This landscape painter hasn't regularly entered juried shows in ages. Back around 1995 or so I did enter them for a couple of years. Got in a lot and then it came to be that I was invited to exhibit in as many shows as I could handle. Then I took a really long break while the work simmered on the back burner.
After exiting eBay (story below) I thought again of juried shows. It can be a pain entering them: waiting to hear if you got in, entry fees, and never knowing in advance what the juror is looking for. All the while you hope and pray that they take good care of that expensive frame that shows the work off to best advantage!
With the proverbial gun to my head, I "made myself" hop on board the juried show express train. (Too many metaphors but that's the kind of mood I'm in... sorry about that!) I re-joined the San Diego Art Institute and entered the first show on their schedule. I just missed an opportunity to enter the Regional which can be an excellent show with nice money awards. So last week I drove on down to Balboa Park and dropped of my two entries. Then I kinda forgot about it.
Well, yesterday I received the call that BOTH of my paintings got in! Now let me express again what a crap-shoot entering these things is. The jurors show up and sort through all the assembled art work in an effort to put together a cohesive show that hopefully interests viewers.
Being a juror is an unenviable assignment and I never want to do it! You have no possibility of making all involved happy. Those who are not selected will be upset, even angry at you and sometimes question your sanity... to your face... at the opening! Everyone at the opening will try in vein to figure what you had in mind: a theme, a style, a feeling, a whatever. Second-guesses and Monday morning evaluations are fair game.
I haven't a clue why the juror selected my two paintings and probably never will. But here they are, below. If you are in the area Friday October 17 between 6 and 8pm, please stop by and check out the show. And if you are a mind reader and figure out what the poor juror had in mind, be sure to tell me;) I'm just glad these paintings got in!
"Canyon in Spring", 6 by 8 inches, oil on canvas on panel.
"Yesterday's Pastures", 16 by 20 inches, oil on canvas.