Locus Award Winner

The Locus Magazine Awards were given out on Saturday and I was named ‘Best Artist’ of the year. I really wanted to be at the awards ceremony out in seattle but on-going work on the ‘Midsummer’ statue kept me close to home instead. At the very last moment I sent the lovely Amelia Beamer (editor of THE SF/Fantasy trade magazine) my acceptance speach. It was so very late that I don’t know yet if anyone managed to read it at the ceremony but here it is:

Anyways, such as it is, here’s my acceptance speech in absentia for my first Locus Award, for Artist of the Year (2007):

“As much as I wanted to be here today and share the good times and splendid conversations with you all, I just couldn’t manage to squeeze any time to do so out of my crazy schedule. As some of you may know, I’m deep into sculpting and pouring the bronze for a fountain installation based on ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’ Right now my co-workers and I are wrestling with the nine foot figure of Titania, who is proving to be a very demanding Queen of the Faeries indeed.

Surprised doesn’t say half of what I feel right now. I’m humbled actually, to, at least metaphorically, be standing in the midst of the fine group of writers and artists that have won these current awards, as well as all those that have preceeded us.

Day after day every one of the nominated artists (and many more besides) face the same scary, blank sheet of paper that I do. We all struggle to scribe some sort of cohesive marks onto paper or canvas or whatever the chosen medium is. All of us have the same goal: that of translating our inner visions onto that surface and thus sharing it with you, the reader. Sometimes the artist that pursues that goal can be more successful than not. This year, judging by this gracious award, I’ve been having a very good time.

Thank you all very much.”

And here’s a link to the full list of winners:

http://www.locusmag.com/2008/Locus_Awards_Winners.html

Charles