Musings: Recent Comments

Comment on Like being paid to eat ice cream.

William Reese — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:06:05 GMT

Susan,
I'll take this question a little at a time. First off we often get critiques and don't know it, and from people we don't necessarily think are qualified. Yet if a pedestrian off the street looks at our work and doesn't get it. You've just been critiqued and it's time to think about what you've said and how you've said it. Now this person can't tell you how to fix it but they will let you know when something is wrong. I used to take my horse sculptures to the race track and have jockeys tell me what they could see that was wrong. I would have the horse shoer check them out, as well as the veterinarian. Any one I could think of even the UPS driver. What I found is that they each had a valid view point. What one needs to always be aware of however, is the fact that to a hammer salesman everything looks like a nail. Each will see what they know and that is all they will see. So our job is to reach a state of correctness and a form of communication that reaches and satisfies them all.

I'm sure however what you are looking for is a critique from another artist hopefully one you might consider a mentor. I've found that if tell them what I want, is to find the negatives for me, I can identify the positives by my self, they will at least try. Painting and designing signs for 13 years helped me learn to be aware of how the eye was tracking the surface of the painting. Where the eye was allowed to move and when it was stopped. When, where, and how the eye became trapped and when and where the eye wanted to get out and move on to the next painting. What element will be read first, second, and third. It taught me that when something appears wrong it may indeed be right, if you correct something else instead.

In general my feeling about giving critiques is first of all it is a gift and must always be given that way, It should always be constructive and personalities should always be set aside. This is not about building self esteem in the short term at least, if one is honest self esteem will be improved down the road when it matters most. I have always thought that false praise was about the cruelist thing one could do. Besides mentioning the positive is like preaching to the choir unless of course it's the first time they've ever got it right. Mostly I am looking for mistakes in execution or more importantly errors in the thought process. Once the errors are identified I like to recommend exercises that will change this.

In short all critiques can be good but we must always factor in the source when we decide whether they are correct or not.

How should we weigh critiques by artists in whose works we can see blatant errors? I would say listen to them as well after all just because they got it wrong doesn't mean they are not correct about your's. If they have already stepped in that puddle they may just be right when they tell you to step over it. I've seen mistakes in museums by master painters that I would welcome listening to if I just had a time machine.

You also asked about ones ego getting in the way. I can see two chances for that, if we find our ego stepping forward when we are giving a critique then we really aren't presenting knowledge and insight as a gift, we are instead merely rubbing their nose in their own failure. Don't be surprised if they quit asking for any help. If our ego becomes involved when we are receiving a critique then we weren't really looking for help, we were looking for false praise. When I see this happening I just tell them to call their mother because she'll be happy to praise their efforts and she would probably love to talk with them anyway.

One of the best sign painters I ever worked with taught me this. When ever you have a question ask everyone you come in contact with because you never really know which one will know the answer. He would even ask the janitor. Because of this lesson I have always been willing to trade every thing I know for everything everybody else knows eventually I will have access to more knowledge than I will be able to remember. Thinking this way leaves absolutely no place for an unhealthy ego.

Wm. F. Reese

Comment on Like being paid to eat ice cream.

Susan Greaves — Sun, 11 May 2008 16:29:36 GMT

Thanks, Bill. Another article we all identify with because we all struggle. It's amazing how deeply satisfying a little bit of progress can be.

You touched on critiques. Please expand on that. Your critiques are always incisive, honest, impersonal, and worth gold, but getting a good critique is difficult. First, it's hard to get others to agree to a critique and then many artists are so steeped in the self-esteem philosophy that they won't cite anything negative. How do you think we should weigh critiques by artists in whose works we can see blatant errors? And most of all, how do we know when our own ego getting in the way?

Best,
Susan Greaves

Comment on Like being paid to eat ice cream.

William Reese — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:01:10 GMT

Carol
The longer I do this the more I struggle. The harder I work the luckier I get but I still continue to get farther from my goals. At the same time no matter how hard it gets it is always satisfying and worth the efort.
Bill

Comment on Working towards the essential

William Reese — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:56:51 GMT

Carol
I didn't mean to imply that the right brain has to do with painting loose. The right brain has to do with spatial concepts. I mentioned some exercizes for the right brain are you doing them? I also mentioned the book on "Drawing on the right side of the brain" have you read it? You can become right brained and still paint loose or tight. The loosness will come as you develop better editing skills and faster ways of making a statement. The more you practice the better you will get.
Wm. F. Reese

Comment on Welcome to my blog

William Reese — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:44:28 GMT

Cheri,
Good for you, all paintings should be abstract anyway. My only objection to non objective art is when it becomes a religion designed only to hide poor skills. The abstraction is where we find the music. Learning the skills is like the time the musician spends practicing scales. One is worthless without the other.
If you've been painting pastel portraits you undoubtablly have learned to draw so go for it.
Wm. F. Reese

Comment on Like being paid to eat ice cream.

Carol Carpenter — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:17:34 GMT

Dear Bill, (if I may use your "first name?)
Thank you for your truthfullness--in that "Painting" is hard-work! It certainly is for me, though I've found that I "Can't not do it"! It is comforting to know that YOU struggle, too!
Carol in Walla Walla

Comment on Working towards the essential

Carol Carpenter — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:11:30 GMT

Dear Mr. Reese,
A short time ago I sent a comment about
left-brain/right-brain (meaning tight/loose. You made some suggestions and I've taken it to heart! Thank you for your article of "Working Toward the Essetial". Everywhere I look, I see "THE PATH". Thank you for drawing the map--i.e.--encouragement to use our Very-Own unique talent!
Carol in Walla Walla

Comment on Welcome to my blog

Cheri Petri — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:58:46 GMT

HI
I feel like I found a kindred spirit! I have painted portraits of children in pastel for many years, always longing to be free to be more expressive. The money was good though, and people loved it! Two years ago I blew everyone's mind and began doing abstracts. I am loving it and don't give a rip what others think. I've earned it!

I especially liked what you had to say about being loose versus being tight.

Cheri Petri
by the way, the e-mail address is my husbands, who is also an artist.

Comment on Working towards the essential

William Reese — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:55:56 GMT

Kim

You've said it all too well. The public has had very little training in the arts and zero exposure to the appreciation of the arts. So I suppose it is to be expected that they would think the goal of the artist is to out wit the camera. In short they admire what they would do if they only had the time or inclinationto paint. They have no idea that the less said the better. Or as Mark Twain once said, "I apologize for the length of this letter, I would have written a shorter one but I didn't have the time."

The thing that amazes me the most in this regard is the fact that most people read Consumer Report and everything else before they buy a tv, computer, car, or anything else. They will go to their friends that they consider an expert on the item they are considering. Not one time in 50 years has any of the people I know ever ask for my opinion on the art they buy, and I assure you they have made some big mistakes. I can only conclude they consider themselves to be experts on the subject of art. The art they buy after not looking for expertise is usually tighter than the bark on a tree, and the first words out of their mouth when they show it to me. "Doesn't it look just like pitcher?" "You couldn't do better with a camera." Now, they expect me to have something to say.

I remember one time I was in the room when someone was showing Sergei Bongart their collection. They had just moments before purchased one of hispaintings. The gentleman asked Sergei what he thought of the collection. He looked around the room and then pointed to his own painting and said, "So someday you'll have more like this and the rest will go to garbage." I've never had the nerve but what a great answer although it was a bit of a conversation buster. So it might be a good idea to get your coat back before you say this, since you may be asked to leave shortly.

We also live in a world of vanity press where the art magazine editorial content is influenced by the advertising department of the magazine. You advertise enough and you get editorial coverage which is wrong and dangerous because the art critic was supposed to keep us on the straight and narrow. The weak artists will pay and the more talented will not, so do the math, guess who is going to appear in the mags. I'm not saying that all the articles are based on advertising but it doesn't take too much you know what, to ruin the whisky. By the way I have never paid for an article but I do know this goes on because I turned down an offer to do this just eight hours ago. Now I know they have to make a living too but it is a corruption of the system to allow the advertising to dictate any part of the editorial because it muddies the water. Now how is the public ever supposed to know the difference.

Somehow we need to get it across that we are paid for our vision not our time and the degree of difficulty only counts in ice skating and diving. As it is now with this runaway popularity of unnecessary detail which is like stacking B B's it may be difficult but so what.

Wm. F. Reese

Comment on Working towards the essential

Kim Fletcher — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 15:38:42 GMT

Hi Bill (& Fran)! I was glad to hear you were writing these musing... though I see your thoughts as much more than mere musings.

I have been active as a docent for the Phoenix Art Museum since last I saw you. I am constantly engaged by the reaction of the public to works of art. As you stated, the untrained eye is drawn to and amzed by the tightest of work and detail. Indeed, this is a skill all unto its own but the poetic expression of a painter truely skilled in loose painting can stop any viewer in their tracks. I often think the lack of appreciation for the looser painters comes from too much hype for the unskilled painters that slap paint all over the canvas without much thought for key elements like design, edges, values, temperature. etc. The concept that one can mash paint around without thought and call it high art is shameful. Even the best of abstract artists give consideration to these factors. Glad you are getting others to think deeper about their commitment to the voice of the canvas.