About
About the Blog:
Everyday Art Critique
This is a blog about looking at art, from the perspective of someone who makes it.
Artists talk about art* all the time, but there are a few additional points about what this blog is not:
What it is, is how I talk about art with my non-artist friends and family. As someone who is not an expert in any category you could mention, but who does care deeply about artworks, the people who make them, the ideas they reflect, and the ways they can change us, this is a blog about how art actually hits home in day-to-day life. It is about wanting to see more deeply into any given artwork's meaning, and about inviting that meaning to travel on with you.
Where this differs from a straightforward art appreciation blog is that I remain a practitioner, out to steal every good idea that's not nailed down. When I see a work I admire, I absolutely want to know how the artist did that thing, mainly because I want to see whether a similar effect could be put to work for me. As a result, it is difficult for me to lose sight of the physical nature of artwork, or of the very human limitations of artist(s); multitudes of non-practicing art historians and art fans are obviously wonderful at keeping these constraints in mind as well, but you do get the semi-regular piece popping up that rather over- or under-thinks certain aspects of how art is actually made (or, sometimes crucially, what it feels like to make it). So, an additional goal here is to avoid this pitfall to the best of my ability. Rather than rapturous appreciation of 'miraculous' artworks or 'inspired' artists, most of what you'll find will be down-and-dirty acknowledgement of the conscious, physical slog it often takes to turn raw concept into something that can stand on its own as an object.
In sum, then, this blog is a place for art as I know it and love it. I look forward to sharing it with you.
*'Art' here will usually mean the standard 2D visual arts of painting and drawing, AKA the stuff I make. However, all fields and media are taken as fair game for comment, and may be tied in as appropriate.
About the Writer:
Erin is an acrylics artist (or rather, perpetual artist-in-training), specializing in portraits and figurative works. She has a modest foundation in formal art education, but as is often the case, that education mostly just proved how little she knew and how many directions there were to move forward in. She is working on that.
Everyday Art Critique
This is a blog about looking at art, from the perspective of someone who makes it.
Artists talk about art* all the time, but there are a few additional points about what this blog is not:
- It is not a how-to or a guide to technique (except when it is).
- It is not a discussion of my own work (except when it is).
- It is not art history (except when it is).
- It is not just about looking at art.
What it is, is how I talk about art with my non-artist friends and family. As someone who is not an expert in any category you could mention, but who does care deeply about artworks, the people who make them, the ideas they reflect, and the ways they can change us, this is a blog about how art actually hits home in day-to-day life. It is about wanting to see more deeply into any given artwork's meaning, and about inviting that meaning to travel on with you.
Where this differs from a straightforward art appreciation blog is that I remain a practitioner, out to steal every good idea that's not nailed down. When I see a work I admire, I absolutely want to know how the artist did that thing, mainly because I want to see whether a similar effect could be put to work for me. As a result, it is difficult for me to lose sight of the physical nature of artwork, or of the very human limitations of artist(s); multitudes of non-practicing art historians and art fans are obviously wonderful at keeping these constraints in mind as well, but you do get the semi-regular piece popping up that rather over- or under-thinks certain aspects of how art is actually made (or, sometimes crucially, what it feels like to make it). So, an additional goal here is to avoid this pitfall to the best of my ability. Rather than rapturous appreciation of 'miraculous' artworks or 'inspired' artists, most of what you'll find will be down-and-dirty acknowledgement of the conscious, physical slog it often takes to turn raw concept into something that can stand on its own as an object.
In sum, then, this blog is a place for art as I know it and love it. I look forward to sharing it with you.
*'Art' here will usually mean the standard 2D visual arts of painting and drawing, AKA the stuff I make. However, all fields and media are taken as fair game for comment, and may be tied in as appropriate.
About the Writer:
Erin is an acrylics artist (or rather, perpetual artist-in-training), specializing in portraits and figurative works. She has a modest foundation in formal art education, but as is often the case, that education mostly just proved how little she knew and how many directions there were to move forward in. She is working on that.