Win
Wins and losses come with being an artist. I recently heard allowing yourself to be vulnerable takes courage. Boy, did that resonate with me. I am vulnerable every single time I post on my blog. What will the reaction be? Will there even be a reaction? I am vulnerable when I hit submit on a call for entry. I do submit to calls, approximately one a month. The year began with with rejection after rejection. It takes courage to keep applying after that. The reality is when work isn’t included in an exhibition, it isn’t necessarily about the caliber of the work. Instead it is likely to be about whether the work fits with the other artwork submitted. What fits is subjective.
This week does feel like an exoneration. I received back to back wins. First, I was selected as the featured artist in SAQA’s weekly e-newsletter. I had no idea until I saw my quilt, Turmoil. Next the accepted artists, artists working in all media, for the annual Arts Festival in Cohasset, were announced. Yippee! My name was on the list. If that wasn’t excitement enough, I discovered I received Third Prize in the Sculpture/3D/Fiber category. The quilt I entered is Sunrise Over the Gulf River. I’m rather fond of this piece. However, it has been rejected from a handful of calls.
Or Lose
I made Celestial Nirvana in hopes of it being selected for Harmony, a 2022 call for entry. Works for me. Pity, it didn’t work for the juror(s). Sigh.
Play On
What to do? Keeping working of course. Boy, am I working. Bat Sh*t Crazy just might be the most structurally complex design I have ever challenged myself with. Creating harmony of design, while taking scale into account is proving to be a real struggle. That townhouse on the left in the image below, took multiple tries to get right. This is what makes wins so sweet. When it works the struggles, trauma and angst vaporize and instead it feels like being enveloped in a warm hug.
Both winning and losing are emotionally draining. To recharge, I love the excuse to make a few traditional patchwork blocks. The Rainbow Scrap Challenge is perfect for this.
I am linking up with:
- Nina Marie’s Off the Wall Fridays
- 2022 Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC)
- Thank Goodness It’s Finished Friday (TGIFF)
