Visitors' poll

I only do occasional portraits - the bulk of my work is in other genres. The rules for becoming a member state that new members are wanted ONLY IF they plan to post portrait work on a regular basis.

[Cynthia Daniel]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I only do occasional portraits - the bulk of my work is in other genres. The rules for becoming a member state that new members are wanted ONLY IF they plan to post portrait work on a regular basis.

This is not quite accurate. You are not ever expected to post any portrait work. But, you would not believe the number of people who have registered, been approved and have never posted one single time. The number is quite high. It gets discouraging for those who put the time into the jury process. We only ask that if someone registers that they participate to some extent, here and there, now and then - it could be a couple of times a year. We certainly don't have any exact requirement that someone post - it's just puzzling that people go through the jury process and then never post. See what I mean?

Originally Posted by Cynthia Daniel

But, you would not believe the number of people who have registered, been approved and have never posted one single time. The number is quite high. It gets discouraging for those who put the time into the jury process. We only ask that if someone registers that they participate to some extent, here and there, now and then - it could be a couple of times a year. We certainly don't have any exact requirement that someone post - it's just puzzling that people go through the jury process and then never post. See what I mean?

I understand that you would not want to reply to someone whom you feel would not benefit from your help, Sharon.

However, I'm sure that you can understand how it would be intimidating for someone who, even though having passed the jurying process, would be subjected to the embarassment of receiving few replies to their work; in effect, being told quite loudly by the silence that their work is not up to snuff.

Yes, they were accepted into the forum. But very publicly, they are rejected. I have seen this time and again here.

Few people want to subject themselves to that kind of humiliation, as is evidenced by the above quote.

[Steven Sweeney]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Few people want to subject themselves to that kind of humiliation, as is evidenced by the above quote.

Not everyone who doesn't participate is declining to do so out of a fear of humiliation.

But if that IS why they are declining to participate, then this Forum is the LEAST of their problems. I just returned from a huge, high-quality outdoor art show. Thousands of people walk past the booths each day and do not buy or even stop, for each few dozen who do. If each of those instances were perceived to be a rejection or a cause of humiliation, this would quickly turn into the most unhappy of vocations for the artist in question.

Much more important that a particular palette, substrate, or "School" is the heart and perseverance to be in charge of one's own progress and to just keep putting work out there until it clicks with the right people at the right time.