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Thanks again and again
Thanks again to all of you who are so kind to acknowledge my prize.
Marta- I'm glad that you consider my portrait of Julia so highly. She is truly an angel and if you think I was able to capture just a little piece of that then I consider my painting a success. Thinking you need to be good enough to take one of my workshops is like dusting before the cleaning person comes. I welcome artists of all levels.
Beth- I'm always surprised. Judging is so subjective, especially considering the huge numbers of entries.
Tom- I don't know about calling me a "master." Maybe a "master of my own domain" (see Seinfield for clarification on that point). Remember, anyone who aligns themselves too closely with me shall be subject to harsh retribution from the Righteous Brothers.
Enzie- Your words are much appreciated.
SB- Thank you for the generous compliment.
I am always pleased to do well in Juried shows, but I take the results with a grain of salt. Obviously no one wants to be rejected so just getting in is great. However I have set high standards for myself and I want to do as well as possible, so on the other hand, I am never satisfied.
Judging is very subjective. You have to consider the agenda of the judges. Some are very open and looking for artwork which is a good for what it is. To me, a good abstract painting is far better than a bad portrait. However many judges are looking to justify their own aesthetic choices which they have tied into their very artistic existence. This obviously stems from deep seeded insecurity. I've seen many winning paintings which strongly resemble the style of that particular judge. Enough about that.
The reason I enter competitions is for the exposure and for the inference of quality that my potential clients assume. To me, my paintings don't get better because they win nor do they get worse if I lose. What really matters is if I am satisfied with my portraits and that my clients are as well.
I always keep in mind the quality of work I aspire towards (Bouguereau, Paxton, Raeburn, Kramskoy, etc.). This keeps me quite humble and prevents any tendency to become too full of myself. I know that due to my sarcastic sense of humor some thin skinned people (see there I go again) reading my words misinterpret my meaning and assume arrogance on my part. Those who have had the opportunity (dare I say pleasure?) to spend time with me generally don't make that assumption.
In reality I'm a very grateful man who has been blessed with a beautiful family and enough talent to justify a career as an artist. I get to pay the bills doing what I love to do the most. This is the greatest prize I could ever wish for.
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