I Never Thought I had a Chance.....on entering an IAPS exhibition

'Before the First Snow'        10x 8      pastel      ©Karen Margulis
available unframed $450

The time to enter is now! The deadline to enter the International Association of Pastel Society's webshow is September 15th.  I always seem to wait until the last minute to enter. Thoughts run through my head like...... I don't really have any painting good enough to enter or What if I paint something worthy after I've entered? or I never get anything accepted so why bother?

I shared reasons for everyone to enter a juried exhibition last week. If that wasn't enough to convince you let me share a quick story. Have a look at the photo below. This is my painting hanging at the IAPS exhibition held during the last convention. It was a great honor and felt good. But there was a time a few years ago when I didn't think I would ever have a chance to get in an IAPS show. (or any show for that matter)

I've been painting with pastels since 2005. I started from scratch. I didn't know anything about pastels or painting concepts. But I had a dream. I had goals. I wanted to get better. So I worked hard. I took classes and workshops and I read everything I could about painting. And I practiced. Every day. I had this little thought in my head that one day I would like to paint something as good as the paintings I saw in Pastel Journal and the IAPS and PSA shows. .....But I never thought I had a chance to get a painting in one of those shows!

Until a friend reminded me.....you can't possibly get in if you don't enter. Of course! So I entered one of the IAPS shows. I didn't get in. But the fear was gone. I didn't lose anything but a few dollars and a moment of disappointment. I felt like I joined the club and entering a juried exhibition wasn't so bad after all. So I entered the next one. No luck. I entered the next one and BINGO! I had a painting accepted. Hard work and persistence paid off.

During the next few years I continued to enter with varied success. Eventually I accumulated enough points to achieve Master Circle status. But there were definite ups and downs along the way!

My painting along with the story about my inspiration

I share this story because there was a time not all that long ago that I thought I never had a chance. But I shook off the fear and doubt and kept trying. If one of your dreams or goals is to have a painting accepted into an IAPS show. Now is the time! Remember you have to enter to have a chance.

Follow this link to get the details for entering the IAPS webshow: http://www.iapspastel.org/exiaps_upcoming.php