Over the last 20 years of my art career, I have applied for and submitted work for review in a couple dozen Artist Open Calls. I’ve noticed that whenever I need a bit of encouragement or inspiration, I will surf the many online sites, such as Arts Mid-Hudson, for juried exhibition open calls. Usually, there will be a theme such as abstract art, nature art, still-life or art focused on the human form. The theme can be anything, the sky is the limit. Sometimes the prize will be monetary, or it is based around exposure where the winners will be featured in a physical exhibition, an online exhibit or even a print magazine. The goal for me is to just get my art ‘out there’ into the world before other people’s eyes. I’m always on the hunt for opportunity and possibility.

I just recently submitted an application put out by Emerge Gallery which is based around Abstract art. Here is the link to the open call so you can see what its all about or if you’d like to submit your work as well. The top thing I love most about this process is that there is usually a lengthy and thought provoking application to fill out which forces me to put into words the ideas I have surrounding my art. I’m sure other Artists may agree with me when I say that sometimes you just make art to make art. It is a largely subconscious process for me and I don’t often use the erasure on my pencil, I go with the flow and see what happens. Once the line has begun on the paper, we will find out where it ends up once the page is filled to my satisfaction. It’s a meditative sort of practice actually. Generally speaking, if I’m not making a portrait for someone else where they specify what they want and instead I’m just making art for the sake of making art, I don’t have the end result in mind when I start out. So it’s really good for me to sit down and think it through. This particular open call asks for an Artist Biography, an Artist Statement and for each image there’s a requirement for you to go into more detail about the inspiration and process. I started out knowing that I wanted to submit for review 3 drawings I’ve recently completed, which are based around the concept of curtains separating the 3rd dimension where we all live, and breathe, from the “other side”. When I sat down to fill out the form, I had to really consider these drawings and define what I am actually doing and what message I am trying to convey. I didn’t realize I had some really deep thoughts about this “curtain” between realms until I wrote about it in words. If it weren’t for the open call requirements, I probably wouldn’t have contemplated it to this extent. Below is what I submitted for my Artist Biography and Artist Statement, as well as the images that I submitted along with the description I put for each one.

Artist Biography:

Emily Marchesiello is a graduate of the Masters of Fine Arts program at Queens College CUNY. She is a visual artist from New York who specializes in fine point line drawing and watercolor painting. Emily derives her inspiration from the natural world and the fantasy realm. The process of intentional mark making is a meditation - each line and dot is a physical manifestation of thought, while at the same time a product of mindless release. Emily loves to use vibrant hues and pattern to convey joy, freedom and endless possibility.
Emily lives with her family in the Hudson Valley region of New York.

Artist Statement:

I am submitting the following three mixed media marker drawings which illustrate what I imagine the curtain between realms may look like. The first is titled “Candy”, (12”x9”), the second is titled “Mossy” (12”x9”) and the third is titled “Strawberry Blond”, (12”x9”). All three drawings have been made using oil paint marker and alcohol ink markers on mixed media paper.

First I start with the wet oil paint lines beginning in one central spot, flowing out towards the edge of the paper. I repeat this gesture until I have a sort of whimsical and psychedelic pattern forming which to me, resembles the curtain between realms. The strong opaque line created with the oil paint marker when paired with the more translucent alcohol ink markers helps to illustrate the firm yet penetrable border between the “here” and the “there”. Once I’ve created that curtain, I choose colors which contrast with the skeleton of this curtain, and fill in the voided spaces. The alcohol ink markers create a boundary that is solid, yet see-through. Much like our reality, you can be one foot in the third dimension, and one foot in the higher planes. If we tune in to these possibilities, the curtain will open and we can step through.

I am very much influenced by the artwork of Alex Grey. I have had the great honor of meeting Alex and his wife Allyson numerous times at the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors when it was in New York City, and now at the center in my neighboring town of Wappingers Falls, NY. I am inspired by his ecstatic use of line and color, as well as his signature metaphysical subject matter. Alex Grey has influenced me to think beyond the obvious and consider all possibilities.

Describe the process and inspiration:
This drawing titled “Candy”, is but one idea of what the curtain between the physical and otherworldly realms may look like. You might discover this curtain while out in the middle of a deep lake on a cloudless day, meditating in the silence that can only be found on a rowboat directly in the center of that body of water. The opaque blue oil paint marker lines begin in the top left and fan out to the edges in a repeated fashion. These lines make up the firm folds of the curtain and evoke a sense of movement. The alcohol ink markers are chosen in candy-like colors to bring in a sense of wonder and joy for what lies beyond this setting. Things take on a different hue when you look beyond your immediate surroundings into the mysterious other side.

Describe the process and inspiration:
This drawing titled, “Mossy”, is a depiction of what the curtain between realms may look like when discovered in the damp woods on a warm summer morning. The opaque green lines were made using oil paint marker and begin at the top center of the paper and fan out to the sides and bottom in a repeating style. Earthy tones of orange and green were used via alcohol ink markers, to fill in the spots between the striations to create a textured barrier between the physical realm and the next layer of reality.

Describe the process and inspiration:
This drawing titled, “Strawberry Blond”, is a depiction of what the curtain between realms may look like inside a mother’s womb. A child will discover this curtain when they are entering the “belly portal”, moving from the cosmos through into the earthly plane into his or her mother’s belly. The opaque red lines were created through the use of oil paint marker, and begin at the top right section of the drawing and fan out in all directions. The use of yellow and 2 varieties of pink alcohol ink markers fill in the spaces between the red curtain fibers. The yellow specifically symbolizes the beams of inspiration coming from the heavens and melding in with the pinks which are more connected to the body and this side of the curtain.

The thing I like least about this whole process is that in a way, you’re placing a lot of control into someone else’s hands. You are risking your sense of self-worth as an artist when you offer up your creation for critique, acceptance or denial. This process insists that you become a confident individual with a strong sense of self when it comes to your art. There is a sting of disappointment when you’re not selected. It’s like that feeling of being picked last for the team as a kid. But on the other hand there is a feeling of elation and pride if you are selected. It’s a temporary high and then you’re off looking for the next inspiring juried open call. There is also the waiting….oh, the waiting….. to hear back with the results. I hate the waiting! :-P The key is to submit and then forget about it. Put it in a boat and let it float. So be it! Que sera sera. That whole thing!

All in all, it’s 100% worth it to spend the time submitting to an artist open call. It keeps me motivated, working on my art and driven to succeed. I wish you the best of luck in all your artistic endeavors!

What I love most and like the least about Artist Open Calls