Lately l have had to deal with more criticism than usual. I am not sure if it is because people are just becoming more aware of my work but whatever the case maybe, l thought l would share with you how l deal with it. Criticism always makes my heart race, l find it hard to hear sometimes but l have learned to know the difference between destructive and constructive criticism. You have to know where the feedback is coming from and understand the intentions of the person who is giving it to you. I also think that it is important that you accept that you are not perfect, no one is. This is a great way to deal with criticism, every person has flaws. I have also had to learn to not take it personally. If the criticism is constructive, then it’s intended to guide you and help you improve as a person, not bring you down and make you feel inadequate. Recently this has happened to me. I felt inadequate and it took me a few days to realize that I need to work on being less sensitive. I just controlled my emotions and focused my energy on practicing what l was being criticized on. It’s important to understand what you are really being told. Sometimes, it’s hard to break down the message and start figuring out what to do next, because you are so focused on the hurtful aspect of the feedback and let’s be honest it’s easy to wound our pride. But it’s important to be determined and see if there is some truth to the feedback you were given. If there is truth to it, then it is important to thank the person for being honest, but only if they are being kind about it. If the person was kind and honest then take the time to thank them, it’s a sign of maturity. This has made me a better person for being able to take it on the chin, as well as being appreciative of constructive honesty. Be careful with the destructive criticism. You need to understand the person’s true motives. If you have recognized the criticism is completely destructive and hurtful, then you need to think about why the person might have said what they did to hurt you. It could be jealousy, maybe they were in a bad mood, it’s not an excuse for their words to sting you, but l tend to put myself in their shoes, l try to be the bigger person and find the underlying message. It’s hard but l try to stay confident, positive and maintain self-worth. I just try to accept the things that l can’t change and figure out what l can do to enhance as a person and refine my work. I think it is also important to hang out with people who make you feel good about yourself but at the same time are able to be honest with you and not in a hurtful way. If the criticism has no point whatsoever, then the best thing to do is to ignore it. Don’t feel bad if you are not able to push all the negative feedback aside right away. It takes practice to stop caring about what people think and just do what you love. As for me, l do what l do, and post my work, not only because l have a passion for art, but to hopefully be an inspiration to others. I am learning and trying new things all the time. It is the beauty of not being perfect and l love that l can show that side of me, so that people can see that l have learning curves too. Stay positive and have a beautiful day. AuthorRealistic Acrylic Artist in Kingston, Ontario
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I picked up my first paint brush seriously when l was 24, although l remember my Mom encouraging me to paint at a young age, she obviously saw some potential that l didn’t. I took a few tole painting classes back in the day and l fell in love with how the paint glided and l felt such satisfaction when l completed a project, I was hooked! For years l painted on just about anything, wood, plastic, glass and l loved everything about the creative process and experimenting with different mediums. I practiced and practiced. I then decided in my 40’s that painting was not just a hobby anymore, l began seriously thinking of becoming a full-time artist and hopefully inspire people. I have been working hard at it, trying to make my dream come true. In 2014, l decided that l needed to learn how to draw if l was going to expand my love of painting realism. With so many great art tutorials on the internet and my lack of time to take classes outside my home, l took classes on line. Drawing and Painting courses-The Virtual Instructor, is a great online site. http://thevirtualinstructor.com. I am a determined individual and l for sure benefited from all the late nights of trying to draw accurately, learning my values, highlighting and shading. I’m not the best out there, that’s for sure, but l am passionate about learning and trying to better this skill. With the exception of a workshop class, I am a self-taught artist. Being a Mom of two incredible young men, l always hoped that l would be an inspiration to them and show them“where there's a will there's a way”. I have also learned that you can’t take criticism to seriously. Everyone has an opinion but it might not always be one you want to hear. You just have to know when to ignore or learn from harsh criticism, stay committed and continue doing what you love. I have also figured out that you can be the best artist out there, but if you can’t market yourself and put yourself out there for all to see, then your art just isn’t going to be spotted. There is a copious amount of amazing art out there and it is hard to stand out. Learning marketing skills, being yourself, and staying true to yourself, is probably the best advice l have ever received and exercised. If you have followed my progress, then l hope it shows how hard l have tried to evoke emotion in my work, and how hard l try to put myself out there. I really couldn’t continue to do what l love if it wasn’t for the support of such amazing people who have supported me, and my work. I thank you all for your kind words as it gives me the will power to continue my creative obsession with positive vibes and enthusiasm. Have a Beautiful Day! Caran d’Ache Luminance Pencils – What can l tell you about these glorious pencils that hasn’t already been written? Probably nothing, but I can tell you that these are simply amazing to work with. The following is my own opinion and l have not been influenced by anyone to write my review. I draw a lot of commission pet portraits so it is important for me to use premium quality pencils. These pencils are some of the most intense colours l have ever worked with, they are premium quality and they are UV-resistant. These are still a wax based pencil but what makes them so great is they create little wax bloom and layering them is a dream. Even with multiple layers there is essentially no wax bloom. The colours are lightfastness. The lead is really strong, enabling a really fine tip for intense detailing. I was truly amazed at just how smooth they were. I was able to blend colours together to get some of the colours l required. The only con l found, is the variety of subtle colours available was limited, as the Luminance collection l believe is focused on bright colours. I was able to grab some of the colours l needed from my Premier Prisma Colour pencil collection and use them, they worked well with the Caran d’Ache Luminance Collection, what a bonus, l had best of both worlds. What l really loved the most about the Caran d’Ache Luminance pencils is how durable they were. I seriously didn’t have a breakage once when using or sharpening them, which means my pencils will last longer, a super pro considering these are an expensive pencil so be prepared to gasp when you see the price. Overall these are simply the best coloured pencils l have used so far. I would rate these a 10 out of 10 in my opinion. Working on a winter painting, I have to admit that l am not a fan of the cold and l hate driving in the winter, but something magical happens in the winter when the snow starts to fall. I love knowing that the snow is falling outside and l have no plans but to stay indoors, in my studio with a warm cup of coffee while l inhale the aromatic scent of sweet Vanilla. l stare at the falling snow and the shimmering trees. Painting a winter scene can be quite challenging, l always assumed it would be easy, but there is a lot to remember when laying down your paint colours. You can’t just use white.
I thought l would share with you some helpful tips to create a dreamy and better snowy winter scene. Really look at your shadows and highlights, and remember snow is not straight white. The snow will reflect the colours around it. Evoke the wintery magical feeling in your painting, so get some really good reference photos and examine them, study the snow and play around with your paint colours.
Have fun creating! I have been trying some different watercolours lately and the one brand that l decided to write a review about is, “Dr. PH Martin’s Hydrus Watercolours.”
I absolutely love these watercolours and they totally feed my addiction for watercolour painting. They are these wonderful liquid colours, Hydrus Fine Art Watercolours are available in 36 inter-mixable colours and they are formulated using light-fast, fine artist quality pigments. I purchased the 15ml bottles with a dropper in the screw cap, but they are also available in larger bottles such as 30ml. They are AP approved, non-toxic and they are considered to be 25-50 percent brighter than traditional watercolours. They are transparent and archival. They can also be used with an airbrush, brush and fountain pens. They are a bit expensive but because the colour is so concentrated and you’re diluting it with water, l have used them extensively and l haven’t yet made a dent in any of my bottles. It’s easy to create bright decorative paintings and images with the Hydrus Watercolours but it is less easy to create paintings that are more naturalistic. You would have to be careful colour mixing, but it is possible, and because the colours are so strong and bright, the liquid watercolours are ideal to use when learning about and practicing colour mixing. Your colour intensity all depends on the amount of water you use to dilute your liquid colours. The White Hydrus Watercolour is opaque and turns the paint into a body colour when added to wash mixes. The pigment content tends to settle in the bottle, so always shake them well in order to distribute the pigment before using and remember that a little drop goes a long way. When the Hydrus watercolours dry on a plastic palette it is easy to reuse them by re-wetting them, bonus no wasting. Overall l give the Dr. Ph Martin Hydrus Watercolours two thumbs up, and they have become one of my favourites in my art studio. Have a Beautiful Day! |
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I am hoping that l can be inspirational and informative. I feel that paying it forward is a great way to live. Archives
May 2023
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