Last spring, I had the pleasure of being one of the judges for The Outstanding Artist Season 4.
If you are not yet familiar, The Outstanding Artist (TOA for short) is a reality TV series produced by Milan Art that challenges professional artists to go head-to-head for a generous cash grand prize and a title that can pour gasoline on an artist’s reach and career.
The artists chosen for this season brought such talent, vision, and voice to each canvas that one thing was clear to me on day one…I would need to redefine what it means to “judge.”
Being a foodie, I am partial to the reality TV format of entertainment, growing up on shows like Iron Chef, Chopped, and Hell’s Kitchen. Put a bunch of talented chefs together, give them the ingredients, then turn up the heat and see who burns and who rises like a soufflé.
The mean reality judge archetype was a born, and we all watched as Simon Cowell told someone they couldn’t sing or Gordon Ramsey berated a chef for burning the F-ing risotto! There are simple rules to most forms of art like singing and cooking. It becomes obvious when you sing off-key or undercook a scallop.
Art, however, cannot be judged by a standardized rule book. This is what makes TOA so interesting to watch and so challenging to judge.
In the beginning episodes, Elli and some of our top professional artists and mentors judge the challenges on fundamentals—things that can be easily defined and compared. The artists competing came from all over the world, leaving the comfort of their home studios which, for many artists, serves as a space of inspiration and peace.
The process required long hours of filming and many canvases to be painted, which “turned up the heat” as days grew long and buckets of used brushes filled up the studio like bouquets in a flower shop.
By the time the fundamentals rounds were over, half of the contestants had been sent home, and the remaining half looked like they could use a day at the beach to recharge…but we were just getting started!
The second half of the season shifts the focus to judge each piece more broadly. The remaining artists have proven they can master the fundamentals, and now they will be challenged to provide that ever-important aspect of art: the story. Enter Jock, gallery director!
For over a decade, I have stood on the gallery floor and been the bridge between what an artist paints and what the client sees. After the artists painted the last stroke on canvas, I wanted them to paint another picture for the judges by sharing their story, and I am so excited for everyone to see what came out of these artists’ hearts.
Time + pressure = diamonds. In an artist’s career, this means they will have a lifetime to refine their style, technique, and ultimately their voice. Sometimes that means a terrible experience caused you to change course, or an experience in your life caused you to paint a subject that was your outlet to heal.
For the artists out there, remember that when your painting doesn’t sell, doesn’t get picked for a show, or doesn’t win TOA Season 13, it is not being “judged” by a metric that means anything other than it was not the right fit for the right situation.
The real judge of that painting you’ve had sitting in your studio might be the collector who falls in love with it the next time you put it, and yourself, out there to be viewed.
The real judge might be your child, who tells his teacher that his mommy is the best artist in the world.
It might be proving to yourself that you can go through a rigorous challenge like TOA and smile no matter what the outcome.
Your results will depend on what you are choosing to see. When you define how you measure success, you realize that the people whose opinions matter the most are not the ones sitting and pointing from an ivory tower.
In your life as an artist, the challenges keep coming, and the real judges are all around you.
Step into the challenge that changes how you see yourself as an artist.
If you’re ready to stop waiting for validation and start building real confidence, growth, and momentum in your work, this is your invitation. The TOA Challenge isn’t about being judged—it’s about showing up, stretching your limits, and discovering what you’re truly capable of.
Join us, commit to the process, and put yourself—and your art—out there where it belongs.
