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When someone contacted me to purchase the above painting, Foundations, I hesitated. What if this latest and greatest piece is "the one" that will finally be accepted into the National Watercolor Society? The first time I entered, at least the first record I have of entering this prestigious exhibition, was in 2017. I've entered every year since, with no success.

Because I don't publish my rejections, you are probably not aware that I have the same "not invited" record with the American Watercolor Society. I don't know if I will ever get a piece into either one of these illustrious shows, but that won't stop me from entering.

Entering exhibitions is an emotional endeavor.

I remember reading a post on social media by an artist bemoaning the experience of having entered every show a prominent society offered over the past ten years, with not one acceptance. The artist wondered (I'm paraphrasing): Why am I doing this? Was it all for nothing? Might as well save the money, right?

It's no fun finding out that the painting you are so proud of and have put all your energy into has been eliminated in the first round of judging, but we've all been in a similar situation, haven't we?

Attitude.

When I receive the dreaded notification and the initial despair has subsided, I remind myself that I just need to up my game. I look through the show catalogs (one perk of the entry fees) and try to understand why those paintings were accepted. What can I learn from the juror's selections? And then I get back to work, always pushing myself towards excellence.

I've written about entering shows and supporting the arts before, so I won't repeat myself (see links below). I'm not looking for people to tell me how wonderful my art is and that it should have been accepted. I am well aware of the level of competition that is out there, and I never dreamed that I would have gotten as far as I have.

Set Goals.

I had never set art goals until an artist friend asked me about them one year. I guess my goal, besides the obvious goal of improvement, was to achieve Signature Status in the organizations in which I am a member. Depending on the association, Signature Status is accomplished when your art is accepted into a group's juried exhibition anywhere from two to ten times, sometimes within a set number of years. (You can find which signatures I've earned by clicking the ABOUT tab on my website if you are interested.)

I never set out to win awards.

It never occurred to me. This year has been surprising and exciting and humbling with the honors and awards I've received. Words cannot describe how privileged and blessed I feel to be nationally recognized for my art.

Mixed Emotions.

Every artist deals with mixed emotions.

Be brave. Be realistic. Be excited. Be amused. Be confused. Be disappointed. Be honest. Be you. Learn from rejections. Be surprised and delighted by acceptances. Be humbled by awards. It's what art is all about.

Paint. Love. Repeat.