Competitions are funny things. I can say that today because I am delighted to report that Lynda and I have both been accepted into the South Carolina Watermedia Annual Exhibition. This is a state show and you do have to compete against some pretty significant artists. We both have won awards in these shows in the past, but if you know compeitions, you know That Don’t Mean a Thang! Can’t remember about Lynda, but I for one did not get it last year. Actually this piece was the one I entered and had rejected. It is of course Yupo and something had always bothered me about it. However I had thought it was good enough to enter. Apparently the judge had other ideas. So a couple of weeks after my REJECTION, I asked a class one night if they were ready for some good fun. I got out the paper towels and water and started to wipe out—a lot, probably 25-30% of the painting. That capability is the glory of Yupo. It became more airy and more abstract. I went back in with watersoluble colored pencils and drew freeform all over the face and background, even writing in a few works. Some of the lines washed out, some blended into the already existing color. FUN, FREEDOM and something I liked much better—- so did the judge.
One year I had a piece rejected from the International Colored Pencil Competition. Like the SCWC, there is a two year window when you can enter a piece, so the next year I entered it again. It won a major award. Let’s hope Lemesha has the same good luc
Blackbird All Alone, Lynda English
Accepted, SC Watermedia Competition