To Be Judged or not to be Judged

That is the question. There are so many juried art shows that circulate through the United States and we artist are all willing to pay our good money and send in our entry form to see if "Our Prize" was accepted or not. Why do we do this? Is it the money? Is it the fame? Is it vanity? Maybe it is all of the above but maybe it is to stretch what we know and push harder to dare ourselves to be more.

I find myself when I am not accepted into one of those juried shows by the way I could wallpaper my house with the rejections, that I work harder, try new techniques. It is so easy to do the same thing painting after painting but what do we learn from that? With a juried show you have to expand yourself to be more, it keeps you not so comfortable with what you are doing now, so you will learn more. Of course there are times I lay in my bed and think " Why am I doing this? Who cares what that judge thinks." Then I get up and brush myself off and go to my studio and paint with a vengeance! I pour everything I have within me out on that canvas or paper. Now that is painting!

Now the sweet is when you are accepted and you win! For me it is not the money nor the 5 minutes of fame but to know I put myself out there to be judged and I learned.