This is going to be a hard piece to write. I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time with rejection. It’s hard to face it when it happens but even harder when you have to wait for it.
Creating a piece of artwork is work. It requires all the same elements as any job.
Set aside specific days and times. Purchase and set up materials: clay, paint, tools, brushes, colored underglazes and glazes.
As an artist, I work on my pieces with love, patience and determination.
Here’s a peek at the process:
I roll out the clay slab and cut it into a square.
Decide whether it’s a face or a flower or in this case both.
Make the face by cutting and shaping a circle.
Cut out and sculpt the eyes, nose and mouth.
Slip and score those pieces to make the face.
Then cut out, shape, score and place the 25+ petals in the right places.
Add details like the 20 dots to go around the face in between the petals.
Then when it’s dried a bit, start painting in all of the details.
Mix a bit of yellow with red for a golden color.
Apply it to all the petals.
Apply different underglaze colors for the eyes, lips, eyebrows and seeds.
Let it dry. This can take days or weeks depending on the clay and weather.
If all goes well and nothing cracks, it’s time to do the first firing in the kiln.
If bisque firing goes well and nothing cracks, it’s then time to apply the final clear glaze.
The final glaze had to be poured carefully over the piece while turning it to keep it even.
Repeat this with each of the 12 pieces.
This takes not just days, but weeks and months.
The glaze must dry.
Each piece is carefully loaded into the kiln for the final firing.
I am my own ‘kiln sitter’, so I must be here to turn the kiln up at each stage.
This can take another day and cooling might take several days.
Ok…done, right? Nope.
Each piece is sanded and wiped down.
A dozen or more shadow box frames are purchased.
Wire hangers are applied to the back of each frame.
Then, each piece was carefully centered, measured and attached inside the frame.
And each piece was hung to make sure it was safe and strong.
Done now? Nope.
Each piece needed to be digitally photographed for social media and gallery marketing.
Done now? Nope.
The marketing begins: social media posts, gallery contact, applications and emails.
Then: The Wait. Rejection? Acceptance?
This can take months.
In this last case: it went on and on for months.
First send in something and wait.
Then get told to send it again in 2 more months.
Wait 2 months. Send it again. Then wait again.
Finally 2 more months later, get rejected.
With an email ‘apology’ that the gallery contact went on
vacation
for a month before they could get back to you.
Wow. Really?
There was no internet available to send a 5 minute rejection email?
Yeah. Thanks a lot.
Look, it’s never fun to be rejected. I’ve been in and out of many different shows and galleries over the 20 years I’ve been showing my work. But for someone to sit on your application because they ‘had’ to go on vacation for a month is: Inexcusable.
And Unprofessional.
And, yes, it hurts.
How would you feel, if this happened to you?
Ok. I know, I’m crazy but I applied to another show that I got rejected from years ago.
And I got in!
They loved my pieces.
They were worried about the framing.
But they really liked my work.
So they figured out a way for my framed clay work to fit into their show.
And they let me know right away.
Now, that’s what I call true professionalism.
So, yes, I got a rejection.
But then, I got an acceptance, too.
Life and art it’s all about balance, isn’t it?
