Monday, September 13, 2010

The Portrait Show

"Portrait of a Girl", encaustic, 8" x 8"


Pretty ironic that me, the "landscape painter" just got accepted into a juried portrait show. What's even funnier is the same painting that was accepted to this show was rejected when I submitted it to a different show this summer. It just goes to show you (and me) that there is no logic in the art world and the jurying process.

The only reason I even attempted doing a portrait was because I was learning how to paint with wax (encaustic) and I opened myself up to using the medium in any way possible; I was completely uninhibited. Normally I am not comfortable painting people or faces because I find it restrictive. Photographing this piece was challenging because the nose is actually 3-dimensional and extends out from the surface... maybe you notice a slight similarity to yours truly in this work?

5 comments:

  1. Congratulations! This is a beauty. I enjoy doing self-portraits because we don't have to worry about what the sitter thinks (and we're cheap models).

    Long ago, a prize-winning sculpture from one show was rejected from another--I learned from that experience. We have to rely on our own judgment, not juries. I've followed your blog for a while and know you make good choices and end up with great work.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you, hw... can I call you Halle? (I have been following your blog too) and have appreciated all of your comments to me in the past. I enjoy so much the interaction we share with blogging, I just was slow to realize how important the exchanges were/are.

    ReplyDelete
  3. A fabulous self portrait Robin! The jury process was the same in the quilt world. I'm glad you believed in this piece. Encaustic is such a haunting medium. It works really well with your self portrait. I'll bet it looks even more haunting in person. (I've never worked with it.)
    I agree that the interactions in blogging can be extremely beneficial. For me, it helps to keep my focus where I want it to be. And the blogging community is a fairly flexible one.
    Congratulations on your acceptance! Will you do more self portraits?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Congrats, Robin! It's well-deserved.

    -Don

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you so much, Pam.. although I still think I should stick to landscapes. I battle my inner critic daily!

    Thank you, Don.

    ReplyDelete