The second-to-last episode of Work of Art aired yesterday on Bravo, and since they kicked off two artists this week, the episode featured an inordinate amount of bitchiness, crying and Jerry Saltz sympathy.  

The episode started off with a surprise trip to the town of Cold Spring, New York. Young postulates the town may be called Cold Spring, NY because there is a spa in it. He is incorrect, and we continue to understand why some people turn to painting.

China Chow looks dreadfully out of place in a white dress and platform heels when the contestants meet her in the rainy town of Cold Spring. What else is new? China tells the artists that they are to make a portrait of a Cold Spring resident. They have two hours to explore the town and are given a two hundred dollar budget.

Dusty meets a young, bouncy girl who reminds him of his one-year-old daughter. He decides to create her image in Skittles and M&M candies, some of which fall to the floor when he exhibits it. The piece is bright and captures the essence of the little girl, but the judges don’t like it because—if they admitted to themselves—Dusty is from Arkansas so his whimsical art isn’t read the same way as if he were an artist from New York. They send Dusty home.

Kymia gets the idea to make an absurdist portrait of a couple who run an antique shop in Cold Spring. It’s a brilliantly executed piece—a bit of outlandish Americana—that depicts the couple in the same pose as a box Kymia bought from their shop. The judges like it, as well, so Kymia wins the challenge, the prize money and the first spot in the finale.

Sarah J. makes an incohesive piece out of sheets of metal, hammering in the face of her firefighter subject and then creating big dog tags representing all of his years on the force. The piece isn’t very interesting, but Sarah J. has been a force throughout the season, so it’s good to see her in the finale. Young, too, makes the cut for his photographic portrait of a Cold Spring artist Young paid to paint him, Young. It’s an interesting mirror-like piece, but the judges think Young’s contribution is too organized.

The last, poor and unfortunate soul to be eliminated is Lola for a bunch of pieces about a bunch of coin collectors. Jerry Saltz bemoans Lola’s fate on his blog this week, duh.

Were you happy about the outcome for the finale?