This year's Azalea Festival opened with exciting news - my Irish Sheepdogs won a merit award in the WAA Spring Show. It's the first award I've gotten for photography! There's no telling what future competitions will yield, so I am cherishing this moment.
On Friday morning I overcame my nerves and attended the judge's walkthrough of the show. The judge, Bob Rankin, was both kind and instructive in his critique, and afterward he took the time to speak with artists individually. His comments on the various pieces offered insight into the jurying and judging process. In addition he laid out some concepts that opened up a whole new way of appreciating abstract art for me.
I felt awkward and a bit overwhelmed speaking with Bob Rankin one on one. Not too long ago my hobby unexpectedly stumbled into more professional territory and it's still scrabbling to find comfortable footing - how does a person with my background interact with the real artists? Thankfully Bob was personable enough for the both of us, and his encouragement to "keep doing what you're doing" was as meaningful as any award.
That's the first part of the azalea aftermath. Tune in tomorrow for part 2!
On Friday morning I overcame my nerves and attended the judge's walkthrough of the show. The judge, Bob Rankin, was both kind and instructive in his critique, and afterward he took the time to speak with artists individually. His comments on the various pieces offered insight into the jurying and judging process. In addition he laid out some concepts that opened up a whole new way of appreciating abstract art for me.
I felt awkward and a bit overwhelmed speaking with Bob Rankin one on one. Not too long ago my hobby unexpectedly stumbled into more professional territory and it's still scrabbling to find comfortable footing - how does a person with my background interact with the real artists? Thankfully Bob was personable enough for the both of us, and his encouragement to "keep doing what you're doing" was as meaningful as any award.
That's the first part of the azalea aftermath. Tune in tomorrow for part 2!