Is this art, or is it just a mess?

Thank you so much!

I just added this page to my art favorites:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52553576@N06/

I am a retired College and high school art teacher, and award wining painter. I still do artwork every day.. My work has been sold at Christies and is in numerous collections.

A weak point of mine is that I kill so much time on Yahoo Answers with painting questions that are easy for me to get 90% best answer. A weak point of yours is that you are asking the uniformed masses on YA that have no idea what they are seeing for critical advice on validating your fantastic work.

Believe me. The energy of your surfaces, and beautifully variegated colors are a delight for the eye, and your work shows great promise.

Do yourself a favor and google and read about super stars of painting Rothko, Toby, Olitski, Frankenthaler, Towrkov and Cy Towbley and see how they inform your work.

Your surface marks remind me of Mark Toby:

http://www.google.com/images?q=mark+toby+painting&...

You variegated colors remind me of the giants of color field painting Jules Olitski, Helen Frankenthaler, and Mark Rothko:

http://www.google.com/images?q=jules+olitski&um=1&...

Your marks remind me of the energy of super star Cy Towbley:

http://www.google.com/images?q=cy+twombly&um=1&hl=...

Also check out another of my favorites Jack Towrkov and see how his work might inform your paintings:

http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&safe=off&client...

Are you a masochist by posting your work on YA and asking for criticism?

Do you work with a group of like minded thinkers in some kind of esthetic coterie?

How did you get started?

What is your inspiration? …. Jazz?

Did you know that painter Larry Rivers was a Jazz saxophonist at a NY club frequented by some of the super painters who found that he was playing what they were painting? So Rivers just started painting what he was playing and became a highly revered famous artist.

http://www.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&safe=off&c...

Email me at YA and we’ll talk.

You’re Work is Great!

When asking such a question like is this art or a mess,one must realize its like asking what is art? There for the best answer I can give is the following. Anything can be art just for the simple fact the artist created it for a reason or purpose. For example when a person viewing art says," That's ridiculous a kid could do that!" They are missing the grand point no matter how simple or complex the art work or even performance art is it was created for a reason. This can be best explained by such artist as Marcel Duchamp, Jackson Pollack,and Rothko. Instead of asking the question is this a mess or art?, you should ask question such as hows the technique or what should be enhanced.I hope this helps on your artistic journey

Truth is, no matter how "good" you are as an artist, you'll never get consistent reviews. There's always going to be someone who likes it, someone who doesn't.

The important thing to keep in mind if you are an aspiring artist is to at least attempt to master the techniques. It's frustrating when someone says "is this good" about something they slapped out, or did blindly. That's not what art is in my own opinion (I realize people are not going to agree).

Did you have a vision? Something specific you wanted to come across with the piece? Or were you thinking it's abstract, I don't need a vision?

It's lacking feeling, emotion. And it's lacking technique. If you pull in your technique more, and keep trying, I'm sure you will get there! Stop trying to portray a theme (like abstract). Pick something more specific to begin with. Paintings like this don't just come out of no where. Artist's plan, that's the key.

Well, ya wanted honesty. I really hope you keep up with the art!

Personally (as an art student and aspiring artist myself), I can say that it is a starting off point at the very least. The good and (sadly) bad thing about art, is that nearly anything can be considered art. But I do like how the white in the center contrasts with the rest of the piece, which is mostly dark. You seem to be playing more with tone here, even though you are using different hues. I'd honestly urge you to continue playing with what your doing. And good luck.

I like the way the colors go together and how they meld. It has a very primitive look because it was painted with your fingers and the dark spots really give it depth. I have a problem with how the red line sort of cuts through the blue and white and how the brown line cuts through the red. It seems a little too harsh when everything else is so soft. Please keep painting and working on your art because i think you have some talent.

Initially, I don't like it. It doesn't really speak to me or evoke any kind of feeling.

But I do also agree with another comment that it is a good starting point, it just seems to lack depth at the moment... I do like the texture of the piece.

Was there a particular theme, idea or mood behind it?

Its hard without seeing it in real life in my opinion, but I wouldn't rule it out as art. :)

I do think its cool that you're willing to put yourself out there and ask us, because that alone can take some guts! Don't give up, keep working, but also remember to keep pushing yourself. One thing I've learned (and though I know I have a LOT to learn,) is that you have to respect your work enough to look at it with plenty of criticism. Looks like you've already got that down, though so hey, you're way ahead of me!

The first whole view looks like what a psychiatrist would ask . "What do you see in this picture.? I see two dogs, one sitting and the other sitting on his hind legs. They are playing. I like it!!! But the second one is as you wrote just a mess.

By GLANCING at it I can't really tell what it is . . . but isn't that the point of art? To make you THINK? My roommate is an art major so I've experienced a growth in interest for artwork, but I do like this piece. It makes me think!

I would call your art, absract art. Personally I don't understand absract painting.,but I do love the blending of your colors. I'm a Still Life painter, which I love to do so much.

Sorry to hearken to approximately your knee. i understand how you sense, I especially plenty destroyed mine, yet nevertheless do karate! you are able to have the potential to do any form of martial arts you like. a stable instructor could have the potential to understand the thank you to paintings with injured human beings and the thank you to paintings around the wear. acceptable of luck along with your coaching!