ACCEPTANCE IS A BEAUTIFUL THING

As hard as it is to get myself to send out my work for photo competitions, this summer I made it a priority. Three friends of mine convinced me it was worth it. I mean I have done it before and had a tiny bit of luck but usually it was the rejection email or letter not the 'congratulations-you-are-in' note. I want to give mucho credit to Laurel Snyder, author of many new books including her latest fabulous book - Any Which Wall. Laurel and Sonya Naumann and I had an inspiring lunch one day this summer. Sonya had just mailed out a gigantic print of one her famous Thousand Dollar Dress photos. (If you have not seen the photos from this on-going project you are missing out!) One of the images had been accepted to a show down in New Orleans by the juror Sylvia Plachy. I took a workshop with Sylvia in 2001 in Maine. I cannot say enough about her...her work is beautiful and very poetic, as is Sylvia. She also wrote a wonderful little blurb for the back of my Down to the River book.

I am meandering... all of these women artists have inspired me deeply. As Laurel told me that day..."throw your work out there every week and see what sticks to the wall" not exactly her words but close enough. I got the point. Chris Offutt, another very good friend of mine told me the same thing a long time ago. I figure if Chris still gets a few rejection letters, I can bear getting them too...

Finally I am to the point of saying I got accepted to two shows this week!!!! (yes I did get some rejection letters too but who cares!) A photo of Katie Roche is being sent out today to the 2009 "From Our Perspective" National Women’s Art Exhibition. This show runs from September 17th - October 9th at Oakland Community College. The title of this photograph is Katie in Her Wedding Dress, Iowa City, 2009.

Last night I received word two pieces were accepted into the Midwest Biennial in Wausau, Wisconsin. The Blue Chair and Blue Birds! are both going to be shipped out....soon! Both can be found in my Heaven & Earth gallery. It pays to have good friends in your life who continue to inspire you. Love to my friends.