[Woodcarver] When should a carving be retired from competion?

[Mike Bloomquist]

I know I'm late to this discussion, but would like to wade in anyway.  I
really don't believe limiting a piece to one win at one show is a good idea.
Assuming the piece is at the proper level (novice, intermediate,advanced,
open or what-have-you), if I were organizing another show I would want to
see it compete at my show as well to make my show better.  If I were another
carver who could only make it to a few shows within my area, I would want it
to compete at my show as well so I had a chance to "run with the big
dogs"... even after I got trampled.  The ribbon doesn't mean much if you
weren't up against the best.  If  I were a carver that was not at that level
and competing in a different class I would want it at my show so I could see
what I wanted to aim for (or maybe just gaze at it incredulously and sadly
shake my head).  And finally, and this has been touched on, if I owned the
carving in question (sweated over it... cried over it... bled over it), I
would want to test it against as many competitions, other pieces, and other
judges as possible. Especially considering the variables in those areas.

Cruising between levels, between different shows or competing with it at a
lower level than it belongs is a whole 'nuther thing.  The record keeping to
bring that under control is beyond most organizations.  I believe the
California Woodcarvers Guild might be the closest to having a handle on
that, but the view from this side of the States is kinda fur, and I wouldn't
want to speak for them.

MTCW

Keep on Carvin'
-Mike B.->






----- Original Message -----
From: "Victor Hamburger" <VHamburg at bellatlantic.net>
To: "Woodcarver" <Woodcarver at six.pairlist.net>
Sent: Thursday, September 09, 2004 6:10 PM
Subject: [Woodcarver] When should a carving be retired from competion?


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> I was reading the new issue of Chip Chats in bed last night and found YET
> ANOTHER picture of an oft-pictured carving done by a well known carver.
The
> caption indicated that the carving had won a prize at a show, probably the
3rd
> or 4th time it had been entered in a large show and the same number of
ribbons
> awarded to it.  It is an excellent carving, no doubt, but the question
that came
> to my mind was, "How often should a carving be entered in a show before
being
> retired from competition?"
>
> This particular carver is a nice guy, a good teacher, and consistantly
wins
> ribbons for his carvings.  I have no problem with that.  I DO have a
serious
> question though about how many ribbons are too many for a carving? If 2-3
> carvings show up for a show in the same category, and each has already won
a
> number or ribbons, what happens to the carver who doesn't get to many
shows but
> has put a lot of time and effort into a carving that might well garner a
ribbon
> except that it is now competing against carvings that have already been
awarded
> ribbons at other shows? Very likely the judges recognise the carver's
style and
> maybe even that it has been a previous winner.  I suspect the chances are
> lessened for the lone carver and he/she may become discouraged that they
are
> always competing against the "circuit" carvers, the ones who continually
take
> their top carvings to a number of shows each year.  To be fair, I expect
the
> judges do not award ribbons solely on who carved the piece, but I still
have the
> uneasy feeling that there may be some bias in the contest.  Chip Chats
often has
> the same carving pictured in several shows each issue, so I am not picking
on
> any one carver here, but the carvers who enter a number of shows each
season.
>
> Some carvers don't compete at all, ribbons and competition mean little to
them.
> Some of us compete infrequently, and an occasional ribbon is a nice
reminder
> that someone likes our work besides our spouses. And lastly some folks
compete
> but retire a piece after one or two ribbons, while some seem to enter the
piece
> into every competition that they can.
>
> Do any shows prohibit previous winners (of other shows) from entering the
piece
> in competition?  When is "enough is enough" in your mind?
>
> Vic H
>
>
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