Holy Cow! I Made the Top Ten!

Friday was a big day for me as an artist.

Back in September, I dutifully filled out entry forms, wrote an Artist's CV, burned CDs and submitted two of my watercolour paintings to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair's artist showcase. Since that day I have been anxiously waiting the results (to say the least), to which I hoped would come in the form of an acceptance of one of 40 paintings featured in the art showcase. I must admit I was prepared for rejection, as this is show is open to all Ontario residents, and it was only my second time entering an art show.

Well, Friday morning it came. The news couldn't have been better.

There it was in my email's inbox staring me in the face.

The subject line read: RAWF Showcase Acceptance. I swear my hands were shaking as I clicked the link to open the email. I was so excited I could hardly believe my eyes.  I called everyone I could think of.

I think I was on the phone with my Dad when I started reading him the email, when I realized in my exuberance, that I had skimmed over the most important message in the whole thing: Since you are on this mailing you have been accepted to the top ten in the 2009 RAWF Fine Art Showcase. I could hardly get the words out to my Dad on the phone. I was like a giddy little school girl...

In retrospect, it kind of played out like this:  
"...you have been accepted to the top ten..."

What?!

Top Ten?!
**Blinks eyes**

Whoa!!
OMG!
I did it!!
**Heart Rate Skyrockets**
**Permasmile :)**  

For those who are not familiar with the Royal, it is the world’s largest indoor agricultural and international equestrian competition, and draws more than 300,000 visitors to Toronto annually to see thousands of unique entries from elite Canadian and International breeders, growers and exhibitors, over 4,500 large and small animals, shows and activities.

For an emerging artist like myself, that kind of publicity and exposure is hard to achieve.

Granted not all visitors will stop by the art show, but a good percentage are bound to, and my painting will be there featured among the top ten! The show is getting higher exposure and better floor space this year, thanks to a grant from the Canadian Government.

I can't wait to go to the Awards ceremony, not because I want to win a prize, but because I want to be in the company of some really outstanding visual artists, to appreciate their work and maybe learn a thing or two from them.

If you happen to be attending the Royal this year, be sure to stop by the Direct Energy Centre, Hall C, Exhibition Place, Toronto. The show runs from November 6 through 15, 2009.

To readers of my earlier blog post about finding inspiration, rest assured:  I found it. Truly the beginning of good great things to come.

This is the painting that was accepted, titled "Curious Cow".