Frozen Lake Hockey (Acrylic on Canvas)

I had planned on making this yet another one of my usual snarky reviews.

But then I started looking at this kid and decided the artist did a pretty good job on him. 

And while the trees are, admittedly, not so great, and the frozen lake is mostly just a shade or two of white and blue, the overall effect is…pretty good. 

It causes us to ask questions. Why is this kid by himself? Where’s his net? Why is he just standing there? What is he thinking? How did he get there? Where’s his mom? Is someone coming to pick him up? Has he eaten? It sure looks cold: I wonder if he’s cold? I bet he’s cold.

Stuff like that…

Smiling Dog (Acrylic on Canvas)

(Value Village Art Gallery Favorite)

This, right here, is why I do what I do, and is the reason that the Value Village Art Gallery exists.

Is it “good” from a skill/talent standpoint? No. Oh heck no. Definitely not.

Does it SPEAK to us? Does it have Heart and Soul and LIFE? Yes. Without question.

“But is it Art?” (as the saying goes?) Absolutely! yes Yes YES i say! Resoundingly so!

We need more Art like this! 👍

Flowers? (Acrylic on Canvas)

From a technique standpoint, it’s good.

From a heart and soul standpoint, it’s on autopilot: it says nothing, means nothing, evokes nothing. A Spirograph picture would be about as important.

Stax Love (Something on Canvas)

So I can’t tell if this is black paint, charcoal, or black pen. And I honestly did this this was a kind of Stax logo reference until I realized it was the finger/heart/love sigh the kids do nowadays.

Lame.

Just kidding. These are some fairly decent fingers, for sure. Fingers and hands can be tricky!

Halloween Landscape (Acrylic on Canvas)

In hindsight I realize that I didn’t examine this one closely enough. It’s is actually really good. I wish I’d bought it. The pumpkins, the ghost dog. I’m not sure what’s going on with that sky (?) but while it doesn’t improve the painting it doesn’t ruin it either (although the “salmon and white dots” area comes close.

I like it!

Mountain Landcape (Acrylic on Canvas)

All these Mountain Landscapes are getting to be a little tiresome. It’s exhausting. 

This one had the potential for being slightly interesting. Unfortunately, it missed the mark. 

The only things I can say that I barely like are the river (if that is, in fact, a river) and the places where the light green hills and the black hills meet near what appears (?) to be a glacier.

Landscape (?) (Acrylic on Canvas)

Unarguably bad…

 

Barn in Autumn (Acrylic on Canvas)

Too much damned white. I don’t care if this is a painting of an actual barn that really is white. It’s too much white.

It’s bare-bones but it has something very slightly going for it. I can’t tell you what that something is, but it’s there and somehow despite the over abundance of white, this painting is a liiiiittle bit charming. In an American Gothic or Kountry Kitch way.

It’s a solid 2.8 on my “one to ten” scale.

Gourds (Acrylic on Canvas)

These are, quite frankly, endearingly bad. Charmingly awful. The purple pumpkin made me smile in spite of its overall poor quality. As did the others.

I have no excuse.

Fruit (Acrylic on Canvas)

 As I’ve said many times before, I am really not a fan of “left-unpainted blank canvas white” and here we have a lot of it. The fruit and leaves are of an undeniably poor quality.

About the only good thing I can say is that the artist got the shape of the strawberries right.

Bicycle (Acrylic on Canvas

Not so great. 

It feels like a very ham-fisted imitation of a Target “Home Decor”-section mass-produced wall hanging. All the basket is missing is a couple of baguettes.
 

Lighthouse (Acrylic on Canvas)

So much gray. Like…so SO much gray. Ugh.

And truth be told, the lighthouse looks a little penis-y to me.

Double-Ugh.

Lake and Aurora (Acrylic on Canvas)

Fairly average. Nothing stands out here worth talking about, unfortunately. It’s almost kind of Impressionist.

Alligators and Snakes (Colored Markers? on Canvas Board)

These are actually kinda neat. While (to me) they have more of a craft/decoration project feel to them than they do an actual art vibe, they are in fact Art and 100% fit in here. Art can be Fun as well.

Not all Artists are Tortured.

Native American (Pencil on Paper)

It’s okay I guess. He looks a little cross eyed to me. 

But maybe the subject actually was cross eyed 🤷‍♂️ 

Mountain Landscape (Acrylic on Canvas)

Thoroughly average. Sorry :/

Mountain Stream (Acrylic on Canvas)

This is absolutely the least conventional Mountain Landscape/Scene/Stream we have in our gallery. It’s not great but it is is definitely good and is a refreshing change from the normal boring take on such things that we most often see. Well done, Artist :)

Dancers in Moonlight (Watercolor? on Parchment)

Surprisingly, I like this one too. Not much effort was needed I’m guessing (?) but it’s nice.

Good job, Calaya 👍 

(Well heck. Now I kinda wish I’d bought it):

https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/calaya-williams

Sock Monkey and Unfinished Owl (Acrylic and Pencil on Canvas)

If only my mother had warned me “SadHoboClown, do well in school or one day you’ll wind up reviewing a painting called ‘Sock Monkey and Unfinished Owl’ for laughs” I might not have arrived at such a sad fate as this...

Marbleized Canvas (Latex or whatever on Canvas)

The best one yet, I think? I’m not a fan of this technique but this one is colorful at least. 

If I had to not hate one of these things, this would be the one I’d pick to not hate.

Nice work, pal…