by Mary Knippel

While Maryland artist Brandy Gruner’s crescent-shaped pumpkin floating over star-kissed waves may be too much of a lightweight to qualify for the pumpkin weigh-in, it won first place in the 2008 Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival Poster Design Contest. “When I got the call that I had won,” Gruner said, “I was really excited.” To develop her design, she said, “I did research about the area and it was just a coincidence that my future in-laws live in the Bay Area.”

A graphic designer as well as an artist, Gruner is aware of all the small details involved in a winning design, and now her design will be featured as the centerpiece on all promotional material for the 38th annual festival.

A graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art, Gruner trained in fine arts, studied abroad in Paris, and moved to New York after graduating. She also won a scholarship to study in Colorado Springs, Colo. Recounting an incident painting in the beautiful Garden of the Gods, she described painting a sunset as fast  as she could, then being frustrated to find bugs trapped in the paint!

“I wanted to be an illustrator, but went into graphic design as there were more opportunities for me as an artist. In New York, I worked in the art department for a beer distributor and that was fun.” Perhaps the desire to be an illustrator is hereditary, as she recently learned she is  related to the famous illustrator Maxfield Parrish.

A life-long artist, Gruner grew up in Texas. “I was probably 3 or 4 years old and my mom bought finger paints,” Gruner said, “but she didn’t want me to use them yet. So she put them on top of the refrigerator. I climbed on the counter and managed to get them down. I went in the bathroom, closed the door and opened them. I painted all over the bathroom and made quite a mess! Luckily, they were washable paints.”

Gruner recently completed a show in Washington, D.C. Her works feature landscapes, figures and animals. “I think that’s my real passion,” she said. “I think painting is how I express myself. I love animals. I do a lot of animals. I have two cats and I did a series of each of them. My style is somewhere between realism and   expressionism.”

The Art & Pumpkin Festival Poster Design Contest is a joint effort of the Half Moon Bay Beautification Committee, which runs the Pumpkin Festival, and the Coastal Arts League, a non-profit organization that supports local artists. The winning entry receives a $1,000 prize and Gruner has used the winnings to buy a new computer, allowing her to be more productive. The contest attracted more than 50 entries from several states. It is open to all interested parties, particularly art students, professional artists and graphic designers. In addition to the $1,000 top prize for the winning entry, there is also a $500 award for second place, and two $250 prizes for third. There is also a “People’s Choice” award, chosen by the popular vote of visitors to the Coastal Arts League Gallery, which receives a $250 award.

For more information about artist Brandy Gruner, visit her on the Web at www.brandygruner.com.

For more information about the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival, visit www.miramarevents.com/ pumpkinfest/.

For more information about the Coastal Arts League, visit www.coastalartsleague.com.