Artist name: Ludmila Kovalchuk
Description: Still life about the first spring days, about the first flowering on tree branches... that's how spring smells like, it's in such colors that the spring mood comes to us. 11”14 Oil, canvas 2024

Judge #1 says:
Judge #1- Beautiful colors with a light, painterly style while maintaining a very realistic look.
Peter Watrous says:
As with several other artists in this contest, Ms. Kovalchuk is a very skilled artist. What set this work above some of the others is her consistently thin application of paint, letting the canvas show through. One could see a hundred still lifes and few would use this technique and fewer still use it so consistently and successfully. The few bits of pink flowers gives a bright accent and life to what might otherwise not evoke the smell and color of spring.
Judge #7 says:
The light and color palette in this piece are stunning. Although the composition perspective appears to be slightly stretched upwards, I think the composition and balance are very strong.