One of my rodeo photos won a ribbon this fall, and you know what everybody in the photo is doing? Waiting. The horses are standing at the gate, the riders have their hats on, and the sun is setting behind them. That light is why I love Where the Light Leads. I’m glad I was able to take photos before the action started.

Four Blue Ribbons in Nacogdoches – Pineywoods Fair

I entered 3 contests around the same time this fall. Here at home, Brick and Blue, Where the Wind Meets Light, The Yellow Flower, and Zero Amps each won first place at the Pineywoods Nacogdoches Photography Contest. Four blue ribbons! I get a kick out of seeing Zero Amps in that group. It’s an old gauge with the needle sitting on zero, and what caught my eye is the paint peeling around the dial. I love that something I could’ve walked right past ended up hanging at the fair with a ribbon beside it.

Boots and a Windmill in Lufkin

Over at the Lufkin Art Guild Fall Contest in Lufkin, Texas, Texas Heritage took second place, and Where the Light Meets Wind took third. You can see my two prints hanging here, one above the other, on the left. The red ribbon is on the boots, and the yellow one is on the windmill.

When you look at Texas Heritage, look down by the heel. A little Texas star is on the spur strap. Then you see the creases in the leather and the stitching that follows them. Those boots give you plenty to look at before you even start wondering who wore them.

5 Ribbons from the Northwest Art League

While the 2 local shows were going on, I also entered an online art contest with Laurie Humble and the Northwest Art League. Those same boots won 1st place there! And that quiet moment at the rodeo? It took 2nd. Here’s how all 5 photos did:

1st Place — Texas Heritage

2nd Place — Where the Light Leads

3rd Place — Light Beyond the Fenceline

1st Honorable Mention — Where the Wind Meets the Light

Honorable Mention — Fire on the Water

See the full Northwest Art League contest results—click the results at the top of the page.

Thank you to everyone who put these shows together, and to those of you who take the time to look at my photos and blogs and tell me which ones you really like. I’m proud of these ribbons, and I’m happy to share them with y’all. Now that you’ve seen the photos, which one would you like to hang in your house?

— Nikki