Season 6, Episode 14: A Judge’s Perspective – Interview with Tom Croft
In this episode, Peter and Tom welcome back fellow Artist, Tom Croft.
Tom is a portrait painter who has appeared on Sky Portrait Artist of the year, as well as other TV art shows. He became more widely-known during the pandemic, for his work organising the Portraits for NHS Heroes project. Since gaining this recognition, Tom has been asked to be on the judging panel of several major art competitions and in this episode, Peter and Tom interview him about what it’s like to be on both sides of the competition – to judge and to be judged.
In the first half of the episode, the three of them discuss entering art competitions; what might compel an Artist to enter and the benefits of entering, regardless of whether you are selected or indeed go on to win anything.
In the second part of the episode, the three of them shift the focus of the conversation to the other side of the curtain; judging art work. Tom Croft shares some insights about the process of judging based on the competitions he has been a part of. What becomes clear is that there are a wealth of different factors which can affect the judging process and Tom’s sharing of his experience, offers insight into what can otherwise be viewed as quite a hidden process.
This week’s takeaway…if you are proud of a piece of your work and you want to share it with a larger audience, enter a competition. You may be selected or you may not, based on a myriad of reasons, some which you can control and some which you cannot. Rather than seeing selection or rejection as a critique of your work, try to view competitions as a tool in your toolbox; they could provide you with marketing, sales, a chance to network, meet fellow Artists, a chance to receive validation. You could say it’s not the winning that counts but the taking part.
Photo: “Sleepy Selfie” – Self Portrait by Tom Croft
This Podcast is sponsored by Rosemary & Co Brushes, Jackson’s Art Supplies and Search Press publishers.
For more information please visit Rosemary & Co Brushes: www.rosemaryandco.com
Jackson’s Art supplies: www.jacksonsart.com
Search Press publishers: www.searchpress.com
