"Explorer" Original Watercolor
It is always difficult to decide what to enter in a competition. Some artists try to guess what a juror or judge will like, perhaps from entering previous entries in competitions judged by the specific juror. Other artists try to submit something very unique, unusual subject matter for a painting or an unusual technique. Still other artists enter a painting that has broad mass appeal.
If you are an artist who regularly enters exhibitions, what do you usually choose? I’m interested in how others choose paintings. I am getting ready to enter the National Watercolor Society competition… the deadline is rapidly approaching!
I finally got a photo taken yesterday…. This is the next painting in a series, similar to “Knowing”. I like it more, I think. It feels less harsh. I know this painting is more on the unusual side as far as content. I like the composition and color. In this particular competition the paintings are viewed by a panel of three jurors and there are only a small percentage of the paintings accepted.
I’d be interested in hearing your feedback on your favorite painting from the ones I’ve posted recently, or the painting you feel would be more likely to be accepted….
"Small Talk" Acrylic & Watercolor
Hi Ruth,
Since I don’t have much experience with competitions I can’t respond to that question.
I did want to say, I like the feel of ‘Explorer” very different than “Knowing”. A soft mystery about Explorer.
I LOVE your Etsy shop too!
I have an artist friend that turned me onto it.
It would be wonderful to hear your experience with it so far.
After the Oregon Country Fair is behind me I can look into this more, so Many great creations on that site.
Pamela
P
Thanks Pamela! I don’t have much news to pass along about Etsy, other than it was pretty easy to set up! Hope you have a great show at the Country Fair!
xo ruth
Hi Ruth, This is a topic that we have discussed alot lately in our local art group. Now, I just enter what I think is my strongest work to date. Sometimes that is hard to determine, depending on how the work is going currently, other times there is only one choice. It gets tricky when I paint something that I consider a personal artistic breakthrough and I want to show it off, but it might not be a great painting yet—I only see that in hind sight. NWS was more difficult because we can only enter one and for me the size limitation was a factor. Luckily, I hadn’t framed the painting I wanted to enter, even so, it is pushing the upper size limits. I am very confident that this is my best painting to date, however it has been rejected from a museum show recently, and even though I was determined not to let that get to me, it did make me second guess my choice. Oh, how tender our artist souls! In the end, I had to go with my first instinct. We’ll see what the panel thinks!
Thanks Catharine, That is how I’m choosing this time too. Good luck to you and me both! 🙂