Chatting with my inner critic

I had a great time visiting a local art gallery with a friend on Friday. We spent two hours visiting the studios, discussing the art, and catching up on life. Visits to art galleries inspire and humble me in equal measure. I love seeing what other artists are doing, admiring their work, and trying to figure out their techniques.

Some pieces blow me away with their simplicity (I love the graphic impact of linocuts and block prints) and others with their complexity. Colors, subjects, media, execution, perspective, craftmanship, texture, vision, style--so much to consider and admire.

Then I come home to my studio, look at my current projects, and sigh. My colors are too pure, or they're overmixed and muddy. The composition falls flat or doesn't have energy or unity. The transition between the background and the foreground isn't smooth. The flowers look like they're sitting on the surface and not occupying the field I painted them into. Aaugh!

I get frustrated. Art does not come easily to me, and I have to push myself. Sometimes I think I need more instruction on techniques and materials, but I also know there is no substitute for hard work, experimentation, and practice, practice, practice. My bad art is the price I have to pay to get to good art.

I can let my inner critic pull me down, or I can let it push me to work harder and to keep trying. The good thing about painting is that I don't have to live with my mistakes. A jar of gesso and a big brush are all I need to make them disappear and to start over.

This week's projects:

What I like: the side of the road, the mailboxes, and parts of the sky. What I don't like: the "puddles" of flowers, the unnatural shade of green, the way the land rolls. I did a watercolor of this scene too and it was a mess. I cut it up into pieces and plan to use the good parts on cards.  Next one:

This one was an experiment in painting using only two pigments--unbleached titanium and burnt sienna. It's OK. Not a fan of the reddish brown colors, but I like the tree foliage. My light source at the end of the trail is a muddle, but I like the edges of my path, especially the shadows on the left side.

Now that they've been done and critiqued, I can gesso over them and try, try again. Stay tuned. 

Comments

[Kim Nelson]

The two pigment project initially struck me as a photograph printed in sepia tones. It invited me in and made me wonder what was hidden just beyond the obvious, past the end of the path. I really like it. Thank you for sharing, V.

[Nance]

You have kind of a Vincent VanGogh aesthetic, which I see in the mailbox painting's sky and edge of the grass, esp.

[Susan Raihala]

Oh, I really like the two-tone painting a lot! It's very interesting...in a good way. The mailbox painting also has wonderful appeal. Thanks for sharing!

[echo]

I think the second one is really pretty. Good work.

[Jannie Funster]

I definetly thought Monet on the second one.

And you'll have to forgive me, I have never been able to spell definetly -- mental block since childhood.

[Katie Cowhorns]

I liked both of these! The first one reminded me of the mailboxes at the bottom of Mom & Dad's driveway, though I don't think ours were ever that straight :) I wonder how it would've looked with cornstalks instead of grass? The second one I really loved---I thought you did a great job with the texture of the trees. At first glance I actually thought you had been playing around with photo-editing software b/c the image looks a lot like a picture I have from the sculpture garden in Antwerp--the path where they have those people hanging from the trees on either side of the road. Looks great! Don't be too hard on yourself!

[Peace]

I love the contrast of both of these pictures. The mountains on the top left of the picture with the hills going up to them, where the grass doesn't go all the way and there are patches of dirt. The two tone is really lovely. I really like the trees, especially the tree trunk on the first tree on the left. You shouldn't gesso over them and start over. Leave them as they are. The coolest thing of going to the Van Gogh museum was seeing the progression and transitions of his paintings. You won't know how far you have come without comparisons.

[Diane]

I think they're great as well. I particularly like the one with the trees and pathway. Excellent job! We are all so hard on ourselves, be it with painting, writing, sewing, etc. Stifle that inner critic!

[Chris]

I'm impressed! The mailboxes are great. I wonder if you can sharpen the puddles of flowers somehow... It's truly beautiful just the way it is though. I would love to see the unbleached titanium in person. I really like the foliage and path too!