The Red River Watermedia Show, the Hawley Art Show, the Rourke Midwestern, the FMVA Big Show, The Red Door Art Gallery Floral Exhibition, etc. ……deadlines for all these shows seem to appear on my calendar ALL AT ONCE! . A fellow artist advised, when entering shows, that it is good to have a wide assortment of possibilities to choose from rather than having only a few. ..Some shows have themes, so I recently created one to fit the Rourke Midwestern theme, “From the Earth to the Moon”…sometimes themed shows get the adrenalin going because I have to think outside the box past my comfortable subjects…I usually pick up my sketchbook or a box of photos and start thumbing through them to see if something connects to the theme. I found a photo of a golden eagle I had photographed from my backyard and a watercolor sketch of a blood moon. I had tried photographing the moon, but my camera wasn’t equipped for it, so I memorized it, hustled inside, and painted a few studies of the colors so I would remember it. My idea was formed. This past week I did my studies, then completed a small painting that is suitable for entry…..if I have more time, I can make a larger piece…the deadline is April 18th. What freedom I have now because I started this well in advance of the deadline!
Deadlines are good, for me, I believe. I used to stay up all night and turn in an entry or two with wet paint dripping….no more. I’m not comfortable unless I am a week or two ahead of a deadline..too many glitches can occur or maybe a life event can stop progress on a piece…I don’t need the anxiety. Planning ahead and then working well ahead of the deadline isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it sure helps me sleep better.
I created a new mixed media collage (above) that was created for no particular show, but was classified into my “assortment of possibilities” category. I decided to enter it into the Hawley Art Show (April 16-19th), so it doesn’t have to hang in one place for a month or two. If it doesn’t sell in Hawley, I will have other options for it. After all, it is a bison…he needs to roam a bit.