Something I failed to mention in my blog is that I asked a very special artist to critique my work. However painful the critique was in some of the detail, it was encouraging that many of the paintings that I thought were the strongest were still standing at the end of the critique and I am indebted to this artist for the time he took to look at a body of my work and the thought he put into it.
But the confusion you feel about critiques rings a bell with me--not all critiques are particularly helpful and some are so unhelpful they are downright maddening. Its easy to blame the person giving the critique for this outcome, but its just as likely that we blame ourselves and call it our own failure, so I think you are right that it makes sense to seek a method for self-critique and not always rely on others to tell us what is good and what is bad. We have to develop a sense of purpose in learning.
Yesterday, while cleaning out my studio, I came across the book, "Art and Fear," http://painting.about.com/od/productreviews/fr/Art_and_Fear.htm and it said perfectly what I was trying to say in my blog: "To all viewers but yourself, what matters is the product: the finished artwork. To you, and you alone, what matters is the process: the experience of shaping that artwork." So the best critique will in some measure bridge the gap between these two things--it will take into account where I've been and where I am going and it will give me a measuring stick from one outside perspective--an anchor that says: "yes, I am right to go in this direction at this time and this is what I need to work on." A good critique is a door rather than a wall, but I am the responsible party--I have to be ready to walk through that door. And I have the right to say, "Look, I'm not getting that. Can you please say more about that."
My friend, Barry Raybould, put together an online course that is based on specific principles such as the ones you mention. Since the course teaches the concepts in a systematic way, it gives a basis for learning how to self-critique. He’s also created a private online learning community for people studying the concepts and doing the exercises. I was surprised to see how much he's charging for it now, but its probably fair considering the cost of a 5-day workshop. Barry has pushed me to do painting exercises that I might not have done on my own. You can check it out at: http://www.virtualartacademy.com
Best of luck!
Kathryn PS--I really enjoyed seeing you on Whidby!
Something I failed to mention in my blog is that I asked a very special artist to critique my work. However painful the critique was in some of the detail, it was encouraging that many of the paintings that I thought were the strongest were still standing at the end of the critique and I am indebted to this artist for the time he took to look at a body of my work and the thought he put into it.
But the confusion you feel about critiques rings a bell with me--not all critiques are particularly helpful and some are so unhelpful they are downright maddening. Its easy to blame the person giving the critique for this outcome, but its just as likely that we blame ourselves and call it our own failure, so I think you are right that it makes sense to seek a method for self-critique and not always rely on others to tell us what is good and what is bad. We have to develop a sense of purpose in learning.
Yesterday, while cleaning out my studio, I came across the book, "Art and Fear," http://painting.about.com/od/productreviews/fr/Art_and_Fear.htm and it said perfectly what I was trying to say in my blog: "To all viewers but yourself, what matters is the product: the finished artwork. To you, and you alone, what matters is the process: the experience of shaping that artwork." So the best critique will in some measure bridge the gap between these two things--it will take into account where I've been and where I am going and it will give me a measuring stick from one outside perspective--an anchor that says: "yes, I am right to go in this direction at this time and this is what I need to work on." A good critique is a door rather than a wall, but I am the responsible party--I have to be ready to walk through that door. And I have the right to say, "Look, I'm not getting that. Can you please say more about that."
My friend, Barry Raybould, put together an online course that is based on specific principles such as the ones you mention. Since the course teaches the concepts in a systematic way, it gives a basis for learning how to self-critique. He’s also created a private online learning community for people studying the concepts and doing the exercises. I was surprised to see how much he's charging for it now, but its probably fair considering the cost of a 5-day workshop. Barry has pushed me to do painting exercises that I might not have done on my own. You can check it out at:
http://www.virtualartacademy.com
Best of luck!
Kathryn PS--I really enjoyed seeing you on Whidby!