Golden Trail (12 x 18, dry pastel, info on my website)
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Hello and Welcome,
Having just juried one art show and soon getting ready to jury entries for the Pastel Journal Pastel 100 competition, I've been doing a lot of thinking about what makes a good painting. Of course, over the years of learning to paint, we artist all consider these things practically daily! What I find extremely useful when jurying a show is being accountable for the choices I make. Writing critiques makes me think harder and longer about why I make the choices I do; not just for the work of others but also for my own work.
There are lots of reasons artists enter competitions; exposure of work, prize money, building a resume, etc. I am not a competitive person but I do consistently try to find ways to push myself beyond my own comfort zone when it comes to my art. One way I have found that helps me improve, and work a little harder to get a little better, is to enter competitions. Lest you think I might get full of myself when I win an award, please take note that I have a folder full of rejection letters to keep me in line. It is my opinion that an artist who chooses to enter competitions needs to build up competition calluses. And, like calluses, the first ones are a little tougher to take than the later ones but eventually, you take them in stride.
Last year, a painting that won first place (for me) didn't make it into the finals the year before. I reviewed the painting, thought about the results, decided I was still quite pleased with the piece and felt it was strong in all aspects. I left it as it was and re-entered it. Jury results can be a useful tool but ultimately you are the one who is the best judge of your work.
Cheers,
Sandy
