A Pleasant Occasion

Last Saturday Sydney and I drove south on I-5 to the opening reception gala of The Art of Photography Show in San Diego. I was honored to have "Louise" selected by the curator of the show, Anne Lyden the Associate Curator at the J. Paul Getty Museum. 15,444 images were submitted by artists from 72 different countries and only 109 images were selected. So, it was quite the honor to be represented in this prestigious show. It was also fun to meet and mingle with some of the image makers. Obviously not all could come, but I was able to get about 30 of those artists who did attend to scribble their autograph next to their work in the catalog. It was good to see my new friend and inspiration Jesse Rieser. Our work has appeared together in about 3 different shows this year. They had an artists only reception an hour before the doors were open to the public, so it was fun to sip on the free bubbly and look at some stunning work. I had a chance to speak with Anne during the reception, and she remembered me from a review I had with her at Palm Springs Photography Festival 2010. She congratulated me on my selection and hard work, and told me my follow-ups made it easier for her to include me in her selection. As has been said by Aline Smithson numerous times: it's about hard work, persistence, and consistency. Truer words are rarely spoken.