I had an amazing time at the ETA awards (Emerging Toronto Artists) last year, and am gearing up for this years show with brand new paintings that have been nominated in different categories!.
The event was held at the Palaise Royale in Toronto,Canada and the venue was beautiful, everyone's setup looked amazing!
The award show
It was great being surrounded by such amazing artists and seeing everyone's artwork up close, (you can't really appreciate a painting until you see it in real life) each so different one from another and everyone dressed up in 1920's attire which was the theme for this event.
I met a lot of great people at this show and have become really good friends with a lot of them, which is one of the major things I liked about this event, its great to be surrounded by people who share the same interests as you and you can bounce ideas off of when you need some help.
I really couldn't find anything that matched the era, so I just pulled together what I could to kind of blend in.
What can I say, I'm more of a jeans and hoody kinda guy.
The Awards
It was such an honor to be nominated for 3 of the 4 awards
- Emerging Toronto artist
- Creative composition
- Technical excellence
I never expected to actually win anything in any of the categories but I'm very happy to say that my piece "When you're gone" won 3rd place for creative composition.
I painted this piece right after a breakup, When I broke up with them, I felt it was what I really wanted and it was a good decision, then after a few days I came to the realization that I really missed this person, and was spending so much time reaching over the bed just to find them not there.This is one of my industrial enamel paintings, that I do using only a toothbrush and letting the paint drip off the toothbrush onto the canvas.
We are back together now, so I guess all in all it worked out and made me appreciate what I had much more
It was also extremely flattering to be told by one of the judges that my work actually spoke to him and he felt the emotion and meaning behind the painting, it's an incredible feeling to be told something like that and to have people understand why I painted a particular piece.
"When you're gone" - Industrial enamel on canvas - SOLD
Illegal burger trafficking
I have to say that one of the best moments of the night, was when Jaime (my partner) went out to pick up McDonalds for a few of the artists at the show because we were STARVING!!!
Ironic I know, the whole starving artists stereotype and all, LOL
So we planned to meet him in the back of the venue in 20 mins, it was quite an elaborate plan, we scoped out a spot where we could sit in the dark and no one could see us so we could scarf down our burgers without anyone ever knowing LOL!!
we managed to get back into the ballroom about 5 mins before the award announcements started, which I'm really glad for, because it would have been really awkward to accept an award with my mouth full and ketchup on my hands.
All in all it was a great night and the award certificate now sits proudly in my studio.
The award money was spent on the lovely winner who received a fresh coat of varnish. and allowed me to purchase new brushes and paints, because I'm a total brush whore..LOL
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This is wonderful. You certainly deserve your win. "When you're gone" is outstanding. To me personally it shows someone visually (and therefore metaphorically) unravelling after the end of a relationship - or perhaps it reflects the thought and place of that person slowly dissolving in your mind.
Thanks so much @thecryptofiend The fact that you could understand her unravelling really means a lot to me and is exactly what I tried for with this piece, realizing that without that special someone, you can come undone :)
Great. I notice that you sold it. Was it hard to let go of it? You pour so much into a work of art and then you have to give it to someone else. It is something that I have always wondered.
It was VERY VERY hard to let go of.... I have an extremely hard time letting go of any of my paintings, like sure its great someone liked them enough to purchase them and hang them in their home, but each piece I paint is a part of me and my life, they are my babies..LOL so it is hard.
but when you find someone that understands the piece and really loves it, at the same time its like letting her be adopted by a family that you know will love her like you do, so in the end its a bittersweet experience :)
I can only imagine.
Sooooo very true! They are like children. Hard to birth and difficult to let go.
Congratulations it's great to see talented artists getting recognition.
Thanks very much @phoenixmaid, that really means a lot to me :)
𝐎𝐡 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞!
Thank you I really appreciate it :)
Congrats on your win! I'm gratified to know your talent was rewarded. The burger thing made me laugh!
Thank @beowulfoflegend I appreciate it! and yeah I thought people would get a kick out of the "behind the scenes" of the event LOL :)
That's really nice! Congrats André!
Thanks Bruno :)
Congratulations and welcome to Steemit. Is that your piece with the two hands extended in black and white? I'd like to see a bigger photos of it. Have a great day!
Thanks so much @churdtzu I really appreciate it. here is a larger pic of that piece, its titled "Coursing through my veins" and was the opening piece for my first solo show, it is acrylic on Canvas 30x40 inches.
These are my hands that I decided to paint as a statement for my love of art and how it is an integral part of me as a person :) I hope to make a post with that specific piece and the process behind it soon
Very cool, thanks
Haunting image! Very textural!
Thanks very much @Roy.Batty :)
very nice and welcome to Steemit ! @andressilvera
Thanks very much @marius19 :)