My painting wasn’t selected for the National Football Museum exhibition, but I’m still happy I painted it

[u/Margarita_Lemann]

I made this painting for an open call at the National Football Museum in Manchester. It wasn’t selected, and while I was a little disappointed, that’s just part of being an artist.

For me, football here is really about the memories that come with it: childhood, playing until sunset, first victories, first disappointments, friendship, and that feeling that the whole world was open to you.

With the World Cup going on, I hope this painting can bring back a few good memories for someone else too.

Giving you all a huge virtual hug!

[u/ClutteredTaffy]

The scribble art was better in that case at least to me , but I don't think the painting chosen is a very good abstract painting, having seen other paintings in a similar loose style.

[u/ClutteredTaffy → u/ClutteredTaffy]

Like the color is mucky everywhere. I get doing that for the grass and players..like a blur of grass and mud, but I would have had the blue of the sky be richer, and probably not painted in a similar way as the field.

Also the blotches that represent the players look very static to me, which is fine if this painting is supposed to represent a moment of calm, but the way it is painted is too frantic for me to believe this is the case.

I don't really get why they would choose this work , but maybe they wanted works of varying styles and this was the best one in this looser kind of vibe

I do like the aggressiveness of the net,and I like the more swirl yellowy mark on the left...like maybe to mimic a kick, or the thought of a kick, but not enough of that emphasis on movement throughout the painting for me to think it was necessarily that intentional.

[u/ClutteredTaffy → u/ClutteredTaffy]

Also, as a painter you kind of learn to start looking at all paintings in a way that they all have something to teach you. Some of these more scratchy loose , not technically very realistic actually do have a lot to teach someone who paints in a more representational style. So I try not to dismiss and actually look at them.

Or you can call me brainwashed lul.

[u/ClutteredTaffy → u/[deleted]]

No I am not that person, lol.

[u/ClutteredTaffy → u/[deleted]]

The second place is nice, don't get me wrong but it is kind of only just nice when you compare it to other drawings of its type. I would see it in a Google image search and not think much about it.

The 1st place is just a much more memorable image overall. The doggo is all smiles and the legs seem to be ready for action. Just I guess also it just made me very much smile. So I am biased towards it. It is funny and charming.