Yes, exposure to the very best work that people have to offer can paralyze as well as motivate me... I really try to paint for pleasure and not to impress others, but inevitably I find myself frustrated by the staggering amount of effort that goes into improving my style. This does not come naturally to me :(
Thats a really funny peice Allison. However, I guess cause I dont have that artist eye....why is the soldier less detailed? I kinda think of your critics as being those really good painters...
ReplyDeletemaybe if the cheering mob was all dipped in white...then I could see the comment.
All in all, a super funny piece, and your level of painting is quite good and always a pleasure to see.
Thanks for the comment, Caleb! A few points...
ReplyDeleteIt may not be obvious to a non-painter but the soldier is only partially painted... the white is the primer coat. After all, the skel is the painter here... the other "miniature" is his partially finished work. The idea being that like me, he is reluctant to finish because he doesn't feel that he's doing very well...
Incidentally, criticism at Cool Mini tends to be very friendly, and super-helpful. There are very few people who would leave a comment saying "Your mini is shit"... even if the comments were not moderated to avoid that kind of abuse. And even the top painters will usually comment on relative amateurs' work - I have been extremely gratified to receive praise and advice from painters I really admire.
Sorry Allison, I think that I interpreted the tableau differently than your intentions.
ReplyDeleteI saw the partially painted soldier as the unrelenting critics... forcing the skeleton with bones bared to paint for all to see. The shield is positioned at the edge of the frame obviously not protecting the painter from harsh critics, while the axe is positioned periliously close to the head, waiting to fall like the Sword of Damocles.
I figured the soldier was only partially painted to show that critics often lack the artits touch, and thus are judging unfairly.
However, I do like you original intentions of the piece as well.
i guess my initial reaction was the same with caleb. i thought the guard represented your critics. i missed the fact that he was standing on a base. i like this piece. how did you even do that palette on the floor? i imagine it must be very small. :D
ReplyDeletedon't feel pressured. take your time with the painting. we all start somewhere and we advance in different paces. take your time and smell the flowers as they say. ;) paint because this is YOUR art and not because you're in competition with others. ;)