World’s Best Animal Impressionists: PUHL, PEETERS, LENART, POALUCCI, GEEAWAN, MOFFATT, YALAZAN, MINKEVIČIUS, LYNN & HU / 2026 Art Collectors Choice Awards
Artists from 47 countries competed in the 2026 ART COLLECTORS CHOICE AWARDS. 16 international art collectors scored 50 categories of online images covering drawing, painting, sculpture, digital and photography.
The winning works will be revealed in this column one category at a time.
The ART COLLECTORS CHOICE AWARDS winners in CATEGORY 20. IMPRESSIONISM — ANIMAL represent USA, NETHERLANDS, POLAND, TRINIDAD, TOBAGO, CANADA, TURKEY, LITHUANIA, UK & CHINA.
BIO of 1st Place winner Jack Puhl
After a rapid rise in corporate America, Jack Puhl stepped away from his career in mergers and acquisitions following the events of 9/11. At the time, he was living in Washington, DC and working in New York City — an arrangement that sounds impressive until you factor in the commute. In a decisive shift, he gave away most of his possessions, kept a single chair (priorities), and relocated to Chicago.
It was there that Jack reconnected with his artistic roots. He soon secured a contract with a Manhattan-based art and greeting card company, designing and hand-painting a wide range of themed cards that were distributed internationally — proof that leaving corporate life doesn’t mean leaving deadlines behind.
From Chicago, Jack moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he focused on painting bucolic landscapes as his fine art career continued to grow. His work gained notable recognition, including his first American Art Award in the early 2000s through exhibitions at Leigh Gallery in Chicago — because, apparently, Chicago wasn’t quite done with him yet.
A few years later, Jack began exploring photography. As he puts it, “I like photography for its quick fix of capturing a split second in time — it’s incredibly rewarding artistically.” It also requires far less drying time than watercolor paint, which doesn’t hurt. What began as experimentation has since developed into another acclaimed creative outlet. His photography has been awarded and featured in various publications, including Pennsylvania Magazine, and has again been recognized by the prestigious American Art Awards.
While Jack continues to paint, photography has become a way to satisfy his more immediate creative impulses — ideal for someone who has already proven he’s not afraid to make big, sudden changes.
He currently resides in the lake region of Northeastern Pennsylvania on his small farm, Little Chicken Farm, where he shares his days with a horse, a flock of chickens, a stray cat who never left, and a few mice in the attic who, despite not paying rent, remain firmly entrenched.
WINNER WEBSITES/CONTACTS: CATEGORY 20. IMPRESSIONISM — ANIMAL
1st Place JACK PUHL USA jackpuhl@gmail.com “All Dogs Go To Heaven” 16x20” Watercolor on paper.
2nd Place — Tie JAN PEETERS NETHERLANDS https://www.janpeeters-horsepaintings.nl “Chasing The Ball” 51x71cm Watercolor.
2nd Place — Tie MATEUSZ LENART POLAND www.instagram.com/mateuszlenart/ “Casual Horse Riding” 36x50cm Ink on paper.
3rd Place — Tie THERESA POALUCCI USA www.artisttheresapoalucci.com “Embers Of The Earth” 36x12” Acrylic and digital.
3rd Place — Tie HAYDEN GEEAWAN TRINIDAD & TOBAGO https://www.facebook.com/hayden.geeawan/ “Rainbow Bridge: Reunion Of Eternity” 62x34" Acrylic on canvas.
4th Place — Tie LYNDA MOFFATT CANADA https://www.lyndamoffatt.com/ “Peacock Elegance” 24x20” Mixed media.
4th Place — Tie FATOŞ YALAZAN TURKEY https://www.instagram.com/vesper_visual/ “Lucy’s Curious Stare” 30x35cm Digital.
5th Place — Tie LYNDA MOFFATT CANADA https://www.lyndamoffatt.com/ “Into The Light” 24x24” Oil on canvas.
5th Place — Tie RYTIS MINKEVIČIUS LITHUANIA https://www.instagram.com/rytmink_art/ “Horse” 80x120cm Oil on canvas.
6th Place — Tie LINZI LYNN USA/UK https://www.linzilynn.com “Snowy” 12x12" Acrylic on canvas.
6th Place — Tie MENGYING HU CHINA bettyhmy0416@gmail.com “Roaring Leopard” 50x70cm Acrylic on canvas.
See hundreds of winning images and corresponding contact info to all the artists here:
In 2026, ART COLLECTORS CHOICE AWARDS had submissions from these 47 countries: Angola, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Cuba, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Panama, Poland, Republic Of Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Trinidad, Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, UK, Ukraine, USA, Zimbabwe.
16 international art collectors asked to score art:
Jason Stuckless — Toronto, Ontario
Joel Brown — Jackson, Mississippi
Kene J. Rosa — Los Angeles, California
Michael Gregg Michaud — Los Angeles, California
Alec Wilder — Los Angeles / Las Vegas / New Orleans
Eddie Dyer — Los Angeles / Las Vegas / New Orleans
Thomas Zora — Las Vegas
Ron Lundin — Naples, Florida / Chicago, Illinois / Vail, Colorado
Jay H. Brewer — Orlando, Florida
Alan McMullen — Fannettsburg, Philadelphia
Brian Townley — Waco, Texas
Aimee Unakis — Georgetown, Illinois
Carole Hatcher — Rancho Mirage, California
Jan Gold — Roseville, California
Karen Valentine — Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Mitchell Antesky — Toledo Ohio
