Daffodils Maybe? (Acrylic on Canvas)

This is a solid TWO on my "Artistic Merit One-to-Ten Scale" - it's not so great but it has flowers, which are always nice, and it has bright colors (i.e. no blue or purple). But boy is that gray fence awful. Hmm...waitaminute...ugly gray fence? I am beginning to have a tremendous sense of Deja Vu while looking at this thing: I am almost certain that somewhere in this illustrious gallery there is a painting very much like this one. Which means one thing: "Paint Night Suggested Topic!" Oh well.

(Addendum) I knew it!!!

https://valuevillageartgallery.blogspot.com/2023/11/lilies-acrylic-on-canvas.html?m=1

Glacial Valley (Acrylic on Canvas Board)

Kinda nice. This was a larger canvas board that has been cut into smaller pieces. Which, to me, is the sign of a serious artist, even when that artist might not be so great at the time. The board also looks old, like 1970s old to me. I could be wrong though.

Ski Gnome (Acrylic on Canvas)

Have I told you how much I dislike these freaking gnomes?

The gnomes have got to go.

 

Forest Scene (Acrylic on Canvas)

Not so great whether upside down or downside up. 

Fishermen and Ocean (Acrylic on Canvas)

(Value Village Art Gallery Favorite)

Really nice work here. Well done, artiste. We're fortunate to have your work amongst our ranks. Keep painting my friend...

Basketball Bugs (Acrylic on Canvas)

I know a kid probably did this so I won't be too mean. It actually looks like a reasonably-proper Bugs Bunny. The proportions are correct. The face is decent. But...the lack of soul, originality, thoughtfulness, imagination is hateful unto me. This is what the 21st Century has reduced us to: Art as a meal of Circus Peanuts, Moon Pies and Jolt Cola. Feh!

Children, Flowers (Acrylic on Rough Wood)

This allllmost made it into the illustrious ranks of the "Value Village Art Gallery Favorite" category. And it still might, a few days from now once I've had some time to think about it. Regardless, this is pretty great, considering the Minimalist / Outsider Art feel of it. The flowers are great, the fence of unpainted wood is great, and the kids are great. I'm thinking a kid did this. Or maybe not a kid (otherwise known as an adult.) Did I mention the flowers? They and the greenery around them kick a truly remarkable amount of ass! Artiste: I salute you.

"Gonna Ask My Wife" (Acrylic on Canvas)

Her answer? "Either Larkspur or Delphinium." 

Not bad. Nice, bright, non-boring colors. The proportions are good. The butterfly is mundane but still the cumulative impression this viewer gets here is that of guarded okayness. It's not bad, for what it is.

Nurse (Pencil on Paper)

(Value Village Art Gallery Favorite)

My wife suggested that this was a sketch done on someone's Nursing School Graduation Day. Really nice work here. I was very surprised to find this at VV amongst all the detritus, folderal, flapdoodle and codswallop. A bit of someone's heart and soul went into the making of this I think :/

Heart (Acrylic on Canvas)

It's no masterpiece but for what it is, it is better than approx 20% of the stuff here. For all its (on the surface) vacuous banality, there is...something about it that Isn't Totally Repugnant. The colors grab me, for one thing: the red black white and light blue really POP here in a very appealing way. The haphazardness of it all feels less contrived that is usually the case with this type of thing. And while this is minimal for sure, what's there is nicely done. Artist: try something less plebian next time. Maybe paint FROM the heart instead of, well, you get the joke.

ADDENDUM: eight days have passed from the time of my review unto now, and I've only just noticed the almost-but-not-quite-transparent hackneyed trite faux-profundity-type slogan in this thing (gag retch choke). I hereby rescind any prior kind words uttered in defense of this abomination. "Hate Yourself" are better words to live by, in most cases :/

"Can't Snuff the Rooster" (Acrylic on Canvas)

"No, no, no, you know he ain't gonna die..."

I'm just kidding: this was untitled. But it's a nice-looking rooster for sure. I like the colors. This feels...old school to me. I know it's not, but there's something about it that feels old and competent. A semi Kitchen-Kitschy, semi-70s vibe to it IMO. Nice job, artiste!

(PS- I have no idea why this text is so tiny but I can't get it to go back to normal. Pardon me.)