When I was in art school, many of the professors "critiqued" our work by throwing it across the room, another instructor (in the next class) would praise a certain element of the same piece...while I think this was rather harsh (and somewhat amusing,) I understand now what they were trying to say. You simply can't place the merit of your work on another persons opinion...the real critique MUST come from within.
I once had a painting of a horse that was dismissed from a show...the judges reasoning (?)...she was thrown from a horse as a child and didn't like them! See!?

We all want and need praise from others for our work. I also think that giving false praise is ultimately unproductive. That said I believe we can find something good to say even with the worse painting we are asked to critique. At the very least, you can find an encouraging word and move on. Not everyone is meant to succeed at art and not everyone wants art as a profession. I've seen work that does not suit my taste and I move on without comment for no comment is necessary. I've had people pass my work without comment and I feel relieved I didn't have to explain it to them for if I had they surely would not have understood or simply they didn't like the work. There were times when people asked about a piece. It's these times that I take an opportunity to explain even if they still walk away without buying it.
I've had work win first place or best of show to only have the same piece not even mentioned in other shows. Personally I think juried shows should be banished like the pet rock.
I've been in the arts in one form or other all my life and have found that if you can't live with rejection you should not do anything that requires another’s opinion to win money, a prize or praise.
It has been said to me many times "that which doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger."
Someone else said to me "if you hit an obstacle and feel fear to proceed, jump into the middle of your situation and it will turn out not to be as bad as you first thought."
There is a bit of folly and self dilution involved with being an artist (of any sort). You have to believe in yourself even when you are the only one who likes what you do. This too will not guarantee you will even be rich and famous at art, but life is full of disappointments. You will survive it. The only true judge of your work has to be you. If you have a special person with whom you hold great affection and trust their judgment, you can use them as a sounding board. But ultimately when you are sitting alone in your personal space, you are your best judge.

This couldn't have come at a better time... As an emerging artist, I've been debating what images to provide for a show application... Wondering if I should go with the work I want to share with the world (the stuff that inspires me to create art) or strictly the stuff that might sell better. I know my answer now. And even if I don't get in the show this time, at least I will have listened to my inner voice and built on my integrity.

So true. After rejection in last year's local Contemporary Art Society's show, one of my pastel portraits won an Honorable Mention this year.

This brought tears to my eyes - would that all jurors replied in a similar fashion. And I loved Robert's comment, "art must exist for you in a place beyond the judgment of others." Thank you for this wonderful post.

From an old show enterer: Sometimes they like your work, sometimes not. Never give up. Keep entering and learning. Don't let someone else's rejection get to you. Sooner or later...SUCCESS!!

SO very true.

Thank you for this life-affirming column and the energy it roused in most readers to 'get out of jail': Those 'walls' we build from our expectations about other people's approval can keep us prisoners in limited thoughts and feelings. You always find a new window to let our consciousness expand and be free. Thanks, Robert.

I once entered a modest sized show that was lightly juried. Little was rejected, the jurying being largely an awarding of ribbons. Very little was sold.
When I went to see the fully hung show, I stood behind a group of people gathered around one of my pictures. A local painter and professor of art was pointing out what to him were obvious deficiencies. For some reason, this didn't bother me at all, though I, for obvious reasons, remained anonymous to the bantering critics.
I did not sell, and was not awarded a ribbon, but received something very special. When I took my paintings home, the picture that had been soundly criticized had, attached to the back, the card of a local gallery owner, on which was written, "Call me, I want to see more," over her signature. I was represented by her gallery for several years thereafter.
The art world is crazy enough to remain fresh and interesting always.

To thank you for sharing that letter, how sweet to allow all of us to share the brilliant, insightful and inspirational words not only of the anonymous juror, but the response from Robert which was priceless. I read it over and over, I wanted to glean every morsel from it.

Thank you so much for The Painter's Post !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I clicked on to the upcoming movie called Local Color!! . . . Hard to explain my reaction: joy, tears, excitement, hope, old wounds. . . I will be going to see this movie and recommending it to many!!

Yes for artists but for all human beings as an encouragement to go after their passions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Having just received a 'rejection' notice for both paintings entered in a local juried show, I am puzzled that my work will receive awards in National competitions but sometimes won't pass muster a few miles from home. Perhaps the nearby judges selections are too 'parochial' having limits set by the community or their own life experiences, or their knowledge of the medium is limited compared to a juror who's mastered it..(or simply, they just don't like the work). Regardless, I've come to the conclusion it's masochistic and a waste of time/money to enter a show for any reasons other than gaining exposure or supporting the organization sponsoring the exhibit. Receiving acceptance by a world-class artist juror is definitely an 'ego trip' and a nice credential but having many people remember a painting I've shown or even buying it is more fulfilling. One juror's opinion is simply that: one person's opinion...it's not the measure of our success as artists.

I just reached the worthy age of 65 and, with my health riding high, my art continues to feed my spirit. I have spent my life climbing mountains and painting them . The energy in the alpine pulls my vision there non-stop even though I experiment with many styles. Why not. The straight and narrow is not me nor is it art. Still, I return to the mountains with paint and I hike there because that's who I am.

This artist was very fortunate in getting a letter that actually seemed to be written by the juror rather than a mass printed note from the promotion committee. It is so...................can't find the words..........to get a rejection letter from an office clerk that probably will not even attend the artistic event. The things we do for love..............

I’ve been painting seriously for the last 10 years and have a long history of being accepted AND rejected when entering juried shows. I often felt that the juror could have done a better job and should have chosen a more deserving group of artworks. After years of entering art exhibitions, I was recently asked to jury a regional show. I was a bit nervous but truly felt that the “best” art would jump out at me and that choosing the best 25% of the entries would be relatively easy. It wasn’t. Even with a degree in Art History and Fine Art, I found the process daunting. I had no problem narrowing down the top 50%, but after that, all of the works had merit in their own special way. I finally understood that I had to choose the show that worked best for me, fully knowing that on another day, I might make different choices that would produce an equally good exhibition.

Artists can’t truly compete against each other. We each bring different experience, subjects, vision, technique and goals to our work. And hard as juried rejections may be, we DO have to follow our own inner voice and stay true to what making art means to US-- not to an outside judge.

I sometimes find I have what I call brats in my paintings. You may have a name for them. By brats I mean some small and unimportant detail - a small boat in the foreground saying "Look at me! Look at me! I'm going to be like that big boat when I grow up!", or a flower that won't stay in the background . "Look at me! I'm brighter than that flower next to me. I really stand out!", or a still life object that intrudes on the harmony of the composition ("you maythink that painting is about the big vase of sunflowers, but really, it is about ME." Sometimes, like a hyper-doting mother, I think the brats are too "good" to try to change them change and so I struggle to make everything else related better to the brat. "Be nice to Sammy, he's your guest." "Sammy didn't mean to smash your new toy, did you Sammy?"

When I realize I have 'fallen in love' with a particular passage or object, I have now learnt exactly what other artists were trying to tell me/us, when they say one must not fall in love with one's painting. Nowadays, as soon as I find myself trying to make a painting work by kow-towing to the brat, I know it is the brat who needs a little gentle discipline, perhaps total removal from the scene, perhaps just being quietened down. A little glazing with a complement, or a greying down by some other means is often enough for the others to get along with this part of the composition.

When I start a painting I always stop, breath deeply, focus and stoke the paper with my brush. I don't always carry through with this later in the painting and it does show when my stokes are hurried and impatient. With watercolour on rice paper it shows every hesitation, frustration and the beautiful perfect stokes that can occur. It teaches me to slow down, paint each element as if it's the most important one in the painting and yet be willing to go with the flow and dance across the paper with my brush.

I enter juried shows, not so much to be judged (because all jurors are subjective in their jurying) but to challenge myself to produce a painting better than the last one I sent in. Not everyone can motivate themselves alone all the time. I know when I have a deadline I can focus more easily. Some people have the exactly opposite reaction. I go with what works for me. I know myself and do what works for me, besides I haven't gotten my 100th decline's from show yet. I've set a goal to collect 100 but I keep seeming to get in more than I'm declined from. What am I doing wrong! : ) Seriously, I get a thrill when I do get accepted and since I enter several at a time, usually, I end up with another show I can look forward to. I also do non juried shows at times just to get my work out there. This plus teaching painting keeps me very busy but also very content.

One of two pieces I entered for jurying was accepted. Green tomatoes in a crystal bowl against a red tablecloth. The other, an orange in a vase on a blue cloth was rejected because "who would put an orange in a vase?"! When I jury, I ignore the subject matter completely and focus on the underlying abstracts of each piece. The artist's passion and ability clearly shines through.

What could you wish for besides a note from a juror, not to ever be judged by said person again or a spam button that works on letters.