Super Blur

Ahhhh! It's the middle of May?! What happened to April?

My class has been going really well. I offered a two week extension for my Relief Printmaking class. All of my students have signed up for it! I think after the upcoming class in August, I'm going to offer the class in the Fall for 6 weeks from 4. The August class is already set in the books. I'll offer the extension right away to those students. Yes, I already know that I have people who plan on taking that August class.
My current students are doing such great work. These people who told me at the first day of class, that they can't draw. HA! Now they're making really cool stuff: taking on complicated, detailed imagery.

A few weeks ago, Water Street Studios juried the upcoming Summer Show. Lisa Gloria was the guest juror. It's an interesting process. I put a ton of prep work into it, stopping in everyday to take care of a few submissions at a time. We had over 50? 60? applicants. A lot. I spent 3 hours after my class working on applications, finishing them early. There was no panic, rushing. Real easy!

What I found the most interesting about the jurying process is the politics. I'd say that jurying is about 60% politics, 40% good art. Maybe I'm being generous?
Maybe it's not a good idea to cater your work to a juror like I've heard. Lisa is a very technical still life painter and she was knocking painters on technique and therefore, I believe that fewer paintings got in the show. She has less experience sculpting, printmaking, photographing etc which I think it was easier for her to like the pieces because she had no technical experience to seriously criticize them.

I probably shouldn't be talking about this because the drama is a thick fog in the gallery, and it will be around until after the opening. Maybe longer for some. People get upset when they get rejected from a juried show. Sometimes, there is hate mail. Oh boy, I loves the hate mail. Nothing's more interesting to read than an adult throwing an ego-sized tantrum! Entering in a juried show is a gamble. Some people understand the risk and handle a rejection notice maturely. Personally, I see it as either my aesthetics didn't jive with the jurors or I have to seriously reconsider my work.

I honestly have not been happy with the work I am making. I think that part of the problem is I am not making enough. I have a new series in mind, and I'm already writing a few ideas for it. I'm also doing a little photography project that has nothing to do with art shows or a body of work that I'd count in my portfolio. In fact, I have to get back to it, because it is a nice day out. Hopefully the light meter decides to work again!