Don't you just love a good bit of alliteration? I certainly do and this title is a good example but have I stretched it a bit? Let's see - what are the connections? Well the first part is fairly obvious - "Winter on the Moors" means 'snow'. So what about Scarborough - where does that fit in? Scarborough Art Gallery is the venue for the 'East Coast Open'. This is a prestigious exhibition held every two years. It is an 'Open' exhibition which means anyone can submit work to be considered for selection. Generally what happens is that a selection committee comprising the gallery curator, a 'prominent' artist and one other - possibly a benefactor or friend of the gallery consider all the entries and choose what to show. It is quite daunting as a big event like this attracts a lot of entries and wall space is limited. It must have been 2002 when I was first 'persuaded' to enter and there are no prizes for who the 'persuader' was! Anyway we turned up at the Gallery with my three submissions and entry fee. "Winter on the Moors" was one of them. Directed to a large room I couldn't help but notice that it was crammed with paintings all neatly stacked waiting to be unwrapped and scrutinised by the judges.So with obvious trepidation I returned home to await my fate. Ah - the 'sweet smell of success'! I remember as if it was yesterday the mixed emotions felt when opening the letter bearing the crest of Scarborough Art Gallery and finding to my great joy that all three had been accepted. Also included was an embossed special invitation bearing the legend 'Exhibiting Artist' which entitled me and 'one other' to be admitted to the Preview on the Friday night before the official opening to the public the following day. Hey and drinks and light refreshments included! What about that then - I had finally made it as a 'proper' artist. Merice and I 'glammed' ourselves up and thoroughly enjoyed mixing with the great and the good that Friday night. Thankfully it turned out to be the first of many in lots of galleries. Though I stopped entering open exhibitions many years ago I will never forget the thrill of acceptance and seeing my paintings hanging there on the same Gallery walls that had featured works by John Atkinson Grimshaw and so many other great artists who had inspired me. Happy days. Glenn
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