End of Summer means "Fair Time" in Northeast Washington... I usually try to be supportive & join in whenever there are community events, especially if ART is the focus... I have been in charge of the judging for the Kids Fine Arts Exhibit for several years. I was part of the Adult Judging for a few years before switching over to the Kid's Art, of course at that time I was not eligible to enter any work myself. After the switch I really didn't give it a serious thought since one of my closest friends & biggest ART supporters served as the judge, there was no doubt in my mind that she would recognize my work. This year, I went ahead as a surprise to her and confidently entered a piece that she had never seen... in the end, it turned out the surprise was on me!
Let me be perfectly candid... I must confess, my "artist" ego did get the best of me! I had entered my piece in the "Senior" division, knowing fully that she always judges in full support of everyone's efforts to encourage their participation... I was confident that a Blue Ribbon was inevitable!! When our various judging duties were over for the day, I met up with her and she never commented on her surprise at seeing my entry. I thought she must be playing along and making me wait until the next day when the fair opened to see for myself... but patience is not my strongest virtue, I asked her if she enjoyed my surprise but she simply gave me a blank look... she didn't even recognize my work (the names aren't shown until after the judging)... that, in itself, was hard for me to believe... I described the piece and after a moment her face changed to a look of recognition, "did it have a blob of pink in the center?"... I instantly knew things didn't go as I had planned!! In the end, I'm not sure which one of us regretted my surprise entry the most... I definitely wished that I hadn't put my friend in a position that made her now feel so badly!!
The next day I joined all of the other fair goers on opening day to see the exhibits... making my way to the "ART Barn", I immediately noticed my entry with its bright Red Ribbon and quickly read the judge's comments... it took me a moment to put my ego in check, but I soon felt very proud of my friend... I agree wholeheartedly with her critique of my work, it took her objective eye for me to actually see beyond my own self-centered view! (Of course, I can't let her know, I have to milk "my bruised ego" a little bit longer, just for fun!!)
Pictured below: My "Red Ribbon" fair entry. 11X14, Jacquard Dyes w/ink
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| "Dancing Under the Sea" |
Thanks for stopping by, Until next time...
Blessings to One and All!!
Oh, Jan! What a heartwarming story with so many lessons for us all. We grow as artists only if we have honest and constructive critiques of our work. Your friend was a wise judge in that sense, and you are a sensible person for receiving it as it was intended. And hey, a red ribbon is nothing to sneer at! Thanks so much for sharing your experience.
ReplyDeleteWe all have a bite of that pie! LOL! Sometimes I'm thinking..."Oh yeah! this one is the bomb!" Then when I post the project...crickets...no one's impressed! LOL! Then I have to eat humble pie. I think you should be proud though...'cause you placed! Congrats on your win. <3
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