I've added a new page to this blog listing painting events and competitions from around the US. There are a lot of great shows outside the US (Euro Militaire, Salute, Hussar, Scale Model Challenge, Monte San Savino, Golden Demon, and many many more) but I'm focusing on those a little closer to me. After all, they are the ones I'm most familiar with. For those of you in the US, take a look and I highly recommend checking out any that are near you. The online community has done a lot of great things for painters, but actually seeing the figures in person can give you a whole new level of appreciation.
Many of the shows (Lone Star, SCAHMS, MFCA, HMSNEO, Bay Area Open, NCMSS, MMSI, LIMMS, and Atlanta) operate on the open system of judging. The way this works is, instead of directly competing against other people, each person's entries are judged against a set standard. The judges score your work and determine whether it merits a gold, silver, or bronze medal (or certificate of merit). So if 20 people deserve a gold medal, then they hand out 20 gold medals. This system is a nice way to chart your improvement. With podium style judging (only 1 gold, silver, and bronze per category) you can get a gold one year and then nothing the next. With the open system, if you keep improving your abilities, you should be able to go from bronze one year to silver the next and finally gold. Now, the bigger shows tend to have tougher standards because the competition level is higher. A gold winning figure at the NCMSS show might only get a silver at the MFCA, but don't let that discourage you.
Here is the link to the events page, but you can also find it listed on the menu at the top of this site:
http://powellminipainting.blogspot.com/p/events.html
The closest I will get to attending a show is painting minis for The NOVA Open Charitable Foundation. Air travel from Canada is stupid expensive. i envy you folks the numbers of events you have access to :)
ReplyDeleteCool! Handy list, David, thank you! Now - which events are you going to attend? ;) Being in Texas, Lonestar and Reapercon are the ones I might attend but that's still a long drive from down here by the Gulf.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'd love to make them all but that's not going to happen. I'll definitely be at Adepticon/Crystal Brush and the SCAHMS show. And I will hopefully be at the Bay Area Open. I'd love to get to NOVA Open too, this year the guys from MassiveVoodoo will be there and offering a bunch of seminars, but I'm not sure if a trip at the time is going to be possible. I don't plan to be at the Lone Star Show or Reapercon this year, but I would like to get out for them one of these days. Maybe next year?
DeleteEverything was perfect, the food at venues in Chicago was amazing. We had several appetizers. Lobster hollandaise, Scallops Wrapped in Bacon, Coconut chicken with Lime Sauce and Shrimp cocktail.
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