I agree, Mike.
Most people are mesmerized by the process NOT the product. I have painted in public more times than I can count (not a challenge for the faint of heart) and once the thing is signed the show is over. Everyone loves to see a creative process and they will watch anything, there are TV shows that star TATTOO artists for heaven' sake...and just last night, I caught a few minutes of a chocolate candy making competition.
A competition like this would be fun and educational. I know we all squirm over the aesthetics of such a thing but an audience of rubes is better than no audience at all.
What's more it would be the perfect venue to challenge the stereotype of the "accomplished artist". Regular "paint-offs" with big prize money would have real talent crawling out of the woodwork...(young & old, men & women) because it doesn't take muscle to successfully wield a loaded brush...it just takes virtuosity.
Joy Thomas
www.portraitartist.com/thomas
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