Going to the show, however, confirmed everything I was thinking was going on.
Most of the pictures were cliched landscapes or still lifes - things you see in those "you too can paint!" books. I liked a few, but not very many. Most people carousing around where them older folks, and none too many gave a passing glance to my work.
The awards were pretty early, at 11am, so the pain was over with quick. I first learned something that made my heart fall - everybody who applied to the show got at least one piece in. Um...okay. That kind of kills the value of saying "I got this into a juried show", which does carry a bit of a weight to it. Afterall, juried means "judged", meaning there's a selection process, meaning you need some talent to get in.
Then the awards came. Three honorable mentions, a second place, a first, and a grand prize. I don't win, if you don't remember the title of this post. The only person there was one of the honorable mentions, so the whole affair was pretty drab.
I really knew I wasn't going to win. However, this was the Best of Show.
I'm annoyed, but I feel sorry for those who actually did place and lost to that. And in fact, there was an old lady who said, loud enough for people to hear, "Who the heck was the judge?!"
Afterwards, me and my parents nabbed tacos for lunch. My dad asked what I would do if I was going to enter one of these shows again, and I rephrased it to include the phrase "and hope to win".
One, the medium. I did okay with this, using oil pastel. I'd either stick with that or do a painting.
Two, the subject. It would be as cliched as you can get. A sunset. Dew on a leaf. A road. Something of that nature.
Three, the size. Make it small, or at reasonably sized, so that you could mat and frame the hell out of it.
So yeah, I'm a horrible person and should get over it - which I have. But it's just really annoying when these things happen and when something that would get torn apart in a critique wins.
Bah, at least I have pie. *munch*
