Fil-Canadian in finale of reality show 'Next Great Artist'

A Filipino-Canadian figurative painter in New York City, New York landed a spot in the finale of "Work of Art: The Next Great Artist," an American reality TV show co-produced by Sarah Jessica Parker. Sara Jimenez, 26, will compete with two other finalists, performance artist and photographer Young Sun Han and drawer and painter Kymia Nawabi. "I started off good and then I had my downfall and then I feel like I came back up," Jimenez, known for using unconventional materials in her paintings, said during the show. In the episode where the final three contestants were chosen, Jimenez said, "To know that taking risks and trusting my process has really paid off is amazing." Jimenez's works center on themes like womanhood, identity, spirituality and the subconscious, as stated in her bio on the show's official website. Although it was Nawabi who emerged as the winner of their final challenge before the finale, "Work of Art" judge and critic Jerry Saltz commended Jimenez's work during the show, saying: "She went way out of her comfort zones, started working with materials that are foreign to her... that's pretty good."  The three finalists will showcase their final collection to the judging panel in the hope of winning a solo show at the Brooklyn Museum, a cover story in Blue Canvas magazine and $100,000 furnished by the 2012 Fiat 500. - VVP/KG, GMA News