21st Annual Artists Eye Competition
May, 2017
The Annual Artist's Eye Competition was again good to me as “Come on around and hold an old friend's hand” won 1st place and “Hard Times Come Again No More” won 3rd in the Pastel category.
I felt very vulnerable putting “Hard Times...” in the show. I was proud of it and wanted it to be seen but was unsure if it really belonged among the many very colorful and well executed pieces exhibited. I was so surprised and pleased at it's recognition.
This beautiful little girl, whose name is Arianna, 6 years of age, is the newest and youngest member of OCFA. She asked her parents if she could enter the show, and she put in a lovely painting, soft and textured, of leaves against a muted background. That is her painting to my right. To my surprise she told my wife Julia that my piece “Come on around...” was her favorite of the whole show, and she is pictured with me beside it. What a beautiful smile. The lady handing me the envelope is Laura Rice Robinson, a wonderful sculptor, and the Outgoing President of Orange County Fine Arts.