The Red Hat and the Baltimore Watercolor Society

The Red Hat
by Jane McElvany Coonce

I've been beaten up lately.  I've entered several juried shows and haven't been selected.  I know that entering juried shows is a crap shoot.  I entered the Virginia Watercolor Society's juried art show and put the two best watercolors in that I've ever done in my entire life.  Both were rejected.  I was shocked.  I thought surely the judge would have a hard time making up his mind between my two entries.  It just shows that you can't ever tell what will appeal to a judge.  However, I entered the Baltimore Watercolor Society's annual show.  (Last year I was rejected, so I didn't have much hope.)  Today I got the news that my lady with "The Red Hat" was accepted!  I was thrilled!  Rejection was being to hurt!

This painting has gotten into every juried show that I've ever entered, and it's won several prizes.  I think it's partly because it has an abstract underpainting consisting of various colors.  Then I drew with some water soluble crayons and filled in some parts of the hat and face with paint and left the drawing and underpainting showing in other areas of the clothing.  I lifted the highlights with alcohol.  It's kind of a long and narrow shape which is different.  (Judges like different.)

After this, I may retire my prize winner to my brother's beach house.  I've always loved this painting, and I'm thrilled that the judge for Baltimore did, too!

Entering juried shows isn't for the faint of heart.