To My Surprise

I was in my first art competition since high school recently. I entered Harrisonville Missouri's Twenty First Annual Art Exhibit and Competition. When I arrived to the show I wanted to rush and find my work to see if I had won any ribbons. When I entered the show room my grandma took me by the arm and told me she wanted me to meet the judge. Deane McMillian a retired public art school teacher who still taught art to adults and who had been a professional caricature artist for 3o years was critiquing the work of the other fellow artists. I waited patiently with my grandma as he spoke to the different artists about their work giving them feedback as far as what he liked and where he saw room for improvement. As I was waiting I looked at the work around me. I saw so many beautiful paintings and a few ribbons. My grandma had already been around to see all the work and she didn't say anything about any awards next to my name. I began thinking I probably didn't have one. It was finally my turn to talk to the judge my grandma introduced me (she had already met him and also had entered some of her work) . He shoke my hand also not mentioning any possible ribbons further verifying in my mind there was no ribbon this time. As I made my way down the line of booths we past two of my paintings and didn't stop ( I had entered three paintings) I was a little confused until we came to my third painting. There next to it was a big fat ribbon that read first place! I was thrilled! The painting titled "Feeling the Soft Breeze" had won first place for the oil/acrylic category. This was a painting I did of my daughter. One of my other paintings also had won a merit award.