitions for new and emerging artists on a worldwide basis.

Mr Saint - a self-taught artist who has won many awards for his artwork - decided to enter his paintings online.

“It is an international online art competition, and I decided one day to submit my paintings and received a certificate of Special Merit.

According to the website, the Special Merit Award Category, “these are artists and their artwork which we felt could easily have been placed higher, but due to the size constraints in each media category, this art was placed in this special category. Any of the Special Merit art, in many cases, is interchangeable with the best art that we select for the top tiers”.

Mr Saint said: “I’m always surprised because you have so many artists from around the world who submit their work. So, being recognised for one of my pieces, is always (a good feeling).”

His painting, Cutting Bait, is of a little boy in Hepburn Town, Eight Mile Rock, said Mr Saint.

“I took the photo a decade ago and started the painting, but I did not like the direction it was going and stopped working on it.

Last year, he made a few adjustments and completed it.

Mr Saint identifies himself as a representational artist who observes and paints about the everyday island life of a Bahamian.

Mr Saint has been painting professionally for the past 20 years, and has also exhibited extensively in The Bahamas since 1995.

His work was accepted for the National Arts Gallery of The Bahamas’ Inaugural Exhibition in 2003 and the second National Exhibition in 2004.

Being an artist in The Bahamas, particularly in Freeport, has been challenging.

“At the end of the day, I can’t wait to get back to whatever painting I am working on or start something fresh, new, and different. But, it can be a challenge, especially in Freeport, and my colleagues here can also attest to that. It has been that way for many years. So, you have to find other avenues of getting your work out there and any sales from your paintings,” he explained.

He is hoping it gets better.

Mr Saint has exhibited extensively in The Bahamas since 1995. His work was accepted for the National Arts Gallery of The Bahamas’ Inaugural Exhibition in 2003, and the second National Exhibition in 2004.

His artwork has been featured in the hardcover book, Splash13, Alternative Approaches: The Best of Watercolour. He is the first Bahamian in The Splash books, which features artists from more than a dozen countries. His work has also been featured in the Watercolor Artist magazine.

In 2013, the Grand Bahama artist held his first international exhibition in Canada. His paintings hung in private collections in the Bahamas, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, The Republic of China, and Trinidad and Tobago. He is a member of the Grand Bahama Artist Association and The American Watercolor Society.