.comment-link {margin-left:.6em;}
   Welcome to my blog! I'll be posting thoughts about art, photos, happenings, and other things that strike me--and hopefully my readers--as interesting. And please visit my website by clicking the link to the right--thanks!

   Also please check out my second blog, The Painting Archives to see older (pre-2004) paintings for sale.


Thursday, December 31, 2009
  self-critique

One of the most essential skills for an artist is to be self-critical--not as in "oh, terrible me, I'm no good at all" (although I guess most of us have lived at times with that awful conviction) but in a way that identifies, confronts and moves through problems. It's very hard to achieve the distance and clarity to do this, and sometimes another person's eyes are needed. But I think that ultimately you have to be able to critique yourself in a tough but positive manner, so that you can keep on track during all that studio time when you are by yourself with no feedback from anyone.

I have a list of criteria that I use as a check-list--though really it isn't as methodical as that sounds. Usually a quick scan through will help me pinpoint a problem. Very often, if something isn't working, I see that there is either too much happening in the painting (confusion, lack of focus and direction) or too little--the curse of the subtle painter, caught up in each minute nuance and losing the energy of the painting as a whole. I try to be sensitive to these and other bad habits that can undermine the good progression of a painting. (Knowing what to do about them is usually a harder job.)

As much as a person may analyze and question work in progress, sometimes the insightful truth chooses to arrive at an awkward moment, say, at the opening of an exhibit or when a deadline is imminent. This is a real challenge, keeping one's cool while acknowledging that a change is due. (Once--years ago--I suddenly saw, in the middle of an opening, that my work had descended to a level of subtlety that could only be called monotonous...)

Usually, the knowledge that I will be exhibiting my paintings in the near future (which is the case right now--my show at Circa Gallery in Minneapolis opens in just over a month) serves to sharpen my vision and energize me in a good direction. Although I used to suffer a lot of pre-show anxiety, at this point I take exhibiting pretty much in stride and can work steadily towards the opening date in a good frame of mind, without much inner drama.

But frankly, this has been a difficult week in the studio--a couple of paintings have come along well, but they are the exception. Most of my time has been spent slipping into ruts, making mud, spinning my wheels, and losing my sense of direction (insert additional cliches for describing frustration here!) Of course, I know this is all part of the process, and I'll bear with it--and fortunately I am not down to the wire yet. There is still plenty of time left to pull things together, and I'm confident that I will. Still it has not been a good week, and I am definitely ready for a new one. (Actually, a whole New Year sounds like a great idea!)

There is also a thought that comforts and sustains me as I pick at and tweak and fuss and rip things apart--I am aware that this sometimes ridiculous-seeming degree of fine tuning is what makes my work mine. Many abstract painters work with the same basic elements--color fields, geometric divisions, layered textures--that I do, but each of us has our own individual way of resolving the infinite number of details and nuances of our own work. My own are very labor-intensive and intuitive...meaning a great deal of trial and error is involved. Yet every layer leaves its rich traces, even when totally wiped outwith solvent. There are really no mistakes.

(The above painting, Remebering Catalunya #2 (60"x36") is one that I did manage to finish early this week. )
 
Comments:
Yes, the dreaded self-questioning phase.
Thankfully, it usually leads to growth.
Thankfully...!
 
Rebecca I think this "I am aware that this sometimes ridiculous-seeming degree of fine tuning is what makes my work mine." is such an important point. It's so easy to want to be like other people, to find an easier way etc, but then it's no longer your work.
It is something I have been getting some clarity round recently, so your post really speaks to me.
I hope things go well for you in the run-up, this week is kinder to you, and 2010 ROCKS!
 
A very good post, timely because I've been evaluating my work too...thinking along the same lines...I fear that painting rut, monotonous...such a fiend. I wobble back and forth between painting and drawing, then I write books too, so I get away from it frequently enough to gain fresh eyes. I always come away from your blog feeling energized by the colors and textures that you produce. Thanks for sharing your work with us, and I wish you the best, happy new year!

Laura
 
Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!
 
Rebecca -- thanks for stopping by my blog and yes, I can see that I'm not alone in this struggle! Congratulations on your sales and the upcoming exhibit, too!
 
I really appreciate all of these thoughtful comments. They are what keeps me blogging--
 
Post a Comment



<< Home

       www.rebeccacrowell.com




     September 2005 /      October 2005 /      November 2005 /      December 2005 /      January 2006 /      February 2006 /      March 2006 /      April 2006 /      May 2006 /      June 2006 /      July 2006 /      August 2006 /      September 2006 /      October 2006 /      November 2006 /      December 2006 /      January 2007 /      February 2007 /      March 2007 /      April 2007 /      May 2007 /      June 2007 /      July 2007 /      August 2007 /      September 2007 /      October 2007 /      November 2007 /      December 2007 /      January 2008 /      February 2008 /      March 2008 /      April 2008 /      May 2008 /      June 2008 /      July 2008 /      August 2008 /      September 2008 /      October 2008 /      November 2008 /      December 2008 /      January 2009 /      February 2009 /      March 2009 /      April 2009 /      May 2009 /      June 2009 /      July 2009 /      August 2009 /      September 2009 /      October 2009 /      November 2009 /      December 2009 /      January 2010 /      February 2010 /      March 2010 /      April 2010 /      May 2010 /      June 2010 /      July 2010 /      August 2010 /      September 2010 /      October 2010 /      November 2010 /      December 2010 /      January 2011 /      February 2011 /      March 2011 /      April 2011 /      May 2011 /      June 2011 /      July 2011 /      August 2011 /      September 2011 /      October 2011 /      November 2011 /      December 2011 /      January 2012 /      February 2012 /      March 2012 /      April 2012 /      May 2012 /      June 2012 /      July 2012 /      August 2012 /      September 2012 /      October 2012 /      November 2012 /      December 2012 /      January 2013 /      February 2013 /      March 2013 /      April 2013 /      May 2013 /      June 2013 /      July 2013 /      August 2013 /      September 2013 /      October 2013 /      November 2013 /      December 2013 /      January 2014 /      February 2014 /      March 2014 /      April 2014 /      May 2014 /      June 2014 /      July 2014 /      August 2014 /      September 2014 /      October 2014 /      November 2014 /      December 2014 /      January 2015 /      February 2015 /      March 2015 /      April 2015 /      May 2015 /      June 2015 /      July 2015 /      August 2015 /      September 2015 /      October 2015 /      November 2015 /      December 2015 /      January 2016 /      February 2016 /      March 2016 /      April 2016 /      June 2016 /      July 2016 /      August 2016 /      September 2016 /      October 2016 /      November 2016 /      December 2016 /      January 2017 /      February 2017 /      March 2017 /      May 2017 /      June 2017 /      July 2017 /      August 2017 /      September 2017 /      October 2017 /      November 2017 /      December 2017 /      January 2018 /      March 2018 /      April 2018 /      May 2018 /      June 2018 /      August 2018 /      September 2018 /      October 2018 /      November 2018 /      December 2018 /      February 2019 /      April 2019 /      May 2019 /      June 2019 /      July 2019 /      August 2019 /      September 2019 /      October 2019 /      December 2019 /      January 2020 /      March 2020 /      April 2020 /      May 2020 /      June 2020 /      August 2020 /      October 2020 /      January 2021 /      March 2021 /      May 2021 /      September 2021 /

       Rebecca Crowell