Midterm Critique

We placed all of my paint studies and many of my sketches on the wall. After that, John whittled the selection down to my best works from the semester (pictured below, en masse):

Jacquet

Copy of a Poussin

 

Grace

Jackie

Annika

Arika

James (Alan's son)

Studies of one of Rembrandt's depictions of Abraham preparing to sacrifice Isaac

Painted barefoot. First oil/color landscape.

study

Copy

He said I "have a real feeling" for drawing, a "touch," a "gift." He likes how I've "loosened" up over the course of the semester, and asked if I like Rembrandt. This question made me quite happy. I love Rembrandt and have been thinking about his conceptions of light and dark relations, and how shadows create space/air, since the semester began. He essentially assigned extra work to me for the Venice trip (which begins in less than 48 hours!), by telling me I should plan to do a lot of drawing there - in addition to the 15-30 paintings we're all expected to do. I found all of this highly flattering and inspirational.

In relation to my paintings, he commented on my color harmonies, my lack of a "formula," and how I truly represent the subjects in my middle and later/latest studies. Annika is truly Annika, not just a picture of her. The same goes for the paintings of Jackie and Arika, and especially Grace. He talked about how the paintings of James and Grace are "wild," and how the brushstrokes are so immensely different from each other, but how it still "works." One brushstroke in one painting is completely different from the one that is next to it, which is different than the one next to it. By lack of a "formula" he meant that I approach each subject as I see it, and do not just work by habit. He said he sees a lot of "sustained work," and that my wall of pieces was "beautiful."

YAY.

He also recommended the female impressionist, Berthe Morisot, to me. Did anyone else not know there were female impressionists? Her work is brilliant.