"Captain Bob" gets a 3rd in Kingwood!

And I couldn't be happier. Really. Winning "Best Floral" in Brenham was wonderful, and "Best of Show" at The Woodlands Show was a great and wonderful surprise. So how is it that a 3rd makes me so happy?

First, "Captain Bob" was my only painting that didn't get an award at the Brenham Show, and it's one of my favorites of the recent portraits I've finished. So I was pleased when he got some praise.

Second, the quality of the competition was great. "Tarnished" Penny Murphy entered 10 beautiful paintings. Penny is a wonderful painter with a very unique style that is technically of a very high quality. Her paintings are beautiful to look at and are very commercial, so to loose to one of her best paintings is not a bad thing and the fact the judge liked my painting 3rd best in the Professional Division was a good thing. Because that judge was the great American Master of Portraiture, Glenn Bahm.

Mr. Bahm is truly a great American artist and it was just amazing to get the chance to spend so much of a Saturday afternoon talking to and learning from him. I'll always treasure the comprehensive critique he gave "Captain Bob" and will definitely use the knowledge he so freely gave.