It's Crit Time!

Yes folks, I've reached the point on my mini mare where I've started to get critiques! I cannot stress enough how important it is for artists to do this- it has always been very helpful to me! Critiques teach me a lot- they aren't the only way this slow brain learns sculpting, but as a visual person, seeing my sculptures diagrammed, or having someone point out areas & angles I may want to re-think, really help the connections to go faster, leading to more of those 'aha', or "Oh, now I get it!" moments.

They are also good eye openers to things you should have seen, but couldn't because you were simply looking at the piece too much (a.k.a "barn blindness")! "Look at this reference picture you gave me," if I might parapharase what one critiquer said to me, "see how the hindquarter is like this here in the photo, but isn't like that on your sculpture? You tried to do a regular horse's hindquarter, but this is a mini- not quite the same animal!" And really, I couldn't see it before she pointed it out.

So the lesson here to all you other artists, if you are not already, get your sculptures critiqued! You will be amazed at what you learn if you pay attention, and listen closely*, to the opinions of people you respect & trust (which are musts in a critiquer!). I'm not going to list the names of my critiquers here- I do not want to flood them with requests or somehow suggest that they might endorse my work, but I thought I'd bring this topic up, as it is an important thing for all artists to persue, no matter how long or short of a time we've been doing this. Okay, off my soapbox now! I'm excited to be getting along in this mare, and I thank you all for taking this journey with me!

:)

*One more thing I remembered- it is helpful to keep an open mind, and not to take anything said by your critquer personally. As an artist, I know I always put a bit of my soul into my work, but I've learned how to 'detach' myself when it comes to critiques. After all, this person is trying to help you make your work better! If they say, "No, really, you need to carve off most of the buttocks", then rip out your shaving tool! And if you are certian they haven't got something right, get second or third opinions on the area!