World’s Best Animal Impressionists: ROBLES, FEN, BRENNAN, BLUME, HASSEL, GERALD, MOFFATT, BATHMAWATHY & POALUCCI / 2025 Art Collectors Choice Awards
Artists from 49 countries competed in the 2025 ART COLLECTORS CHOICE AWARDS. 15 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 PHILIPPINES, UK, GERMANY, USA, CANADA & INDIA .
BIO of 1st Place Winner: Fernando Robles
Fernando’s artistic journey began in 1973 at George Brown College of Applied Arts in Toronto, Canada. Though he temporarily assisted in managing two family orthodontic practices in the U.S., his passion for painting never wavered. He refined his skills under California Master Painter Rafael Maniago and pursued further studies at esteemed institutions such as the New York Art Academy, the National Academy School of Fine Arts, and the Art League of New York.
Committed to his craft, Fernando studied under renowned mentor Samuel Adoquei at the National Academy, an institution with a legacy of producing distinguished artists and architects. Today, he is a full-time artist with studios in Los Angeles and New York, creating works that captivate collectors across North America.
A dedicated member of the global art community, Fernando is affiliated with the National Academy of Design, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Portrait Society of Canada, and several other prestigious organizations. Alongside his wife, Rebecca Robles — an art critic and abstract artist — he finds inspiration in their tranquil countryside studio in the Philippines, where they continue to explore and evolve in their artistic endeavors.
WINNER WEBSITES: CATEGORY 20. IMPRESSIONISM — ANIMAL
1st Place + 3RD HIGHEST SCORE IN ENTIRE CONTEST FERNANDO ROBLES PHILIPPINES 2donrobles@gmail.com “Tide” 70x90cm Oil on canvas.
2nd Place — Tie KOLI FEN UK ge854179230@gmail.com “Thorns And Whiskers” 30x42cm Watercolour on paper.
2nd Place — Tie WILLIAM FRANCIS BRENNAN GERMANY www.william-francis-brennan.com “I Am The Boss” 100x100cm Oil on canvas.
3rd Place — Tie BEATE BLUME GERMANY www.beateblume.de “Strong Together” 90x120cm Acrylic on canvas.
3rd Place — Tie TANJA HASSEL UK www.tanjahassel.com “Sunset Swim II” 60x40cm Acrylic on canvas.
4th Place — Tie DEBRA GERALD USA debragerald7@suddenlink.net “Jessie” 12x16” Acrylic on canvas.
4th Place — Tie LYNDA MOFFATT CANADA www.LyndaMoffatt.com “Spiritual Awakening” 30x30” Oil, canvas.
5th Place — Tie BATHMAWATHY G INDIA https://www.artistbathmawathy.com/ “The One True King” 60x45" Acrylic and iridescent paint.
5th Place — Tie BEATE BLUME GERMANY www.beateblume.de “To The Waterhole” 60x80cm Acrylic on canvas.
6th Place — Tie THERESA POALUCCI USA https://www.artisttheresapoalucci.com “Do Koi Dream?” 20x30” Mixed media digitized and printed on acrylic.
6th Place — Tie THERESA POALUCCI USA https://www.artisttheresapoalucci.com “Dreaming Of The Hunt” 20x30” Mixed media digitized and printed on acrylic.
See hundreds of winning images and corresponding contact info to all the artists here:
In 2025, ART COLLECTORS CHOICE AWARDS had submissions from these 49 countries: Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Herzegovina, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, UK, Ukraine, USA, Zimbabwe.
15 international art collectors asked to score art:
Jason Stuckless — Toronto, Ontario
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
Jordan Wallace — Georgetown, Illinois
Carole Hatcher — Rancho Mirage, California
Jan Gold — Roseville, California
Karen Valentine — Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Mitchell Antesky — Toledo Ohio
