Now that I am mature and have a new attitude I am not longer taking rejection personally. Rejection is part of a painters marketing process. Think of it this way, when you are in the produce section of your local market, do you buy every rutabaga in the bin? No, you select the number of rutabagas you need based on what you are cooking, how big your family is and which rutabagas appeal to your sensibilities. This produce choosing process is no different then choosing paintings to go in a show or exposition or to buy.

So the next time you take one of your pieces of artwork out of the house to be looked at and judged, remember my "Rutabaga Rule of Rejection" and don't take it personally. Do not think your painting was not bought or juried in because your skills are not perfect or your technique is lacking. Instead realize that the buyer or judge did not need a "rutabaga" like yours for several reasons; it did not fit with the shows theme, it did not catch his eye or appeal to his personal style, etc.

I hope this helps and by the way, my painting that I submitted to the member show at the SDWS was not chosen for the show. There were over 200 entries and only about 109 spots, so I can't take this personally, plus I know all about the "Rutabaga Rule."