What a wonderful, marvelous, AWESOME day I had yesterday! It started with Mama and me going to the East Texas State Fair in Tyler. (I don't know why they include the "State" in the name-- it's really just several counties in East Texas!) I had entered 3 paintings ("Heron in Flight," "Garden Bench," and "Feed the Birds") and a scrapbook I'd made for my brother, Ian, for Christmas last year. When we got into the Arts and Crafts building, we went first to check on my scrapbook. As we were approaching the display case, I could see the book, but it looked like there was no ribbon on it at all! Bummer! But as we got closer, I kept looking and finally saw it--a BLUE ribbon!!!! I guess because the case was a little dark and the book cover is blue, the ribbon kind of blended in. But there it was-- first place! After this we went to the Adult Art division to check on my paintings. The first one I saw when we got there was "Feed the Birds"-- with a blue ribbon on it! This was the first blue ribbon I've ever gotten in this division in all the years I've been entering! "Heron in Flight" got second place. "Garden Bench" didn't do anything, but I'm not complaining. I was SOOO excited at my ribbons! I know the point of creating art is not the awards, but they sure are nice to get!

After we looked at the rest of the paintings and some other exhibits, we went to lunch at a local deli, then drove to Athens to see the Henderson County Art Club show there, in which I had 3 paintings. The first painting of mine that I saw when we got there was "Church Steeple, Trinidad, CO," which had an honorable mention on it! Not bad! "Old First National Bank, Mineola, TX" also got an honorable mention. "Davies Bridge" didn't get any, but I figure 2 out of three ain't bad! The vice-president of the club was there and we were looking at "Church Steeple." She said, "This isn't for sale, is it?" I told her no, it was a sample painting for my painting demo Monday night in Mineola. She said there had been a lot of interest in it. I couldn't tell from that if the interest had been in buying it, or just interest. Anyway, after looking at the rest of the paintings, we left to visit a pen-friend of Mama's, Don, who recently moved back to Athens. We visited with him for about an hour, then had to get back to the show to pick up my paintings. Don came with us so he could see my paintings, since he had not gotten to see the show. When we walked in, the club president was coming out and she said, "You won People's Choice." I was SO bowled over!!! Frankly, I had forgotten about People's Choice after Mama and I had put our ballots in the box. I turned to Don and Mama and squealed, "I got People's Choice!!!!!" We went in and there it was--"Church Steeple, Trinidad, CO." I haven't won a People's Choice award since the first art show I entered when I was a junior in high school. I just would like to know, for curiosity's sake, what is so special about this painting. I mean, is it something artistic, something metaphysical, or is it just the fact it's a church steeple I'm displaying here in the buckle of the Bible Belt? In any case, I'm entering it in the Palette of Roses Art League show next month--and it will be for sale there, since my demo will have been past by then. Who knows, maybe I'll get some money out of it!

Like I said, I know Art is not about the ribbons, the money, or the public acceptance. For me at least, it's about creating because I feel driven to and because it's a big part of my way of communicating. But it's still always exciting, I think, when one gets outside "validation" or support or approval of what one is doing, no matter what that something is.