Critique Anyone?

February 12, 2012 Heather Kirtland

"Atmosphere" (?) encaustic on birch panel 12" x 24"

So, after an evening pondering whether or not the above painting was finished I read fellow blogger Megan Woodard Johnson's post "Venturing off My Beaten Path", and was reminded of how common it was for us artist to ask that question. As a student at a fine arts college, I couldn't wait for the day when I could stop talking about my work. The ad nauseam "crits" sometimes seemed, for some, to be about creative spinning more than the actual creating of art.

Since those long ago and far away days, I've realized there needs to be a happy medium. While the act of creating requires a significant time alone for most of us, there is still a need for a certain amount of artistic community. I find this lacking the most while I stand in my studio asking myself "Is it finished?", "Is something missing?", "Would you add something?"

I often think about the graduate studios at said fine arts college, and loved the perfect combination of being walled off yet peeking next door for a conversation or an opinion. When I daydream about one day doing a residency I think this is the environment I would search for. (In perhaps a tropical climate, or one with amazing vistas and to-die-for pasta.) But, I digress. My point is this: in such a lovely and supportive community full of talented and inspirational peeps, would a critique post be possible? Once a week, or bi-weekly, you could send me some images of a work in progress, and I could post them with one of mine and we could give each other some constructive criticism.

Let me know if anyone out there is interested. And I would love some feedback about the work above, if you're so inclined. And please, no need to be an artist to comment! Sometimes the best feedback I've gotten is from those persons that just appreciate art.
Thanks!