This is the week that I find out whether or not my painting, "The Struggle" is shortlisted for the highly prestigious BP Award in London.
I am filled with an odd mixture of excitement, anticipation, and anxiety all rolled up in one. These feelings are all-too familiar to me and although I find the whole process nothing short of excruciatingly nerve wracking, I would not actually have it any other way. Reasons why? For one, entering a competition is a goal. It is something to aspire to, to work toward and is a means to an end. It pushes me to want to paint better every year, to search within myself to find the perfect subject matter in order to express myself and who I am as an artist. Secondly, over the years I have been fortunate enough to actually meet and become friends with other artists who have succeeded in placing in competitions such as the BP Award. These artists are people I aspire to. They are also comrades. They feel the same things, desire the same things, and have an inner strength that I deeply admire. I am grateful to have gotten to know them; and as a result, I applaud them for all of their successes. Lastly, entering competitions allow me to feel as if I am a part of things; I am not just this lonely painter stuck in a house with my brushes and ideas. I become one of many people of like mind who desire the same kinds of things. I will announce right here, in my blog, that I do not expect to get through to the chosen few that hang on the walls of the National Portrait Gallery. It is not because I don't have confidence in my work or because I don't think it is worthy. It is because over the years I have learned about how extraordinarily difficult it is to "get through". So many factors play a part; more than I myself would even begin to guess. However, that does not mean that I will not continue to strive to get at least one of my paintings chosen for this particular award one of these years. Call it a "Bucket List" item if you will. Good luck to all, I mean that. And if I know you, I will be there beside you cheering you on if you succeed.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorJust little old me, fitting into this little old world. :-) Archives
November 2017
Categories |