Starlings and Trips to Liverpool

Painting nearing completion for the King of Cats Touring exhibition. Birds still need their speckles and beaks and eyes. The painting is 70 x 50 cm on canvas in acrylic and is based on an idea inspired by the Starlings that are not in the chimney knocking down soot.
Been to Liverpool and the Walker art gallery to collect my rejected painting from the John Moores 2014. Didn't do too badly getting in from over 2500 entries to the next stage of 180 but not through to the actual show of 52 works. Did get to speak with the project organiser which was very interesting and lifted my mood enough not to chuck the canvas into the river.
Thought I was in with a good chance this year and it seems that I was pretty close. Do I continue to waste my time and effort on these things? Can I get validity from some other avenue?
Decided to try and push the bird paintings toward a more fluid interpretation of how I experience the wildlife around me. Trying to add a feeling of that fleeting glimpse that you get from watching the birds in the garden. Will post the results when they arrive.