Robert, West coast
oil painting I find you interesting. You played this whole thing. I have to suspect with good intentions of your own. Were we subjects in a mass experiment? Did you take into account that some would react with distain and trash the painting? To find that some readers would like to lash out at you, is that disheartening? You stirred up the masses, your people. I saw two things, one in your painting which is still there and one in your personal characteristics. You were playing with the core of what you are about. Yet the finished product you put out gives no satisfaction to those taking time to help with your art piece. It was a big "Ha Ha, I'm going to do what I want anyway." Actually, good for you as an artist, but why do it? Are you experimentalist or brat?

A couple Mount Saint Helens
oil painting years ago I went to Flagstaff AZ with a friend who was interested in buying a gallery. As we did a walk-thru amongst all the wonderful artwork, we noticed some rather insipid looking watercolors of florals and landscapes. Our first thought was, "That poor artist. I wonder if they ever sell anything?" Well . . . guess who was the top seller in the gallery? Even the gallery owner couldn't figure that one out. But that is what keeps art interesting.

I started Tsunami
original painting reading your clickback and thought to myself, Oh dear... then I started laughing. I know quite well how everyone likes to tell someone else how to do things. I commiserated with you and felt like that old commercial YOU ASKED FOR IT--YOU GOT IT... Then at the end I read... "It was a slice….Now if I can find my ear.”

I thought OH!!!!! Did I tear into him? I thought I had really expressed how much I liked it and the potential it would have with just a few adjustments. I kept thinking I didn't mean to make him feel ineffectual as Van Gogh, enough that he felt like he had been attacked and driven to detach an ear. Then I put on my glasses and realized you were looking for your CAR… whew…I am not such a bad person after all. Thanks for the fun of participating in telling you what to do. Hope you found your car so you can get out of Dodge.

I thought it Enter the silence
oil painting was quite a hoot actually to ask the advice of a bunch of artists, especially considering the whole spectrum of experience and abilities. Having overheard several beginner artists critique works that belied their inexperience I can only assume you opened quite a Pandora's box! I am reminded of what Plato wrote in . Socrates had been told by the oracle that he was the wisest man alive. Socrates found that hard to believe so he went to several different groups of people to quiz their knowledge. They were all opinionated in their viewpoints, yet none were exactly correct. Socrates finally had to concur with the oracle that indeed he must be the wisest man alive because at lease he is aware that "A wise man knows that he knows nothing." I hope you have found your car.

The many Winter Blues
oil painting contradictory responses you got, and these mostly from actual artists, vividly illustrates why we can't get hung up on one negative review of our work, or one rejection notice from a juried show. No art will ever connect with everyone, or satisfy the expectations of one viewer, judge, or art critic. A collective response, of course, is something to pay attention to, as a large part of why we create art is to communicate with other human beings as well as ourselves, and if no one connects, then there may be a problem. I always try to keep a lot of irons in the fire and applications and entries out there, so that the rejection letter one day is often followed by a glowing acceptance the next.

This is just fantastic. And I think you also learnt the lesson behind it that no matter how many opinions you gather (and this indeed was a massive gathering), in the end you have to turn around, go inside and search your own essence and voice - in the end you have to refine it all and decide on your own. Looking at your final product, I dare say you did. You accomplished this task and it will always remind you of this incredible experience.

Years ago Red Peonies
watercolour painting when my youngest son was growing up (around age six or so) he would often want to paint with me. I would prompt him as he decided what to paint and then would go back to painting whatever I was working on at the time. Naturally he would finish his painting in less than fifteen minutes and be back asking me how I liked it. As I marveled at his work and attempted to critique it to try to help him hone his skill, he was unable to see any problems with it, however he would come to my painting and proceed to pick it apart. At his young age, he could see things in my work that could be improved, but in his eyes, his work was fine. Maybe we are all born critics.

Robert, if Out of the Blue
watercolour painting what my Ol' Uncle Pete says "God hates a coward" is true, God must treasure you! It takes a lot of courage to put your work out like that and invite criticism. I read the feedback with interest, and was horrified by what some people had to say... Mike Vandy especially! He takes mean to a whole new level, and was foolish enough to include his own work after very personal and mean trashing of yours and of you. I won't get into what I think of his painting, but have to say that "Those who can, paint; those who can't jump all over those who can." I love your work, I loved the painting you submitted, and please carry on. I'm a watercolourist and have been painting steadily for the past 10 years, and am now teaching as well. You can bet I won't be posting my work and inviting feedback. I do sometimes ask my class to critique a demo that I've done, but people who are in your presence are seldom as mean as they can be when sitting safely at their computer and sending their opinions out over the Internet. Every single one of your letters is a blessing.

If there's one thing common to most humans, it's the ability to always see everyone ELSE's failings, but be relatively unable to push outside one's skin enough to see one's own with any clarity. If we could put a tenth of that effort into keeping good rein on our own habits and practices, all of our artwork would improve. Freedom and success are both the result of allowing others to take responsibility for, as well as bear the consequences of, their own actions or inactions, while exercising self control and taking personal responsibility for your own.

Painting from Townhouses
oil painting memory, (as you said this work came from, a small remembered sketch,) requires imagination and far more personal input than painting from life before you or from a photograph. It is far more difficult in some ways, and more fulfilling, more liberating than others. I found it interesting that so many responders to your invitation to the critique overlooked this fact and jumped in full force to analyzing the painting in academic terms, though that is quite a first accepted reaction. My questions to the artist would be, "Do you think this painting represented your initial inspirations for painting it in the first place?" Paraphrasing John Marin, after you "bow to the landscape," did it bow back to you? Only the artist can answer the question, did your exploration in the form of this painting fulfill your hopes for expression? When we paint from memory or imagination, we lay ourselves open to critique of another dimension. We are exposed for what we dare to express on canvas, but we also can say, this is my own creation owing nothing to a real scene or place except for an initial glimpse. Say what you will. It is still my dream laid down in paint. Then we stand by our dream, and move on to the next painting, just as you said you would. So bravo, do another!

I love your
digitally enhanced colours and composition painting. As a digital artist I always look at all art through my computer screen how I can enhance the composition and color. As you had asked for advice I rather gave it a try on your finished work. I will delete it after sending it to you. I hope you can enjoy my loving critical eye.

(RG note) Thanks, Ansgard. I did appreciate your loving, critical eye. And thanks to everyone who sent imaginative and loving digitalized versions for me to study. Of interest was that no matter what people did with the painting, the thing still tended to retain many of my personal errors and wrongheaded stylistic tendencies.

Rather than The pose
pastel painting critique your painting, as requested, I waited to see what your readers replied. I was quite confident that you would get comments which would dissect every nook and cranny followed by every nanny and crook! And voila! I believe in and always encourage critiques for myself and my students. However, I also think it's possible to look too far into the artwork as easily as one can overwork it. Looking "too deeply" is similar to looking into a never ending black hole! I try to put a lot of thought into constructive comments, leaving out all that may be considered non constructive... allowing the artist to respond to any "question marks" on his or her own. If you give someone all there is to comment about, you are merely giving them a major headache! I say leave a few open options to think about when critiquing... enough good stuff to question and "toss around." Most artists will then invariably go after that which they knew required more focus in the first place! None of us are gurus to all. However, some are willing and ready to help as you saw by the numerous responses. Unfortunately with too many critics offering too many suggestions, there may be too many decisions to make. The outcome… too much confusion and too little gain! After all, isn't "improvement" what we are chasing after? Congrats on your improvements, Robert, and for your reward... I have your car!!

I wanted to participate in your painting critique, but when I looked at the original, I was overwhelmed. I just didn't like it, but I didn't know what it was I didn't like about it. To me, it seemed masterfully created... I think it was the gentleness that turned me off. So, deciding that my minimal art capabilities were not worthy and wishing to avoid writing anything negative about a perfectly good piece, I did not weigh in. Today I see the "reveal." It's the same scene, but with its new attitude, I love it. How very odd. I'm attracted to the rugged manner of painting compared to the original serene style. The emphasis of pink that seemed sickeningly sweet has been removed, yet now reduced to merely a spec of color, it makes its point. I think I learned more from this simple exercise than you or I might have anticipated. Thank you!