The artists and writers selected as ArtAscent Gold from ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal issues.

ArtAscent Artist of the Black call for artists

Pelin Guven

ArtAscent Artist of the Black call for artists

Using the power of black and white photography, Pelin Guven heightens the impact of her images in Labour of Love. She transforms the act of industry into a balletic study of human interaction.

Pelin Guven is the Gold Artist of the ArtAscent Black call for artists. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Black issue.

ArtAscent Writer of the Black call for artists

S. B. Borgersen

The Blackout

She has a fine thread of silken white hair tickling her pale forehead. She puffs through pursed dry lips; the hair lifts but falls back. I lean across and smooth away the annoyance. Ma smiles then, and mouths, “Thank you.” The scar on the paper-thin skin of her forehead looks more angry now than it did when I first asked her, years ago…

A great novelist, André Malraux, noted, “Man isn’t what he thinks he is, he’s what he hides.” The thing one avoids discussing sometimes say more than their actions. And in her words, S. B. Borgersen discusses how shadows of the past affect our individualities.

S. B. Borgersen is the Gold Writer of the ArtAscent Black call for writers. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Black issue.
www.sueborgersen.com

ArtAscent Artist of the Happiness call for artists

Nadide Goksun

ArtAscent Artist of the Happiness call for artists

Since the very beginning of its history, humanity has been struggling to discover the formula for happiness. But is there a universal recipe for happiness? Or should we look for individual perspectives on happiness? This is what Nadide Goksun touches on in her photography—individual perspectives.

Nadide Goksun is the Gold Artist of the ArtAscent Happiness call for artists. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Happiness issue.
https://www.nadidegoksun.com/

ArtAscent Writer of the Happiness call for artists

Louise Eastin

Summer in Bordeaux

We sit on the terrace in the evening with a loaf of bread from the
Weekly market and cheese from the fromagerie we pass on the way home
where the man took me to the bar next door because the woman speaks
perfect English and helped him decide that what I want is this butter…

A master of creating imagery with her words, poet Louise Eastin stresses the importance of presence in her work. In her poem, Summer in Bordeaux, she recounts casual conversation that tells about the happiness she found in a house exchange with a friendly family in the southwestern French town of Bordeaux.

Louise Eastin is the Gold Writer of the ArtAscent Happiness call for writers. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Happiness issue.
www.LouiseMoses.com

ArtAscent Artist of the Portraits call for artists

Biljana Jurukovski

ArtAscent Artist of the Portraits call for artists

A portrait is most commonly thought of as an artistic representation of a person in which the face and its expression are dominant. The intent is usually to display the likeness of the person, and for this reason, portraits are often images of the person in a still position looking directly at the painter or photographer. Biljana Jurukovski’s portraits are constructed differenltly.

Biljana Jurukovski is the Gold Artist of the ArtAscent Portraits call for artists. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Portraits issue.

https://www.instagram.com/tribal_muse_gallery/

ArtAscent Writer of the Portraits call for artists

Nick Sweet

Victory Dance, 1945

On that night in San Diego
When he danced with Betty Grable
And with all his G. I. buddies
Was invited to her table…

Writer Nick Sweet’s poem, Victory Dance, 1945, offers a gut punch of genuine emotion. His words weave a web that is both visceral in its expressiveness and enlightening in its portraiture of postwar existence.

Nick Sweet is the Gold Writer of the ArtAscent Portraits call for writers. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Portraits issue.

ArtAscent Artist of the Paradise call for artists

Thomas Zika

ArtAscent Artist of the Paradise call for artists

Thomas Zika’s rich array of motifs akin to the Japanese ukiyo-e tradition reflect a paradisiacal realm. In his recent Somnambule series, he offers an adaptation of the Garden of Eden filled with collaged elements taken from various sources.

Thomas Zika is the Gold Artist of the ArtAscent Paradise call for artists. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Paradise issue.

ArtAscent Writer of the Paradise call for artists

Susan Nickerson

Tan Lines

The colours of the morning were so vibrant, I swear I heard them breath as Peter and I ambled across the golden grains of sand. We stood at the water’s edge as the tide lapped our toes and washed our troubles away. Lush silence rendered us speechless; we exchanged the word with our eyes. Paradise… in the Leeward Islands…

Do angels laugh? Our idea of a paradisiac place or situation is often infused with a sense of a deep serenity, stillness, and peace. Susan Nickerson challenges such constructs with the short story she presents here; it deals with the funny side of paradise, showing the readers that humourous events can unexpectedly happen there too.

Susan Nickerson is the Gold Writer of the ArtAscent Paradise call for writers. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Paradise issue.

ArtAscent Artist of the Lost call for artists

Audrey Piguet

ArtAscent Artist of the Lost call for artists

Gabriel Landscape

In 1948, Edward Tolman introduced the concept of Cognitive Map which refers to a semantic network used by individuals to acquire, code, and decode information and phenomena in their everyday spatial environment. But what if the universe which surrounds you looks like a dreamlike vision? Audrey Piguet challenges her public by presenting the viewers with fantastic universes where reality and imagination overlap.

Audrey Piguet is the Gold Artist of the ArtAscent Lost call for artists. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Lost issue.
www.audreypiguet.com

Manny Viega

Good Gods Speak Softly

The boy had run until his legs could carry him no farther. They had seized up some while ago. At first naked fear had blinded his pain, but now that he had put some distance between himself and the battlefield, its sedative effect had worn off, and he began to feel the sting of his retreat…

Manny Viega’s prose enlivens the senses, and this energy is tangible in his story, “Good Gods Speak Softly.” In it, he conjures imagery of a lost soldier and an encounter with a mysterious person that proves more frightening than the battlefront itself.

Manny Viega is the Gold Writer of the ArtAscent Lost call for writers. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Lost issue.

ArtAscent Artist of the Abstract call for artists

Lauryn Hare

ArtAscent Artist of the Abstract call for artists

Lauryn Hare’s photographs give credence to the classical adage, A picture is worth one thousand words. Exploring the power of both photography and portraiture, Lauryn juxtaposes the clarity of her images with the complex questions they leave unanswered.

Lauryn Hare is the Gold Artist of the ArtAscent Abstract call for artists. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Abstract issue.

Phillip T. Stephens

consider for the moment metaphor

a metaphor is a substitution but the phrase “a
metaphor is a substitution” is in and of itself a metaphor
which seems to some significant and others irritating
like standing before a print of escher starting into a
crystal ball reflecting escher staring into a crystal ball and…

Phillip Stephens confronts his readers with difficult questions that challenge cultural constructs through artful turns-of-phrase. Such is the case with his poem, consider for the moment metaphor, a striking word play on the most timeless of literary devices.

Phillip T. Stephens is the Gold Writer of the ArtAscent Abstract call for writers. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Abstract issue.
www.ptstephens.com

ArtAscent Artist of the Orange call for artists

Kathryn Reichert

ArtAscent Artist of the Orange call for artists

An innovative voice of contemporary photography, Kathryn Reichert brings the spirit of a painter to her images. She painstakingly contemplates the sensations she wants her photographs to elicit.

Kathryn Reichert is the Gold Artist of the ArtAscent Orange call for artists. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Orange issue.
www.kathrynreichert.com

Denise Chilcott

Svadhisthana

Sacral and sacred. Warm, illuminating, energizing.
Aglow with the passion of fire, I give you freedom, freedom to feel.
Trust me. Pleasure, not forbidden, essential. Embrace me.
The sweetness of Intimacy. Sensual connection. Surrender…

According to Hindu Tantrism, the Svadhisthana, or sacred chakra, is related to emotions and energy and connects us to others. It is shown as a lotus with six petals and is connected to the colour orange. Writer Denise Chilcott explores the meaning of this bright color in her inspiring piece.

Denise Chilcott is the Gold Writer of the ArtAscent Orange call for writers. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Orange issue.

ArtAscent Artist of the Bliss call for artists

Jie Xu

ArtAscent Artist of the Bliss call for artists

A Chinese proverb says “Remain essentially the same despite all apparent changes. Change ten thousand times without departing from the original aim or stand or principal.” Jie Xu aims at giving visible form to this concept by creating artwork that are changeable in form but unchangeable in meaning.

Jie Xu is the Gold Artist of the ArtAscent Bliss call for artists. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Bliss issue.

Malina Douglas

The Place Beyond Grey

Shining surfaces glitter,
bright colours confuse.
Like a parakeet’s plumage
her bright skirt is swishing…

Akin to a painter, Malina Douglas uses her words as if they are strokes of paint, artfully blending them into compelling compositions that both accept and challenge tradition. Her poem, The Place Beyond Grey, resonates with this artful quality as she creates images filled with magic and mystery.

Malina Douglas is the Gold Writer of the ArtAscent Bliss call for writers. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Bliss issue.

ArtAscent Artist of the Portraits call for artists

Larry Madrigal

ArtAscent Artist of the Portraits call for artists

According to Charles Dickens, “There are only two styles of portrait painting: the serious and the smirk.” A third style now exists…created by Larry Madrigale.

Larry Madrigal is the Gold Artist of the ArtAscent Portraits call for artists. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Portraits issue.

www.larrymadrigal.com

Nick Compton

Portrait of My Brother in Zheng Guanying’s Family House

Chestnut waves,
a face of English skin
and 12 o’clock shadow…

A rising voice in contemporary poetry, Nick Compton’s bold yet unassuming writing style offers a refreshing entrée into the genre. His poem, Portrait of My Brother in Zheng Guanying’s Family House, reflects this refreshing voice in a handful of powerful stanzas.

Nick Compton is the Gold Writer of the ArtAscent Portraits call for writers. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Portraits issue.

www.nickcompton8.wordpress.com

ArtAscent Artist of the Spooky call for artists

Lauren Jenkins

ArtAscent Artist of the Spooky call for artists

Since the beginning of its history, myths, legends, and false fears evolved about photography. For example, some religious people believe that a camera could steal a person’s soul. There is certainly something eerie about this possibility, and to immortalize moments like this, young artists like Lauren Jenkins will talk about the shadow side of who we are—our identities, and how they work.

Lauren Jenkins is the Gold Artist of the ArtAscent Spooky call for artists. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Spooky issue.
www.laurenjenkinsphotography.com

Rachael Craigmyle

The Last Inn

Where on earth is the bus? Sitting underneath an ebony sky, there was nothing around Jake save the bench he was perched upon. He felt engulfed by the mist and soaked beyond bones. He wound his scarf higher, trying his best to create a barrier against the raindrops that dripped relentlessly down his neck. Screw it, I’ll walk…

The living classic of horror genre, Stephen King, claimed, “We make up horrors to helps us cope with the real ones.” We can do nothing but agree with his thought as we note the growing popularity of horror literature, which attracts increasingly talented contemporary writers like Rachael Craigmyle.

Rachael Craigmyle is the Gold Writer of the ArtAscent Spooky call for writers. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Spooky issue.