Oh My.
Of the many things I hadn't really thought through when putting together this, um, fiesta of blogging fun, the biggest has to be how hard it is to rank peoples' creative output. Especially since peoples' creative output is SO STINKIN' AWESOME. Y'all dazzled me -- dazzled! -- with the quality of the submissions, and its been a real privilege to get to look at them. Trying to award prizes, however, has given me a stomach ache. So, please accept the outcome in the spirit in which it is offered.
Pro Division
One problem I've been wrestling with is that two of the contestents are people I know who are also professional or semi-professional artists. They submitted works that I've watched go through the process of creation, and in one case a piece that lives in my house when it's not on tour. So the quandary is, I don't want to penalize these works, but I don't feel like I can judge them on an even keel either.
I am resolving this problem the way I resolve all my problems: arbitrarily. These two pieces will stand on their own in the "professional" category. They do not officially stand in the rankings, but they will receive 1000 points apiece in the Decathlon. Questions? No? Good.
Mrs. 5000's "The Winter Palace" -- mixed media artists book.
fingerstothebone's, um, I forget the title actually -- painting.
General Division
We start with a three-way tie for fiber arts submissions. Whether the three quiltish entries are getting a boost from my prejudices, or have been robbed because I've been trying not to indulge my prejudices, could be a good subject for argument. I don't know myself. They are:
Elizabeth's hand-sewn pieced tablecloth. Hand-sewn!! That's nuts.
La Gringissima's mixed-media/fiber arts extravaganza. Woah.
Rebel's almost-finished batik-a-liscious quilt homage to Northwest greens and blues.
In third place, tall, shapely, with Van Goghish swirls in metallics and blue, how cool is:
drschnell's big pottery vase thingy.
It's hard to imagine a more uncomfortable pairing of tastes than banana and garlic, and that psychological tension adds to the fabulously executed bulb on:
dan's still life
And finally -- I don't know from furniture building, but I do enough home carpentry to know when a project has required some mad, mad skillz, and some sustained awesomeness of craftsmanship. So, first place in Event #2 goes to
Phineas' Armoir
My great respect and thanks for those who sent in items that aren't among the above. Yours were fabulous too! You have NO IDEA how hard this was....
6 comments:
These are killer items. I love fingerstothebones' style. And the mixed media stuff is wow. And the and the...these are all so good. It had to be difficult!
Actually, I'm a professional artist too (though you wouldn't know it by my income). I don't know if this affects my selection or my division, but I'm honored any which way.
Wow, you people are talented. Glad I didn't send in my stupid-ass sketches.
"Liveblogging my Every Passing Thought" Hee hee
@dan: I'm not surprised. You paint a mean garlic bulb. I guess the real problem I was having was not so much pro v. not pro, as trying to compare things that I basically watched being made with things I was seeing for the first time as finished pieces. Also, it's hard to know if I'm 100% objective about my wife's work. Possibly not.
Can you recommend a good blog for far less talented people?
holy! COW! sorry i missed this; looks fantastic. and yeah, you gotta give it to the armoire. it's beautiful!
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