Should all of us try to enter competitions?

[Lynn Der]

Hello - I've been painting commissioned portraits for 3 years, after having studied with some great painters. At this point, I have a lot of commissions and a fair amount of experience, but am having trouble making the "jump" to charging $3,000 a portrait.

Would you (more experinced painters) recommend entering competitions? I have compared my paintings to some of the past winners, and it seems as though my best work could hold its own next to some of the winners' works. Not that I'm perfect, by a long shot.

Do you think that earning a placement in a competition would help my credibility? All of my commissions are by word of mouth, so I feel as though I can't charge more to the friend of a friend.

Do I need to attend competitions in order to win? Which ones are the best? Is it really worth the investment of money spent on travel, hotel rooms, etc.? If you have won a competition, do you feel that it has helped your confidence in raising your prices? Most importantly, possibly; do your clients even care that you have won recognition?

I have been juried into the Maryland Society of Portrait Painters, but am unsure what it means!

Thank you all for your help.

Lynn Der