Art & Color 365 Magazine's 2024 Drawings Competition
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Red-Bellied Woodpecker
5x5 Scratchboard
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This small scratchboard of one of our more exotic-looking local birds has earned a Special Merit Award in Art & Color 365 Magazine's 2024 Annual International Drawings Competition!
Thank you, Art & Color 365!
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Original and prints are available!​
Strokes of Genius 16
In this prestigious international competition which celebrates all forms of drawing, to have your work be listed among the Finalists is a very big deal! What an honor to see not one but two of my scratchboards make it this far!
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Equinox
12x12 Scratchboard
Finalist, Strokes of Genius 16
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The Pelican Briefing
6x12 Scratchboard
Finalist, Strokes of Genius 16
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Both of these scratchboards will be published in a special edition of the Artists Magazine, The Best of Drawing, which will be on newsstands November, 2024.​​
Thank you so much, Strokes of Genius!
Stockholm Art Fair 2024
Best of Show
The Stockholm (Wisconsin) Art Fair's 50th Anniversary was such a celebration of the arts! It was a thrill to be part of such a great event. The quality of art at this show was so impressive. When I was awarded their Best of Show award - the highest honor my art has received to date - I was absolutely stunned. And the staff of this show made such a hurrah of this moment, with a trio of saxophone players and a gathering of people that made me feel about 10 feet tall. It was an extraordinary highlight in my art career and a memory I will truly cherish!
Best in Show | Pets
3rd Annual Competition
Equinox
12 x 12 Scratchboard
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This scratchboard has earned
a spot among 15 Honorable Mention awards in the 3rd Annual Best in Show | Pets Competition! It was published in the September/October 2024 issue of Artists Magazine. Here is the wonderful commentary by juror Rita Kirkman:
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“All in all, this is a masterful scratchboard work with exquisite details and control of values. The light glows. The artist’s handling of lost edges allows this composition to hang delicately off the right side of the frame while not losing a pound of solidity in the invisible body of the cow.” – Rita Kirkman, Juror
Art & Color 365 Magazine's
Animals Competition 2024
Donkey
8x10 Scratchboard
Around 600 works of incredible animal artwork from all around the world were entered into Art and Color 365's 2024 Animals Art Competition, and I am thrilled to share that my Donkey earned a Special Merit Award! Thank you, Art and Color 365!
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Donkey is available for purchase! Contact me if you're interested, or snag yourself a print in my Shop.
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Camelback Gallery Artist Invitational VIII
Baby of Mine
Wire Sculpture​
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So pleased to share that this wire sculpture received a Finalist Award in Camelback Gallery's Artist Invitational VIII International Competition! This was a competition for many types of art media, including painting, drawing, and sculpture, so I am really honored this bear pair was seen and appreciated in the midst of such amazing artwork from many great artists. Thank you, Camelback Gallery!​
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Baby of Mine has been sold, but I'm hoping to create more bears.
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Richeson75 International Art Competitions 2023
Equinox
12x12 Scratchboard​
Very happy to say this scratchboard was named a Finalist in the Animals, Birds, & Wildlife International Annual Competition by Richeson75! The work in this online exhibition is extraordinary, and it's so meaningful to be among them!
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Equinox is available for purchase! Please contact me if interested in buying the original, framed 12x12 Scratchboard.
Prints available in my shop!
Donkey
10x8 Scratchboard​
This sweet little one also made Richeson's Meritorious List!​
Donkey is available for purchase! Please contact me if interested in buying the original, framed 10x8 Scratchboard.
Prints available in my shop!
Art & Color 365 Magazine's
Drawing Competition 2023
Who's the Boss
The big guy has made it into the Winners Tier on Art & Color 365's
International Drawing Competition!
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He is available for purchase! Please contact me if interested in buying the original, framed 8x10 Scratchboard.
Prints available in my shop!
Lakeville Art Festival, Minnesota
September, 2023
So tickled to have won my first
Best in Show ribbon!
Lakeville Art Festival presented me with the
Best in Show for Metal & Sculpture Award
for my wire sculptures!
Thank you, Lakeville!
Best in Medium 2023
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Camelback Gallery recently announced the winners of their recent international competition, Best In Medium 2023.
I was thrilled to have 3 of my artworks, The Pelican Briefing (6x12 Scratchboard, available),
Cheetah (Wire Sculpture, Sold), and Extraordinary Dromedary (Wire Sculpture, available), receive awards.
Thank you, Camelback Gallery, for appreciating my work and that of so many other fine artists!
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Strokes of Genius 15
Who's the Boss, I am pleased to say, has been named a Finalist in Strokes of Genius 15!
This 8x10 Scratchboard will be featured in a special edition magazine, The Best of Drawing, which will hit newsstands in November.
Thank you, Strokes of Genius!
La Crosse Local ~ My First Podcast
La Crosse Local was kind enough to get in touch and set up a podcast. This was my first time doing a podcast, so I was a little nervous. In the end it was just a lot of fun! We chatted about when I got started with my artwork, the subject matter I'm interested in drawing, the unusual technique of scratchboard art, my historical fiction novels, and my wire sculptures. You can listen to the podcast here:
E.405: Jenna Hestekin | Artist - La Crosse Local | Arts, Food, and Entertainment Podcast
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Thank you, La Crosse Local!
Artists Invitational VI
In an exciting first, one of my wire sculptures has garnered international acclaim - also through Camelback Gallery - in their Artist Invitational VI Competition, which was open to all media and subject matter.
Gustav, here, won the Gold Award in the Sculpture category of this competition.
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Thank you, Camelback Gallery!
Black and White X
Alpaca, 8x10, earned a Gold Award in the Black and White X International Online Competition, which had over 80 winners and finalists from 11 different countries. The competition welcomed any art medium, be it painting, drawing, photography, or even sculpture, as long as it was black and white. Thanks so very much, Camelback Gallery, for the award!
Best in Show | Pets
2nd Annual Competition
Who's the Boss, 8x10, earned an Honorable Mention Award in the 2nd Annual Best in Show | Pets International Online Competition, put on by the Artist's Network! The juror left this wonderful feedback on this piece:
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"The work is as detailed as a fine engraving and yet manages to express the personality and life of the beast. I almost expect to see breath coming out of its nostrils. The light captured on the horn and the shadow thrown onto the ear indicate acute observation on the part of the artist. The pose and expression make me want to know more about the relationship between the artist and the bull - who is the boss?" - Liz Chaderton, Juror
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Prints are available in my Shop. Please contact me directly to inquire about the original.
Artistic Excellence 2022
Alpaca, my 8x10 Scratchboard, made the Finalist list - meaning it's among the top 100 runners up - for Southwest Art Magazine's Artistic Excellence, 2022. Thank you, Southwest Art!
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The original has been sold, but prints are available in my shop.
Strokes of Genius 14
Strokes of Genius is an annual competition that celebrates all drawing media. Great Dane (8x10 Pen & Ink), and Jersey (5x5 Scratchboard) have both been selected as Finalists in their 14th edition of this competition. Both of these drawings were featured in a special edition magazine,
The Best of Drawing, in November, 2022.
Thank you, Strokes of Genius!
Artspire 2022 - La Crosse, WI
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Upon my second year back at the festive, cheerful Artspire, I got the pleasant surprise of taking home another ribbon, a Merit Award!
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This was an interesting show this year. Due to threatening weather, the genius staff of this show decided to move the show into a nearby parking ramp. It was like a party in that cozy, dry, safe place. It made for such good memories. I had a great time at this one!
This award was given for creativity, originality, quality of work, and overall booth display.
Thank you, Artspire!
The Book Commentary
The Book Commentary has given my novel, Bicker and the Soolivans, a 5-Star Review! Here's an excerpt from their review:
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Bicker and the Soolivans is an exceptional historical novel that showcases the author’s remarkable ability to meld history and romance while offering readers characters that make for a great company. The brilliant rendition of the Civil War experience, the explosive family drama, and the realistic characters are amongst the elements that establish the strength of this novel. A real winner for fans of historical romance with a vivid setting during the American Civil War. - The Book Commentary
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The entire review can be found here.
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Thank you, Book Commentary!
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My books can be purchased from my Shop.
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Richeson75 International Art Competitions 2021
What a genuine honor it was to have my artwork be among the Finalists for this extraordinary international art competition. Hereford was a finalist, and Horsepower made their Meritorious list. The gallery of Finalists can be viewed here.
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Horsepower, 6x12, is still available for purchase. Contact me to learn more, or find prints of Horsepower and Hereford in my Shop.
Artistic Excellence 2021
8x10 Pen & Ink drawing, Great Dane, made the Finalist list for Southwest Art Magazine's Artistic Excellence, 2021.
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Original drawing, prints, and notecards are available of this piece. Find reproductions in my Shop or contact me directly to inquire about the original.
Artspire 2021 ~ La Crosse, WI
It was a genuine thrill to have won 2nd prize at the Artspire Art Fair and Sale in June, 2021. On top of being such a fun, upbeat art show, this was truly the icing on the cake.
This award was given for creativity, originality, quality of work, and overall booth display. Thank you, Artspire!
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ISSA 9th Annual Scratchboard Exhibition
My original 12x6 Scratchboard, Hereford, was selected for the International Society of Scratchboard Artist's 9th Annual Scratchboard Exhibition. It won the Newcomer Award there, and I am deeply honored. Thank you, ISSA!
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The original was displayed, alongside many other incredible scratchboard artworks from around the world, at the Ironwood Gallery in the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson, AZ from November 9th of 2020 through February 7th of 2021.
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The original scratchboard has been sold. You can find prints available in my Shop.
Southwest Art Magazine 2020
I was featured in September, 2020's issue of Southwest Art Magazine. I was invited to participate in their Animal Kingdom article. Within the magazine, you can find my Hereford scratchboard, my Holstein scratchboard, and also my Golden Retriever pen and ink drawing, as well as an editorial to learn a little more about me.
Chanticleer Book Reviews
This novel also earned Semi-Finalist status in the 2018 Chanticleer International Book Awards' Laramie Awards. You can puchase a copy here!
My novel, Bicker and the Soolivans, has received an exciting 5 Star Review from Chanticleer Book Reviews! You can read it for youself here.
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"Fate and family are at the heart of Bicker and the Soolivans, and everyone from the casual reader to the critic will feel their heart warmed throughout this authentic feel-good story.
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Bicker and the Soolivans will sweep you off your feet, make you forget about the current state of world affairs, and fall in love with the antics of a midwestern family in Civil War-era America.
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A feel-good romance set in the turmoil of the Civil War. Recommended." - Chanticleer Reviews
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Southwest Art Magazine 2019
My 5x7 Scratchboard, Cougar, was featured in the 2019 Ones to Collect article in the October, 2019 issue of Southwest Art Magazine.
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This original scratchboard, as well as prints, are available for sale in my Shop.
Southwest Art Magazine 2018
One of my Scratchboards, the Bald Eagle, was a finalist in Southwest Art Magazine's Artistic Excellence Competition in 2018. I am so honored to have been among the finalists in the midst of such highly skilled and talented artists. Click the link below to check out the entire list of finalists from this competition.
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The Bald Eagle is still available for sale. Contact me if you're interested in purchasing this original scratchboard. I also have prints available for sale in my Shop.
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Strokes of Genius 8
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One of my drawings was featured in the beautiful series of books, Strokes of Genius. What an honor! I entered the drawing of my Rooster in pen and ink, and it was chosen among 130 other fine and wonderful drawings from artists worldwide to be featured in the 8th installment of the series: Strokes of Genius 8: Expressive Texture. You can read more about it and even purchase your own copy of this book (or e-book) by clicking here.
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My original Rooster drawing is still available for sale! You can contact me directly if you're interested in the original. You can find prints and art notecards of this image in my Shop, as well.
To view my page inside the book click on the PDF icon below. It is on the left side of the page.