"After the Fall"

Oil on canvas

16 x 20"

This past weekend, I was one of fifty artists chosen to participate in an art competition at the Arnold Fitness Classic in Columbus, Ohio. On Friday morning, we worked from live models who were also athletes competing in several of the events that weekend. Then Friday afternoon, were turned loose with our cameras to photograph whatever we liked.

Bright and early Saturday morning, the competition began with all 50 of us setting up and painting from whichever photograph most inspired us. Mine was the little girl you see above.

After seeing her fall (she wasn't hurt - but emotionally, devastated), I realized that most of the time, the winners of any sporting event are the ones photographed, highlighted and painted. But so many don't win; I wanted to show the emotion they might experience after months and years of practice have gone into a single moment when the outcome is not so glorious.

This paint out is an emotional event for the artists competing as well. We paint with each other and can see our competitors work progressing and can judge ours rather harshly in the process. Over 250,000 people attend the Arnold Classic and many, many of them stopped to watch us work, which also adds to the excitement/anxiety. All the while a clock is ticking: 8 hours to complete a painting or drawing which is judged the next morning.

Oh, I forgot to mention that at one point, I was in my zone, headphones on, brush in hand and suddenly I realized that there were a LOT of cameras all around me. I turned to find Arnold himself leaning over my shoulder and looking at my work. He wanted to know why the little girl was crying, so we had a heart to heart about my motivation. Pressure there, too.

So Arnold, media, crowds, peers and a time crunch all make for an exciting day. I loved every minute of it.

On Sunday, we arrived early again to find out the results. First, second and third places were awarded and, alas, I was not one of them. No bitterness; all of the winners' work was fabulous. Just disappointment and creeping self-doubt.

I guess my painting was apropos for what I, too, was feeling after my competition.

Home Again, Home Again

Home at last!

My husband, Lee, my youngest son, Cam, and I spent two weeks in Hilton Head, where have gone every summer for the past eight years. There was much relaxing, reading, golfing, beach-sitting, boogie boarding, running, biking, eating FRESH fish and just (as I call it) ratcheting down. We all needed it.

But, after two weeks, I really miss my oldest son, my dog, and my studio. I'm not sure if that's the correct order for the list, but it's close.

We took a detour on the way home to see a show at Franklin Square Gallery in Southport, NC, where it is housed in a wonderful old building smack in the middle of the town. I had, as I told you in my last post, won an award and wanted to see the gallery and the other work. I won first place in the 2D category for "Early Autumn Meditation"; but to make this show even sweeter for me, the piece sold! Yeah!

I also was very smitten with the town of Southport. We spent some time there and ate some wonderful seafood at a dockside restaurant. Becuase I could so picture myself living and working in one of the town's charming cottages, I made Lee drive around to ogle the properties for sale. Of course, the one I truly fell in love with would requre a lotto win.

I took about a bazillion (that's a word, just ask Cam) pictures and got some very good reference photos. I'm going to try my hand at some landscape work and hope to have something started later this week.

A Winning Day

Oh, yes, we are on vacation for two weeks in Hilton Head. So, I will be posting periodically (as our Wi-Fi connections permits....grrrr) and whenever I can take time away from all the fun, sun and son.

Yesterday our resort scheduled a sandcastle/sculpture contest which Cameron was very eager to enter. He was confident we had it locked down, but we took the time to sit down in the morning and plan our project carefully since we knew there would be a time limit during the competition. We have seen families in this contest before and we knew that, without a plan, chaos reigns. So, Cam came up with a brilliant plan (as seen in the sketch above) which we tackled brilliantly during the 45 minutes of competition. We even allowed Dad to help (he is not artistic at all, so he was relegated to hauling water and packing sand).

For our planning, strategy and effort, we were awarded first place and received certificates for free ice cream! We think our castle is wicked good.

Oh, and as for me, my oldest son called later that evening to tell me that I had just received notice that I had won first place in an art competition, too. (I'll tell you more about that later.) So, it was truly a winning day.