Frances N. Roddy Open Competition

Competitions are an artist's way of playing the lottery. It's our excitement, disappointment and it's always a thrill. I spent two months painting and finishing THE PAINTING that I wanted to submit to the Concord Art's Roddy Competition. Three weeks before the due date, I painted the sides on the painting. In order to finish the sides off quickly, I used an old Old Holland quick drying medium. To make a long agonizing wait for it to dry, short - it never dried. My best laid plans for a grand submission was aborted. So I took in one of my favorite and simplest paintings. I opted for directness in place of grand and my painting was chosen for the exhibit. Just goes to show you that you can NEVER tell what will happen.

This Asparagus painting was everything that I wanted this painting to be in order to do justice to these beautiful asparagus. Painted primarily with pallet knife, I worked quickly and intensely over three days, spraying the asparagus with water and keeping my studio cool to preserve the wonderful and subtle colors. When I took a step back on the fourth day, everything was just so. The muse had entered and I wondered who had painted the painting.

If you all can join us, the reception for the Frances N. Roddy Competition is Thursday the 12th from 6-8 PM at the Concord Art Association's newly renovated historic building in Concord.

PS- I ended up having to scape down the sides of my big painting and re paint them using Windsor Newton's Liquin, which predictably dried in two days. The irony of it all.