Meet the Judges
Watercolorist Barbara Worth Ratner’s principal livelihood is architectural illustration, the visual rendering of new buildings and environments before they are constructed. A member of the Virginia Highland Plein Air Painters, she also illustrates the real world en plein air. Ratner grew up in the midwest, is a graduate of Yale’s School of Architecture, a Past President of the American Society of Architectural Illustration, and a recent winner of the Gabriel prize awarded by the Western European Architecture Foundation. You can find Barbara’ work at http://www.bwratner.com. You can also find her on Instagram @bwratner
Barbara Worth Ratner
David Boyd, Jr.
From an early age, Boyd was encouraged by his parents to create. There was never a shortage of art materials at the Boyd household. Even the walls of his childhood bedroom were left unfinished so that he could draw at will. He was influenced by his father; the elder David Boyd is a renowned illustrator and character who draws for Jeff Foxworthy and Mark Morgan, Inc. Luckily, young Boyd was also heavily influenced by his mother, Rosalyn Boyd, the “quintessential southern belle”, beloved Heritage school teacher, and instructor to thousands with a penchant for dance and music. These facts coupled with early indication that the young Boyd had little, if any, math, or organizational skills pointed him towards a life of crime or a career in the visual arts. After early dreams of becoming a hired assassin or race car driver diminished, Boyd chose the latter of the two.
After moving to Savannah for college, Boyd began studying architecture, then graphic design and finally art history and illustration at Savannah college of Art and Design. He graduated with a BFA in Illustration in 1995. Boyd painted his first painting during this time, focusing on the moonlight through the live oaks of Savannah’s Washington Avenue.
Boyd considers himself an obsessed experimenter. Recently he has been focusing on studio and plein air oil paintings of the urban and rural landscape.
Boyd is a Signature member of OPA, AIS and LPAPA. He has been selected for regional OPA shows and AIS National where he was awarded an Honorable mention by the judge, Kevin McPherson. Most most recently Boyd received an Award of Excellence for Most Original at OPA Easten Regional from Judge, Roger Dale Brown. In addition, Boyd has participated in and won awards at plein air events around the southeast.
Boyd’s work can be seen at his gallery, The Boyd Gallery, as well as Spalding Nix Fine Art in Atlanta, Beverly McNeill Gallery in Birmingham, AL, Hagan Fine Art in Charleston, SC and the AmericanContempoorary.art online gallery. If you are in the Atlanta area, you can schedule an appointment to see his work at www.theboydgallery.com. View Boyd’s work at www.davidboydjr.com. You can also find him on Facebook and Instagram.
Barbara Ratner
