Thursday, October 29

One Way to Fix a Watercolor Painting


Today’s Image
Bait-and-Tackle Shop
Watercolor on Paper
Copyright 2009

Today’s OrbisPlanis art blog is a continuation from my last blog, Thought Processes for Painting a Watercolor. In that blog I talked about how I’ve been painting in watercolor almost exclusively in 2009 and some of my thought processes for my current painting.

As I said, it’s a bright beach scene featuring a bait-and-tackle shop along sand dunes. I mentioned that I was using a standard palette of French ultramarine blue, cadmium red medium, and new gamboge yellow. I talked about applying frisket, painting a light yellow wash, and how I painted the building first, then the dunes, and lastly the sky.

I was happy with the results and considered my painting nearly finished. I was so confident that I went ahead and removed all the frisket.

That was until I took my work for a critique. In the critique class, I had already shown the reference photo and the early stages of the painting when it was only sketched on the paper.

One of the first things that went wrong, I think, was the motif that I chose for this painting. I like it very much, but I’m not so sure the expert watercolorists in the class did. I’m not sure why, but I think it has something to do with the kind of images I like. I like landscapes and architecture with open and broad vistas. I like viewpoints that are different—looking up, down, out, and even close up.

In the case of this painting, the viewer is looking out on the scene from a distance. It also has a lot of sky, probably 66 to 75 percent of the painting is sky. That brings me to the next part, the problem with the sky. As I tacked up my painting for review, there was silence—or at least that’s what I thought, but maybe not.

I respect all the comments I receive from the experts, and they are always right on target and have helped me to improve my paintings. As I said, there was what I perceived as silence, and there was, but it was the expert trying to find the right words to tell me my painting was messed up.

I could also tell from the facial expression. Finally, something like, “the sky is all wrong,” was said. And then something about the sky color was for a winter sky, and the painting looks like a summer scene, and did I understand complementary colors (yes, I do) because the colors for the sky and the roof are all wrong. The sky was “sad,” and the painting needed a “happy” sky.

Also, the color of the water was wrong, but I did do a nice job on the dunes. Thank you.

The problem? I used French ultramarine blue for the sky, which as everyone but me apparently knows, is used for a softer, winter sky. Why, then, are we told to use a limited Standard palette, I wondered? Landscapes are an exception; you need to add different colors to the standard palette. Now, I know.

The remedy? Re-frisket (on, no!) the painting and then “lift” all of the blue in the sky, and repaint it using—what? Antwerp blue, I was told. So during the next week, I re-applied frisket, lifted, and repainted the sky with wash after wash of Antwerp blue.

The next week I proudly displayed my reworked painting. There was what I perceived to be silence, and I could tell from the facial expression.

The sky was not right. The value was not right and neither was the Antwerp blue. It was déjà vu all over again as Yogi Berra said.

This time, I received special attention, which I appreciated very much. From the experts vast number of tubes of watercolor, the blue that was needed was selected for me. It turned out to be Marine blue, at least that’s what it was called from that manufacturer—I had never heard of it or seen it at the art supply stores.

Anyway, the blue in the sky was lifted once again, and the “right” blue applied. All I had to do is paint in a few final finishing touches, which I did, and it’s done. It is Today's Image.

This experience showed me that there is always more to learn, like use Marine blue for summer skies. I also want to reiterate something I’ve said in the blog before—paint what you like (even if you have to re-paint it three times)!

Cheers!

Monday, October 26

Thought Processes for Painting a Watercolor


Today’s Image
Reference photo for my watercolor painting
Copyright 2009

Do many (or any) of you viewers to the OrbisPlanis art blog paint primarily with watercolor? Not that it matters; I was just curious.

In February, 2009, I started painting with watercolor almost exclusively. Since then I have completed about seven full-sheet (22 x 30 in, 55 x 76 cm) and three half-sheet (11 x 15 in, 28 x 38 cm) watercolor paintings and about two acrylic paintings.

So, you could say I’ve been concentrating on watercolor. It was a new medium for me, and as with anything, it takes practice, practice, and more practice especially with watercolor.

I’ll discuss some of the thought processes I went through and problems I’ve had working on my current, but as yet unfinished, watercolor. It started when I selected the motif for my next painting.

It’s a scene near a beach on a clear, summer day with seagrass and beach vegetation covering several sand dunes. The focal point is a bait and tackle shop/building that is the entrance to a long fishing pier. The building is sun-bleached white with a red-fading-to-pink/orange roof, and the pier itself is barely visible. On the left is a short strip of visible blue-green water and a couple of light poles and a large sign. The sun is shining right overhead, and the sky is a bright blue.

I chose the reference photo because it’s a happy mood scene, and the photo was from a vacation several years ago.

Anyway, I always start with a standard, but limited, palette of ultramarine blue light, new gamboge yellow, and cadmium red medium. I decided the size the painting was going to be, enlarged the photo, taped off the border/liner of the full-sheet watercolor paper, and transferred the image by sketching.

Then I was ready to paint. First, though, I used frisket to mask off all the areas that were to remain white--the walls and some of the fencing of the tackle shop, the light poles and part of the sign, and a barely-visible jetty.

Next I applied a very light wash of new gamboge to the rest of the paper and let it dry. I decided to paint the red-fading-to-pink/orange roof first. That went well, and I was able to match the color almost exactly.

Then I painted the sand dunes, which were covered in yellow- and gray-green seagrass and vegetation that was in various growing phases from new growth to already dead. I painted the dunes and grasses a lot of different colors ranging from yellow-green to raw- and burnt-siennas to oranges and browns and deep burnt umbers for the shadows.

As I said, I was using the three colors of the standard palette, so it was not easy. However, I was able to paint a very convincing likeness (I thought) of the dunes in all their various colors. I did have to add Hooker’s green to the mix to get the light yellow-greens, which are not possible with just ultramarine blue and new gamboge.

So far, so good. All that was left was to paint the sky, which I thought would be the easiest part since it was bright and cloudless with the sun directly overhead. I mixed up various shades of blue to use for different shades from the horizon to the zenith (of the sky).

Up to this point, the painting had taken me about 20 hours over about five days. I was pleased with the result. As far as I was concerned, the painting was nearly finished, so I removed all the frisket.

The next day I took my painting to critique class. I was surprised, and in the next blog, I’ll tell you why.

Cheers!

Thursday, October 22

More About the Corcoran Gallery of Art


Today’s Image
17th St. & New York Ave.
Washington, D.C.

In the last OrbisPlanis art blog I told you about my visit to an exhibit of John Singer Sargent’s artwork at the Corcoran art gallery in Washington, D.C. I thought the exhibit would have primarily his watercolors since that is what I thought he was most famous for; however, I learned that he also produced a whole lot of other art using graphite, gouache, and oil.

I also learned more about the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the official name, about which I knew nothing.

For example, I knew the gallery’s address in downtown D.C., but I didn’t realize how close it is to the White House and other executive offices, and it’s only a couple of blocks from the Mall. That means if you’re visiting Washington as a tourist, you should also include a visit the Corcoran since it’s right in the middle of all the popular tourist spots.

I had passed the Corcoran on previous visits, but I didn’t realize it was right there (500 17th St. @ New York Ave. NW), but as I walked down 17th St. I saw its impressive architecture. It’s currently undergoing restorations, at least to its exterior, and there was scaffolding surrounding the building.

After viewing the Sargent exhibit, I made a visit to the gift shop, which every museum, gallery, and tourist attraction in Washington has. This gift shop was very complete and carried better merchandise than many; that is, it had posters, calendars, prints, and books rather than pencils, pens, key chains, and refrigerator magnets.

Anyway, I purchased a small book that is very complete although in a small format of 4 x 5 in (10.2 x 12.7 cm). It’s called American Treasures of the Corcoran Gallery of Art published by Abbeville Press with text by Sarah Cash and Terrie Sultan.

As I said, I learned a lot about the Corcoran, and the book was very helpful. The book has an informative introduction and includes photos of its collection divided into sections on the Colonial and Federal periods, the Romantic Era, Impressionism and Realism, early 20th Century, and Post-War Abstraction. It also said:

The Corcoran is the oldest and largest private museum in Washington, D.C.

It was founded in 1869 by William Corcoran, a prominent American collector of his day who died in 1888.

The present building has housed the Corcoran since 1897.

The gallery is home to more than 14,000 artworks that date back to 600 B.C.

Senator William Clark of Montana donated his collection of European art to the gallery in 1925, and a wing to house his collection was added in 1928.

In 1949, John Singer Sargent’s family donated many pieces of his works that now make him one of the best represented artists in the gallery.

The gallery is currently undergoing its first renovations and additions since 1928 that are designed by acclaimed architect Frank Gehry.

If you ever visit Washington, D.C., don’t miss seeing the Corcoran Gallery of Art.

Cheers!

Monday, October 19

Go See Sargent and the Sea at the Corcoran


I just returned from a long weekend in Washington, D.C. Although I was visiting for other reasons, I always plan to visit at least one of the many (almost too many) museums around Washington and suburban Maryland and Virginia.

My itinerary on this trip included an exhibit of art work by John Singer Sargent. I think I had seen the exhibit mentioned and promoted in the September edition of Smithsonian magazine, but it could have been at their online site or somewhere else entirely; it’s not really important.

What was important, to me anyway, was that I was in town and there was a current exhibit of a premiere American artist and watercolorist.

It was titled Sargent and the Sea, and it's showing at the Corcoran Gallery of Art through January 3, 2010. The Corcoran is one of the Washington museums that I have wanted to visit on several occasions, but was just never quite able to make it. I missed an Edward Hopper exhibit that I think was there on a previous visit, and this time was going to be different. I would visit the Sargent exhibition, and so I did.

The Corcoran is located at 500 17th St. NW, which, if you know Washington, is right around the corner from the White House. So I felt like I was in good company.

Last weekend was terrible, weather-wise, in the Northeast (part of the US). It was unseasonably cold—like 42 degrees F, so I’m talking a heavy coat, and to make matters worse, it rained for three straight days.

Okay, I’ll stop complaining, because the city and the exhibit were great, no matter the weather. There are few places on the planet where you can immerse yourself in as much culture and art, but Washington, D.C. is certainly one of them.

Anyway, I enjoyed learning way more than I had known, both about John Singer Sargent and the Corcoran. As it turned out, there were very few, hardly any actually, of Sargent’s watercolors, which was the main reason that I had wanted to come.

I don’t think I remembered that the exhibit was called Sargent and the Sea, but that did mean that all of his artwork exhibited had something to do with the sea. I know that not all of Sargent’s work was about water, but I was surprised at just how much there was on exhibit that did.

In the first room, which was sort of like a rotunda, or at least it was round, there were mostly pencil drawing of ships and all kinds of rigging. What surprised me about these drawings were that they were so small, and yet, so detailed. I’m talking little, itty-bitty pencil drawings no larger that 3 x 5 inches (7.6 x 12.7 cm).

There were two other rooms (not round) in the exhibit. Most were Sargent’s oil paintings, and only a few were his watercolors. I’m sorry, I didn’t record which ones they were, but there were only a couple—really, only a few.

Sargent’s magnificent oil paintings more than made up for the dearth of his watercolors. The main attraction was not only the famous painting, En Route pour la Pêche (Setting Out to Fish),but also the many ‘studies’ he did of the people and the parts of thispainting. There were at least six or seven additional paintings that he did before he finally painted the painting.

Amazing.

Oh, and another bonus, I did get to see one of Edward Hopper’s famous paintings, Ground Swell, which was hanging right there on the first floor of the Corcoran!

Cheers!

Wednesday, October 14

Damien Hirst Is A Famous YBA


Today’s Image
My Plumbing Installation

Let me be the first to admit that I am not an art critic. No surprise. Oh, I have my opinions just like everyone else (and you know the old joke about what opinions are like). I’m telling you this up front, so you don’t think I’m trying to be one.

I do, though, wonder exactly how one gets to be an art critic. I don’t think there’s Art Critic School, although I’m guessing the people who do it for a living must have had some kind of a dual major in college like Art History and Journalism (or whatever they call that now—digital communication?). Or maybe they just really like art and started blogging. Whatever.

Do you keep up with what's going on in the art world? By that I mean, do you read the art section of your local newspaper or the art section in one of the papers in art centers, such as New York or Paris? Do you go online and search for art reviews or look for exhibits or other art happenings in the world?

If you do keep up, you, no doubt, must have heard or read about Damien Hirst.

Not being part of the "art-arazzi," I had never heard of him. When I began to focus on art as an interest in life, I then would notice his name in online articles about art or artists. Usually the articles were about one of Hirst’s out-of-the-ordinary and, how shall I say, unique art exhibits. And a lot of the time, they weren’t even called exhibits but rather installations.

Whenever his name was mentioned, I remember reading that he was grouped with some other artists from the United Kingdom called Young British Artists (YBAs). Of course, I had to look that up, and in Wikipedia, it said that name came from an exhibit called YBAs at the Saatchi Gallery in London in 1992. It says they were known for using shock tactics in their art and wild-living.

Anyhow, Damien Hirst became very famous for his unique art. In Wikipedia, there is also a photo of one of his installations--a shark swimming in a huge aquarium—not a painting of a shark in an aquarium—but a very real looking shark in an aquarium.

Last year I visited my local art museum, which I try to do whenever there is a worthwhile exhibit or at least once a year. I’m fortunate to live near the very fine Museum of Fine Arts Houston or simply MFAH. It was there that I ran across, quite unexpectedly, one of Hirst’s installations, End Game.

You’ve probably never been to MFAH, but if you ever go, you’ll enjoy its breadth, including the several buildings that house all of its art holdings and the labyrinth of tunnels connecting them. As you emerge from one of the tunnels, you almost run into several very industrial-looking glass-and-steel cabinets. The cabinets are starkly lit with bright blu-ish fluorescent lighting. You couldn’t miss them if you tried.

Inside were all kinds of medical paraphenalia and gadgets, a lot of it looked not very new. There were all kinds of things and probes and I don’t know what-all. All of this alongside a two full skeletons hanging on racks, which I’m guessing were used in classrooms or laboratories. As I said, brightly lit with an eerie blu-ish cast.

Why am I blogging about this today? I read a news release about a gallery opening in London of Damien Hirst’s recent paintings, and that made me think his installation at MFAH.

Unfortunately, the reviews are not very complimentary, and Hirst is not as young anymore, but with artists like him, I guess that’s what keeps the art world interesting. (Today's Image is My Plumbing Installation, which was an expensive installation recently installed in my studio.)

Cheers!

Monday, October 12

Three Rules for Artists to Live By


Today’s Image
On the Deck
Watercolor on Paper
Copyright 2009

Have you admitted, or come to terms with yourself, that you actually are an artist? While this may seem to be an absolutely absurd question to you, please bear with me.

May I see a show of hands if, in fact, you are already a professional artist? By professional artist, I mean you make your living solely and entirely from the creation, production, and/or sale of your artwork.

Now, may I see those hands again?

Even if you are not a “professional” artist, the point I’m making is that it is perfectly OK to say, “I am an artist.” Making that verbal statement will help you put the importance of your art in the proper perspective relative to other parts of your life.

If you do have a day-job, admitting that you are an artist will help you move toward the goal of one day, perhaps, becoming a full-time artist, if that is something you want to pursue.

If you haven’t yet or for some reason are unable to say, “I am an artist,” then you may want to step back just a bit and consider, or re-consider, in what direction you are headed as an artist.

Let me be so bold as to suggest three rules for artists (or they should be rules anyway) to live by:

SHUN ISOLATION

While this may sound like an oxymoron, if you don’t have much, or any, contact with other artists, you should do something to correct that. You should find organizations or classes or informal gatherings of artists. Being in the presence of other artists will validate your own status as an artist. It’s also a learning and sharing process on creating art. It will help “ground” you as an artist.

(There is, of course, nothing quite as interesting as a room full of artists, or even a handful. gathered together. Be that as it may.)

ENCOURAGE ENCOURAGEMENT

In my fourth OrbisPlanis art blog, I mentioned how important encouragement is. It is still just as important, and almost every artist needs it. Artists, for some unknown reason, seem to need it more than most. I think it has something to do with the creative process being a fragile thing that can overwhelm even the most egotistical artist.

Even if you have to brow-beat your family and/or acquaintances to encourage you, do it!

HAVE CONFIDENCE

“You should be confident; your artwork is beautiful (or interesting, awesome, etc.).” It's true, but for many artists confidence is a fleeting or non-existent thing. It’s difficult to grasp and hold on to, I think, because artists set themselves up for criticism by the very act of showing their work.

How do you gain confidence? Perseverance—try, try, and try again!

Now what? Well, you should internalize these three rules, and you will achieve a level of success, which will motivate you to keep going.

Today’s Image is a watercolor of mine, which recently won an award at a local watercolor show. It didn’t win 1st, 2nd, or even 3rd, but it was recognized. And that’s the point, if I can do it, so can you!

"I am an artist."

Cheers!

Thursday, October 8

Part II - Collecting and Building an Art Library


Today’s Image
An Icon for Art Books

I hope you like art books. I do, and that’s why I’m blogging about them in this edition of the OrbisPlanis art blog.

This blog is a follow-on to the previous blog, which discussed building and collecting an art library.In that blog I listed all my art books on painting and drawing techniques and how-to’s.

In this blog, I’m providing a list of all my art books with collections of art from various artists or genres in addition to biographies about several of my favorite well-know artists.

These are the books I turn to for inspiration or solace. Some are nothing more than a collection with the name, size and date of the artwork given. Others also include a narrative about the artist’s life or information about the times in which the artwork was created.

My collection includes books of all formats and sizes. Some are large, some are small. Some are what you would consider a “coffee table” book—very large format with full-color photos. These are perfect to set on a table, inviting you, your family, and guests to pick up, open, and enjoy paging through the beauty of the work.

One is a bound collection of post-card size photos of famous paintings. You could actually detach and mail them if you wanted to, but, of course, I never would. Several are collections from large, established art museums.

Here, again in no particular order, are my art books with collections of paintings, drawings, and biographies of artists:

Georgia O’Keeffe by Elizabeth Montgomery
Georgia O’Keeffe An Eternal Spirit by Susan Wright
Manet A Visionary Impressionist by Henri Lallemand
Edward Hopper A Modern Master by Ita G. Berkow
The Impressionists A Retrospective edited by Martha Kapos
The Impressionist The Great Works and the World that Inspired Them by Robert Katz and Celestine Dars
Edward Hopper by Carol Troyen, Judith A. Barter, Janet L. Comey, Elliot B. Davis, Ellen E. Roberts
Essential Impressionists by Antonia Cunningham
A Line on Texas by Norman Baxter
Water Color A Robert Erdle Retrospective compiled by the University of North Texas Art Gallery
Masterpieces of the J. Paul Getty Museum compiled by the J. Paul Getty Museum
Everyday Life in California Regional Watercolors 1930-1960 compiled by the California Heritage Museum
Texas Sketchbook featuring the art of E.M. Schiwetz from ExxonMobil Corp.
American Watercolors by Kate F. Jennings
Santa Fe Art by Simone Ellis
102 Favorite Paintings by Norman Rockwell
Monet by Yvon Taillandier
European Art to 1850 compiled by the International Encyclopedia of Art
Peter Hurd A Portrait Sketch from His Life by Paul Horgan
Monet and the Mediterranean by Joachim Pissarro
Sargent Watercolors by Donelson F. Hoopes
Norman Rockwell’s America by Christopher Finch
Edward Hopper An Intimate Biography by Gail Levin
Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera by Isabel Alcantara and Sandra Elgnoff
Dreaming With His Eyes Open A Life of Diego Rivera by Patrick Marnham
Camille Pissarro Letters to His Son Lucien edited by John Rewald
Manet and His Critics by George H. Hamilton
The Impressionists At First Hand by Bernhard Denvir
The Essential Claude Monet by Catherine Morris
The Essential Edward Hopper by Justin Spring
Diego Rivera by Andrea Kettenmann
Portrait of an Artist A Biography of Georgia O’Keeffe by Laurie Lisle
Cezanne by Andre LeClerc
The Museum of Impressionism in Paris edited by Fernand Hazan
Small French Paintings A Book of Postcards compiled by the National Gallery of Art Washington, D.C.

So, that is my collection. I hope this OrbisPlanis art blog, along with the last one, inspires you to start or add to your very own personal collection of art books.

Cheers!

Monday, October 5

Collecting and Building an Art Library


Today’s Image
Icon for Art Books

When I began the OrbisPlanis art blog more than a year ago I used to include a short section about once a month titled ‘In the Art Library.’ Now, however, instead of a separate section, I just devote a whole blog to one of the books about art that I’ve recently read.

Even with the ubiquitous volumes of information available online, I don't think reading online can compare with holding an actual bound book in your hands. This is especially true for art books.

I also think artists should build their very own personal art libraries to have in their studios to use for educational, artistic, and inspirational purposes.

Paging through art books can be a relaxing way to spend leisure time, either reading about techniques or reading about famous artists and their lives. When I get the dreaded artist’s block, similar to writer’s block, I can often get un-blocked by spending time with one of the art books in my collection.

Plus, collecting art books has become somewhat of an avocation for me. I’m always looking for new or used books on interesting art subjects whenever I pass a bookstore.

I thought you may like to know which books I’ve collected in my art library. In this blog I’ll list the books having to do with instructions, techniques, and how-to’s. In the next blog, I’ll include my books on art collections and well-known artists and their artwork.

Here goes, in no order other than their arrangement by height on my bookshelf:

Art School, How to Paint & Draw by Hazel Harrison
Architectural Drawing by Rendow Yee
History and Techniques of the Great Masters: Cezanne by Richard Kendall
The North Light Book of Acrylic Painting Techniques by Earl Killeen
The Acrylic Painter’s Book of Style & Techniques by Rachel Wolf
Art Maps, How to Paint Watercolors that Shine! By William Wright
Drawing with Markers by Richard Welling
Celebrating the Seasons in Watercolor by Donald Clegg
The Perfectly Painted House, A Foolproof Guide for Choosing Exterior Paint Colors by Bonnie Krims (Not really an art book per se, but it has a lot of good information about coordinating colors.)
Picture Framing Made Easy by Penelope Stokes
Easy Acrylics by Ian Sidaway
How to Draw Anything by Angela Gair
The Painter’s Corner: Light and Color by Barron’s
Pastel for the Serious Beginner by Larry Blovits
How to Draw Anything by Mark Linley
Learn to Paint and Draw by Parragon Publishing
Acrylics Workshop, Simple Steps to Success by Phyllis McDowell
32 Landscapes in Acrylics by David Hyde
How to Paint Like the Impressionists by Susie Hodge
Mastering Perspective for Beginners by Arcas, Arcas, and Gonzelez
The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards
The Natural Way to Draw by Kimon Nicolaides
Practical Guide to Painting by Vicenc Ballestar and Jordi Vigue
Plein Air Painting in Oil by Frank Serrano
Betty Edwards Color: A Course in the Art of Mixing Colors by Betty Edwards
The Acrylic Paint Color Wheel Book by John Barber
The Pastel Color Wheel Book by John Barber
Acrylic Mixing Directory by Ian Sidaway
Watercolor Mixing Directory by Moira Clinch and David Webb
The Acrylic Artist’s Bible by Marilyn Scott
The Pastel Artist’s Bible Edited by Clair Brown

I hope this was helpful or at least interesting to you. Next blog I’ll show you my books on art collections and artists.

Cheers!

Thursday, October 1

Part Deux - Entering an Art Show or Exhibit


Today’s Image
An Icon for an "Art Show"

I'
m picking up where I left off from my last blog on Entering an Art Show or Exhibit; that is, at the point of physically getting your artwork to the location of the show or exhibit.

I think local shows are much easier in this respect as long as you have a way to get your artwork there. You just have to transport it to the venue. On the other hand, if you have to ship your artwork out of town, then you have a whole other set of issues to consider. Although most local shows do require plexiglass rather than glass, it (plexiglass) is absolutely mandatory for shipping out of town to avoid breakage and liability.

In the case of an out of town venue, you have to decide which carrier to use to ensure the art reaches the destination by the deadline. Then there’s the question of what’s the best way to pack the artwork for shipping to avoid damage to the artwork or frame—styrofoam “buns” or plastic bubble wrap or something else. You also have to consider insuring the package. Of course, all of this comes at a price.

Do not forget to find out who’s liable if anything happens to your artwork while it’s in the hands of the people running the show. Usually it’s you, the artist, but it never hurts to ask. Once the artwork arrives, it is then processed by whatever method the show, exhibit, or gallery or whatever deems appropriate, which can be any kind of step-by-step process imaginable.

If it’s a competition, and even if it isn’t, there is usually a guest juror or panel of jurors who will decide if you artwork makes the grade. As I said in the previous blog, your work can be dismissed at this point for any reason whatsoever depending on who’s doing the judging. Oh, did I mention you’ve already paid an entrance fee, usually per piece, for the opportunity to have your work rejected?

I don’t mean to sound cynical or unforgiving, well not too much anyway,but the whole thing is so subjective, and you usually don’t get any feedback about why your art was rejected either.

But on a positive note, let’s say your work was accepted for the show. Congratulations! You will have your moment of fame in the spotlight and your artwork on display for the duration of the show. If you’re lucky, your work places first, second, third or at least honorable mention, and there is a cash prize involved. More often than not, there is a reception for the vernissage--the opening of the exhibit--so attend it if you’re in town, and enjoy yourself.

Assuming this was an out of town show, let’s hope you also remembered to purchase return shipping for your artwork. Otherwise, your artwork may not be returned or there may be storage fee charged or worse, disposed of.

I’m sure I’ve left something out of this discussion that would be relevant and helpful to other artists, so feel free to leave a comment.

Remember, this is all part of becoming a recognized artist.

Cheers!