Members of the Bucks County Illustrators Society were awarded several top prizes at “Phillustration 12,, the annual art show of illustration held by the Philadelphia Sketch Club.
Joe DeVito of Chalfont won first place for his painting “Doc Savage Shattered,” featuring the iconic doctor-adventurer from the 1930s who was the forerunner of today’s superheroes. DeVito has painted many pop culture and pulp icons, including King Kong, Tarzan, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Spider-Man for various industries, and is the creator and illustrator of “Kong: King of Skull Island.”
Doylestown’s Gil Cohen was awarded second place for his painting “Wounded Aboard,” depicting an English Eighth Air Force base in 1944, with mechanics on the ground spotting a bomber returning to base, carrying wounded soldiers. Cohen is a well-known painter of historic aviation and men and women in military service, and is an Artist Fellow of the American Society of Aviation Artists.
First place in the Book Category was given to Glenn Zimmer of North Wales for his watercolor and pencil illustration for “Best Bucket Filler Ever!” by Carol McCloud, showing a night scene with a boy looking out of his brick rowhouse bedroom window. Zimmer illustrates and designs children’s books for several publishers and has illustrated many of the “Bucket Fillers” book series, which teaches children about filling their buckets with acts of kindness.
An honorable mention was awarded to Deb Hoeffner of Doylestown for her watercolor and pastel painting “Night Owl,” created for the children’s book “Silent Swoop: An Owl, an Egg, and a Warm Pocket” by Michelle Houts. Hoeffner’s softly realistic artwork, often of nature and animals, has appeared in many books, posters and magazines, and she regularly exhibits her paintings in galleries and shows.
Other BCIS members with work accepted into the show were Mark Schaeffer of Ambler, Piya and Christina Wannachaiwong of Langhorne and Pat Achilles of Doylestown. The Phillustration virtual online gallery of illustrations accepted can be viewed at sketchclub.org/phillustration-12/#gallery and the BCIS website is bcillustrators.org.
Join our readers whose generous donations are making it possible for you to read our news coverage. Help keep local journalism alive and our community strong. Donate today.
