Don't forget to say Thank You!

Hi everyone just want to let everyone know I'm alive. I've been so crazy busy ( in a good way) as well as sick ( in a bad way). Stay tuned I will be over blogging in the next few days! So much has been going on. All good , well except for the sick thing.

Here's a little story about something that happened a couple of years ago. With an ending that many don't know about.

A few years ago I entered the below image in a contest offered by AVA (Alliance of Visual Artists). I was a wreck, I had never entered something like this. The first step had been to go to a pre-screening to get juried in. I almost forgot about it altogether. Once I was told I was accepted I had to prepare my work for contest entry. Mat, frame, and wire ready to be hung. That was a trial in itself as I had never done this from beginning to end. The day came to drop off my work, I entered 3 pieces. I figured might as well enter the max allowed. Well apparently I had forgot to add my name to them. Luckily a nice man receiving work reminded me. As I was leaving I felt like a total newbie and a train wreck wondering why I was wasting people's time. A few weeks later I get a call. I figured it was a courtesy call to let me know I can pick up my loser pieces. Imagine my shock when I was informed i was receiving Awards of merit for two pieces, and A FIRST PLACE for one!!! Not only that but they also wanted to know if I would be willing to sell the first place winner to the Triton Museum. "UM WHAT?! I'm sorry I didn't catch that" I practically choked as I whispered into the receiver. The voice on the other end said "oh was that too little?" As they had just offered me a very generous amount. "UM no that's fine" I replied. Thinking I would have given it to them. It's a Museum!!! I never in a million years thought a museum would ever buy one of my pieces, at least not while I was living. HA! I hung up and immediately called my dad to tell him what had just happened and ask him to be my date to the award ceremony. He said "you should ask your mom, you know she likes going to these kind of things" (she likes art) to which I jokingly replied "she can go to the next one, you should go to the first."



The day came and I was pretty nervous. My dad met me at my house, and we headed over. The awards were handed out, and each time I walked up my dad had this funny look on his face, probably wondering why I wore light jeans and a cotton t-shirt. He was wearing really nice dress pants and a button down shirt, however it was almost 100 degrees out. After the awards were all handed out they let us in to see all the pieces that had received recognition and placed. He said "ok let's go see what the big deal is". We finally found my piece and there was this little crowd, checking it out. When my dad stepped up to it, he said "that won, a picture you took in a bar?" I said "yea and the museum bought it" He then replied "wow you should give them their money back" and then immediately said "Take a picture of me with the winner, so I can show people and they don't think I'm making it up" In that moment I knew he was proud of me.

and here's a picture of my dad standing by the winner.



I'm sure I never said it enough if at all. Thanks Dad!

RIP 1938-2008