Last week I printed a digital piece I created in the fall and entered it for consideration in the Art Inspired show at Iowa State University. I always enjoy entering the student shows because they are free and it’s pretty low pressure. The piece I chose to enter is actually a sketch that I had done as an experiment using only Instagram photos turned into monochromatic images and layered in photoshop. I also worked with texture brushes (smoke and fractal) and added additional visual interest with some of my signature scribble / doodles. I also tried working in a color palette I don’t typically use.
I had to give the piece a name as well as give a statement of inspiration for the piece. I named it “Formerly Occupied Spaces” and wrote something about how all the images used in the piece were places Mark and I have been and that we are no longer together (physically — don’t worry! we are still getting married!), so I wanted to create a space that was for both of us. I almost titled it “Por Ambos” (“For Both”) because I’ve been learning Spanish, but since there was 0% Latin inspiration for this piece, I didn’t think it was as appropriate of a title as what I ended up picking.
My piece was accepted along with 30-some other pieces. My friends Sam, Alexis, and Yin-Sin also had pieces accepted.
I wasn’t expecting to win anything, but because I’m superstitious, I wore my lucky boots (yes, the same ones I have had since high school!) and I doubled my luck with a lucky shirt*. I won another merit award (like a runner up) and another $75 (I think — they were not specific, but I’m assuming it’s the same as the last show).
*Side note: My friend Steph had a clothing swap last weekend and I totally should have taken pictures because it was SO much fun. I want to do it again. This shirt isn’t from that. I got back from the swap and was super excited by the idea of swapping clothes so I asked my male friend if he had some flannels I could have because I’ve been trying desperately to replace my favorite purple flannel shirt (the one in my “about me” pic). He gave me his old lucky shirt, and apparently it is still lucky … and totally way more adorable on me than on him.
Thank you to Sam for taking these pictures! I am going to have to keep producing work so I can continue to enter these free shows. It’s fun to be recognized, even on a small scale.
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Would you enter something you made (art, food, music, crafts, etc.) in a contest? Have you before?
