National Art Battle

 The Art Battle is over. Well, they will have the international championship in Tokyo sometime soon. I may watch so that I can vote. But, on the other hand, I am tired of the battle and the acrylic paintings.  It is fun for a while, but it distracts from the things I like better - pastels and watercolor and ceramics. Toby would probably laugh at me saying that, because I often love one thing for a while and then switch when I get tired of it - like the seasons. I used to say, I love the summer (in the mountains) best, but then I would be so glad for fall to come along with the changing color of the trees. Then I loved the ski season, but grew tired of the snow by Feb. When spring came and everything turned green, I loved that too. 

Last Friday I drove over to WF to attend the Cowboy True Chuckwagon dinner, where the artists for the art battle were invited to eat - kind of a meet, greet, and eat. It was not that good of a barbecue, but the people meeting was great. After supper, the artists all jumped up to go see the longhorn cattle and horses in a pen. Jesse went with them(she said they all started sketching the longhorns), while I went into the Cowboy True exhibit hall and visited with other artists - Western Art! I had a great time talking to the cowboys and artists. Jesse finally found me and dragged me out. On our way out, a cowboy and his wife were selling bourbon and pickled vodka that they make near Scotland, Texas (just south of WF). We struck up a conversation and got two little sample bottles of bourbon. Jesse told the cowboy that there was an Art Battle artist from Atlanta, GA, with long dreadlocks, that said he loved bourbon. The cowboy said he would watch for him. There were not any other people at the Cowboy True with long dreadlocks :)

We went outside and joined the other AB artists. I met young artists from New York, Boston, Chicago, LA, Mesa and other places around the USA. Later in the evening I met Donice Bloodworth from Atlanta - the bourbon guy. And of course, the first thing I said was, "I hear you like bourbon." He laughed lots and said that he had been walking through the Cowboy True when a cowboy hollered, "You look like a man who likes his bourbon!" Donice was confused as to how the guy knew, and the cowboy kept him going for a while before telling him how he had known. The other AB artists were wondering why they got samples of the pickled vodka rather than the bourbon.  Jesse and I shared that story with my siblings who all managed to find Donice at the AB and hoorah him about the bourbon. He was a very good sport. In fact, I had fun with all the artists.

Jesse did not win, but I think she should have (I'm her mother). The competition was much tougher, and people were voting from all over the country. Still, you would think the people from WF would have done a better job of getting behind their own Wichita Falls sweetheart. Oh Well. Here are her paintings and my pre-battle painting. The lighting is a bit weird due to the lights at the art battle.