GCA Blog: Still Life Painting Competition: Day Two

The competitors are extremely focused as they work. The studio monitors have remarked that the artists rarely leave their easels for the four hours in both the morning and afternoon sessions. The monitors have also commented that they are getting some great demo's seeing these artists in action.

At the end of the first day, everyone gathered in our lounge for a petite fête francais inspired by artist John Morra's workshop Exploring Chardin: The Origins of the Modern Still Life. For a few hours, competitors mingled with core students, workshop students, evening cast students and Resident Artists and Faculty. On the second night, several artists again shared some drinks and experiences in the lounge.

Below are a few comments "overheard" by the competitors over the first two days:

"If I worked this fast when I'm home working, I'd have a gallery filled with work."

"I was starving the whole morning and forgot there were snacks."

A LOUD CRASH. "Does anybody have more eggs?"

"This is my first time at GCA. And it's a really nice community and I'm jealous."

"Is it really Friday?"

"My armpits smell like onions and I think I like it."

"I took half my kitchen and my neighbor's dishware and I'm not using any of it."

"I was at the store looking at a whole bass fish -- I called my wife and she said I'm hanging up the phone now."

"There were some first day heroics. Someone abandoned their set-up and arranged a new composition."

As the last of the artists left the studio last night, it was raining and it was raining when we all returned again today. But they put in a request for more sunshine and it has indeed appeared. Hopefully the sun will keep on shining through to the end when you join us on Tuesday from 7-9pm for the Awards Ceremony.

And now, photos showing the works-in-progress from Day 2: