Sunday, March 13, 2011

BEST IN SHOW!

                                   SPRING RETURNS
I have been putting together the mechanics of this blog for about a week now, polishing my photoshop skills and relearning how to do a bit of coding, which wasn't my fav thing to do when I had a website and still isn't, and I really hadn't planned on posting until I have everything set the way I want it...but...something happened this weekend that I just have to shout about!
I entered 3 paintings into a very prestigous juried fine art show, one that I visited last year for the first time and decided then that I just might attempt to have something to show this year. Although it was down to the last minute on the 3rd piece and I was still fussing with it in the morning before we popped it into a frame and took it over to the show I did manage to get them entered under the deadline.
Guess what?
I won BEST IN SHOW!
Can you believe it?
I am still going around saying "you must be kidding" even though I have been awarded my prize and had my picture taken beside my winning painting. 
...and wouldn't you know it, the piece that won is the painting I just finished!
Here's a close up of the painting, the organizer of the show mentioned to me that the judge felt that she could almost reach out and touch the feathers on the Rose Breasted Grosbeak, that they were that realistic....I'm glad I took the time that I did (it took days to layer it all) but as they say "the ends justify the means" and if I hadn't know that I was successful with my rendering of this fine fellow he would have never made it to the show.
Ironically, I took the series of ref photos that I used for this painting at "Pinery Provincial Park" which is right across the road from the gallery!

Oh! I guess I should remember to tell you about the show.... It is called "PAINT ONTARIO" and is held at the Lambton Heritage Museum on HWY #21 just south of Grand Bend Ontario. This is the 15th year for the show and it is billed as "Canada's Premier, Juried Art Competition, Exhibition and Sale of Representational Art"
http://www.paintontario.com/
If you get a chance go, there are entrys from artists from all across Canada and every piece is awesome! On now until April 3rd, 11 to 5 daily.

This photo doesn't do much for it, I just took a few shots...didn't want to be too obvious with my picture taking! I get to keep the plaque too!

 here are the other winning entries along with mine.

and here I am standing with my winning entry....I was a bit distracted trying to instruct my husband on how to use my camera while remembering to "smile for the camera"...I'm not often on the other end of my Nikon!
So I guess that's it for my first blog post, it wasn't what I had carefully rehearsed in my head but gee...even better I'm thinking!  I'll be back soon with a work in progress and bit more info on what I hope to do with this blog, right now it's time for a glass of wine and some time "out of the studio" with my #1 critic and most ardent supporter!
Cheers!
J

1 comment:

Marilyn Harris Mills aka Maer said...

How proud you must feel....well deserved award. And the blog looks fab..I look forward to reading more.:)