Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Acceptance AND a Prize



Red Hills, 2006, Oil on Panel, 12x16








I just received a letter from the Woodstock School of Art notifying me that my painting in their regional juried show, the one I just dropped off on Friday, was chosen for a prize, the Catskill Art & Office Supply Award, a $100 Gift Certificate. I was just happy to have gotten into this show and so winning a prize is a lovely surprise. This is a good art supply store (located in my very favorite place, Woodstock, NY), and going there to do some shopping will be very retro. I rarely buy art supplies in a store anymore, as buying in bulk on the internet is more convenient for those of us out here in Hooterville these days. That goes for vitamins, clothing, shampoo and baby chicks too, by the way.

Anyway, earlier this year I wrote here about how I had been getting rejected from competitions and I'd have to keep entering until I was accepted again. So I have been and now (with the exception of one entry that is still out, and the few local events that I am happy to continue to support by entering) I am going to retire from entering competitions. They have served their purpose for me, giving me some experience, a few lines on my resume and fulfilling the competitive aspect of my personality.

However, I do reserve the right to change my mind if a really good competition shows up, with a prize of $1000 or more, juried by my painting soul mate, Wolf Kahn or by Steven LaRose who likes my work now or or by the guy who just bought a bunch of my paintings from Salt Meadow Gallery. You know, just in case a juried show like that comes up.

10 comments:

Karen Jacobs said...

Aha! So that's why I couldn't post a comment. It would have just been zapped anyway. Wanted to say a few words on competitions... so very valuable at a certain point in an emerging career, especially if you get to tuck a few awards into your resume. But there comes a time when your energy is best spent elsewhere and you seem to be on that cusp. Selective competitive shows are a good transition, as you've already discovered.

tlwest said...

dont ya just hate when blogger messes up! Gorgeous painting. Congrats on your prize and Have fun shopping!

Anonymous said...

Congrats tp you on your award Tracy ... you certainly deserve one! You are one of the most hard-working people I've come across!

And the painting is lovely, lovely.

Bridgette Guerzon Mills said...

congratulations!

I love the above painting.

amber said...

Congratulations Tracy! My husband always tells me the competitions detrack me from what I would normally paint
Like we work harder for the event, but for me they are a reason to work. I know that sounds like the wrong reason to paint ,but it is an insentive

James Wolanin said...

I really like this painting, congratulations Tracy!

Tracy Helgeson said...

Karen, thanks for the observations about competitions. You are right about their value at the beginning of a career. I have enjoyed doing them, but do feel that I have to direct my energies elsewhere now.

Thanks Terry, Lesly, Bridgette, Amber and James for the congrats and compliment about the painting.

Steven LaRose said...

Whoa Tracy, my traffic tripled with that name-drop-link. Thanks.

Jeffrey Hayes said...

TERRRRRRIFIC! Congratulations.

(and I really really like today's painting, too)

Tracy Helgeson said...

Hey Steve, you're welcome, and glad to hear that you got some traffic because of it.

Thanks Jeff!