Today spring has sprung and even though I dint get into this years BP I still feel optimistic. Competitions are a great way to get recognition and hopefully further your career, but it can also have an adverse effect on your work. If you are preparing an entry solely for competition then you are marketing your work, the idea is no longer yours it is for someone else, much like a commission. It is good to push yourself but not if it dilutes your message and definitely not if you are changing the way you work to fit their criteria. This year I put myself under enormous pressure by trying to complete a huge canvas in a tight deadline.
The portrait of My Dad is probably one of the best I have done to date, but I think I tried to say too much. If I enter next year it will be something much more modest and something that I painted for myself and not just for competition.
