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Anyway, I wanted to note that this marks the first time that I've received a comment that was more than just a (nice!) compliment. Which has gotten me to thinking about how rarely I see a comment with a suggestion for a change, even when the artist has posed a doubt about the work.
I DO welcome suggestions, although I don't really specifically ask for them here. I am able to use a suggestion to help me understand how someone else sees my work. I'm lucky enough also to have the confidence these days to ignore suggestions which seem to lead away from what I was attempting. So I'm always glad for the viewpoint, often ready to follow up making the change, while other times I'm willing to accept that viewpoints can differ.
But what about everyone else? How to know if a sentence expressing doubt about the success of a painting means the artist is willing to hear what another artist thinks might help? Or should we all stay away from such commenting, in the interest of keeping a happy and harmonious community?
I'd welcome your suggestions about making suggestions!
PS - per a suggestion (!) from a (non-blogging) artist friend, I've activated (I hope) the subscription feature, in case you would like to be notified when I've posted something. Please try it out, and let me know if you think it's a good idea. Thanks!
Deb's suggestion was a good one. I have found that some people are good at looking at a painting and knowing just what it needs (which, I think, is a skill you can develop if you're lucky enough to paint/critique with such people). Me, I'm not so good at it! I usually focus on what I "like" ... It's funny though, a painting friend and I had a long chat about this very thing recently: it's good to know what's working, but also so helpful to hear from others about what could be improved.
ReplyDeleteThe blogosphere is a very postive-reinforcement kind of place and maybe people worry about striking the right tone in a "comment" ... Maybe it would be a good idea to explicitly ask for suggestions; I'm going to think about doing so on my blog.
Glad I helped you make a difference! Luckily I've got some good friends with "good eyes" who aren't afraid to "help me out" with my paintings in a forthright manner - so I've learned a lot from them over the years. Looks better to me - but then, I love red! You need to be entering shows (just not the ones I enter LOL)
ReplyDeleteDeb, kind words again, thank you! I do enter local (Michigan) shows and have pretty fair success getting in, and even some success with awards or sales. I've only gotten into a national show (Missouri Watercolor) once, but found it an unsatisfying experience, as I spent $$$ shipping the painting there and back, and couldn't really afford to travel there just to see it on the wall. Probably won't try that again. These days I really just paint for me. The benefits of being a retiree not needing to make a name or a living from my art.
DeleteWell, since you are asking for suggestions...it seems to me that you have a lot of smallish shapes on a busy background. Maybe what is lacking is unity and balance. The deeper reds are all on the left side of the composition, with little red elsewhere to balance it. I bet Mike Bailey would suggest that you connect some of the shapes!
ReplyDeleteKathy: 66 days until Kanuga!!!!
DeleteWell, of course now that I have these suggestions in hand, I've inadvertently left the actual painting at the home where we held this month's critique. So, I'm stuck just looking at the image that you see online, and accumulating the ideas until I get my hands on it again.
I agree that unity is lacking, especially in the color distribution. I think I will try to add red elsewhere, in the lower right. I'm hesitant about connecting the shapes further, as I liked the fact that the flowers have sort of fallen apart and become abstract, and I don't want to reverse that. (I'm also sort of fond of the busy-ness at this point, but glad to hear your reaction. . . ). When I get the painting back I'll put it on the light table and work with tracing paper to see if there are shapes I can connect (or at least bring closer to each other in value and hue) without reinforcing the flower images. Thanks!
As I read Kathy's comment, I was going to suggest using the clear acrylic over the painting - then see that you do it with tracing paper - an excellent idea! That can really help, and you don't mess up the painting as you go. Whether you enter shows or just paint for yourself - doesn't matter - either way you are an excellent artist! You have a real style, too.
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