Haunted Wood (Acrylic on Canvas)

So I’m pretty sure the white smear in the center is the artist’s attempt to start over or at least change things around a bit within the painting in process. But after considering it a bit, I feel like this kinda works as a painting of a ghost or spirit of some kind floating through a secluded wooded area. 

Almost everything about this is bad: bad trees with bad limbs. Bad pathway (?) in the foreground. But taken as a whole, something about this alllllmost works in a “stand alone” way. Almost.

Lake and Fireweed

Stupid clouds. And so much blue: blue mountains, blue sky, blue water. But the Fireweed (?) breaks up the Blue Monotony. This almost fits into my ongoing “War with Blue and Purple” brouhaha but the green bits (despite being ugly, leaf-wise) and yellow and pink all combine to diffuse/dilute the blue/purple ratio sufficiently. Speaking of pink: the hot pink and the yellow in the foreground are sorta nice. More of that would’ve been better.

Lake Cabin (Acrylic on Canvas)

Probably one of the better “Group Paint Night” offerings we’ve seen in recent memory. It’s not what I’d call great, nor is it very interesting, but it’s also not demonstrably and painfully bad. There's a lot of black though and that’s pretty boring. Yes, I know it’s supposed to be night time. Still. Too much black! 

Horse and Woman (Acrylic on Canvas)

I could be wrong but I think (?) this person may have also done the triptych we hung here a few weeks back. I ragged on that other one a bit, perhaps unfairly, but eh I write from the gut: get over it. THIS ONE, however, I do kinda like. Not sure why, since Modern-y / PostModern-y / Abstract-y art usually leaves me unimpressed. I like Art to LOOK like stuff, y’know? Anyways, even though this looks like nothing the exists in Reality, it’s pretty cool. Yes, there is BLUE, but there’s no blue and PURPLE. And: the blue that IS there isn’t simply…slopped onto the canvas and rubbed around in a desultory manner as if one was cleaning a toilet with a scrub brush. There are definite signs of Good Taste and Geometry here. And I like the brownish / maroonish / whateveryacallit background. 

Well done, artiste!

Home and Surroundings (Pastel on Parchment)

(Value Village Art Gallery Favorite)

To my knowledge this is the first pastel to be exhibited here.

I like it. A LOT. Every so often I find a painting, such as this one, which for some reason doesn’t actually get my attention and/or full appreciation until I look at it more carefully while writing its review. This is one of those times.

Nice job!!!

Alaskan Landscape (Acrylic on Canvas)

I swear I’m starting to think that there’s an art teacher somewhere in Fairbanks telling his or her students “Now be sure to use LOTS of blue and purple okay?!?”

One day I’ll find the emm-effer and it’ll be on like Donkey Kong.

If you’re new visitor to the (V)VAG, allow me to explain: the colors blue and purple are my personal nemesiseseses - they are overused to a startling degree by many of the amateur artists here. For more information, click on any painting here that is blue and purple. They are minion.

Otherwise? The tree line with the yellow isn’t awful. The branches on the birch trees in the foreground need work. They look anemic.

Abstract (Acrylic on Canvas)

It’s too Modern and Abstract for my taste, and possibly (?) not much thought went into it, but for what it is, it’s pretty nice. I won’t go so far as to say that I like it, but it’s okay. Keep at it, Michele!

Landscape (Acrylic on Canvas)

I have no idea what I’m looking at here. Clouds that perfectly surround the sun in a blue sky? A horizon line of green below that, which makes sense, but then there are either stars in space, or a night time cityscape of some kind below that. And then a rock or boulder in a body of water?

Happy freaking Friday.

PS- it occurred to me that the boulder might be a reflection of the sun in the water? And that the “water” blue might be reflecting the “sky” blue? None of which would explain the lights/stars/whatever that we find in that swathe of black, of course. So I’m still confused.

Woman in Profile (Charcoal on Sketch Paper)

Sorry about the glare on the glass: I did my best. I personally am not a fan of charcoal sketches or pencil sketches of any kind, but this one is pretty nice. 

As usual with very personal and seemingly-intimate art of this type, I am always curious about the backstory: who was this woman? What was the artist’s relationship with her? Where were they then? Where are they now? A lot can happen in 26 years…
 

Octopus (Acrylic on Canvas)

Honestly? Not so great. The infundibulum need work. And this cephalopod’s limbs (commonly referred to as arms, legs or tentacles) are sub par. Judging purely by its coloration and physiognomy though, it may be surmised that we are gazing upon the Giant Pacific Octopus or perhaps the North Pacific Giant Octopus.

Girl with Pitcher (Colored Pencil on Parchment)

I walked past this thing on three different days before I realized that it’s probably (?) original art. From a distance it looks kind of good (boring, and the proportions feel a little off, but eh good) but then you get close to it and it’s so…not that great…that one comes to the conclusion that it HAS to be amateur art. This has happened two or three times here at the (V)VAG: an artwork shows up and it’s in such a liminal space of “is it good? is it bad? is it original or mass-produced?” that I really don’t know if it should be exhibited here or not. So as usual, I’ve included it. It’s assumed to be an original until I learn otherwise.

Winnie the Pooh (Acrylic on Canvas)

I don’t usually exhibit these “almost-certainly-done-by-a-little-kid” objets d’art: waaaaay too many of them wind up at VV, and I don’t want to hurt some little kid’s feelings (well, not generally.) But this one was so peculiar I figured I’d just go ahead and run with it. We’ve got Winnie the Pooh, a pear, a butterfly, a cat in a tree, a bee (on either a flower or a honeycomb), a slice of watermelon and a two cherries. Okay. Subject covered.

Popcorn (Acrylic on Canvas)

Yeah yeah, I know it’s a probably a Magnolia. Anyway, my wife is the brains in the outfit when it comes to flowers (and any number of other things) but she’s in out of town until Tuesday. So I’m calling this a Magnolia. Final answer. 

Merits: I like the background. Seriously! Demerits? The flower is deformed and way too fat. It looks like someone inflated it. Sorry. 

“Aurora” (Acrylic or Latex on Vinyl?)

This one had the title on the back but I can’t remember what it was. I’m pretty sure it was “Aurora” maybe? This is more of the semi-unintentional, messageless art I’m kind of not a fan of. There was another different painting (same medium, same artist) at VV today that I actually thought was wrapping paper stapled to a canvas. This kind of stuff isn’t BAD, and it’s certainly art (or AN art) but it’s not my bag baby. It’s decorative, it’s pretty, it’s diverting, but it’s like empty calories. Just my two cents.

“_________” (Acrylic on Canvas)

I can’t be expected to name something if I don’t know what it is, can I?

Scratch that: I’ve actually done that very thing a number of times before. In this case though, there’s just not enough “it” here to possess the quality of “is”ness.

It’s a whotzit.

Mountain Scene (Acrylic on Canvas Board)

Hahahahaha…

I’m not being mean: this just strikes me as being really funny. It’s actually not totally awful and is far from being the worst painting here.

It’s got character.

Yellow Bell Pepper on Fire in Golden Chalice (Acrylic on Canvas)

Nice wick, nice flame. Strange-looking candle sitting confidently in an egg-cup-looking candlestick. 

Jack could have rickets and still jump over this candlestick, no problem.

Postscript: looking at this again, I feel as if there’s more to like than originally noted. The candle-holder, while weirdly-designed and somewhat two-dimensional, has some nice shiny touches. And to be sure: the candle is malformed but the changes in light around the wick and flame aren’t bad at all. Plus, this painting feels old.

It’s okay!

Night Sky Tree line (Acrylic on Canvas)

This kind of thing is starting to look reallllly familiar to me. Like overly-familiar. Stars and night sky in person are pretty wonderful. Paintings though of basically darkness and speckles of white? Not so much. It’s just a waste of paint. And the trees! Is there some kind of group consciousness / ancestral memory / DNA code that is passing along the same mediocre way of using acrylic paint to depict trees in the 21st Century? Did cave paintings 40,000 years ago have trees that looked this imprecise? I doubt it. Pfft.

Untitled (Oil on Linen)

(Value Village Art Gallery Favorite)

Last one by this same artist. Feels very Van Gogh to me without being phony or cloying or fawningly imitative. Great colors, great light and shadow, great perspective and depth. The mountains! The sky! The trees seen and unseen on the left! Gosh…just GOSH. Nothing here I could possibly criticize. It’s wonderful! I bought this one as well. Twenty bucks!

Untitled (Oil on Linen)

(Value Village Art Gallery Favorite)

Another by the same artist. Gorgeous. Just gorgeous. I love the colors, the shadows: this is real in a way that CGI will never ever be. It’s made of aliveness! And it’s still alive 40+ years after it was painted.

Art of this quality refutes the 21st century. I love it. I bought it.

“Out of Gas” or “Lazy Sunday Morning” (Oil on Linen)

Beautiful! Just beautiful. Why the HELL is this at Value Village? Information about this painting was on the back: Jen and I are doing detective work as we speak. Would you pay $25 for this? Of course you would! Dang!

Our results: https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-napa-valley-register-obituary-for-he/105616394/

Sunset Landscape (Acrylic on Canvas)

I like this one too! What the heck is going on today? There’s almost no painting I’m able to legitimately rag on. And there are three more coming! And they are amazing too!

I feel like I’m being reverse-trolled or something.

Park and Trees (Acrylic on Canvas)

The path is pretty weak, but I like what the trees are doing over on the right. I’m a fan of the green here. The trees on the left? Not so great. But taken collectively it’s kind of alright. Keep at it, buddy!

Pink Tree (Acrylic on Canvas)

So they can’t all be great. It’s okay. If the tree was gone I’d like this just fine. Nothing wrong with some earth, some grass and some sky.

Flowers (Watercolor on Paper)

Another nice one. No, not nice: beautiful! What a day this has been: ten paintings and the majority of them are amazing. This one was so small, so unassuming and yet so immediately arresting that I think I’d maybe better look this person up online and make sure this isn’t mass-produced or a print or something. Fingers crossed it’s legit human-being-fingers-and-hand-created organic artisanal art. I likes it.

Meadow/Prairie-ish Landscape (Oil on Canvas)

(Value Village Art Gallery Favorite)

Actually not sure if this was oil or acrylic, but it’s great. A painting I could walk into. Beautiful.

Asteroid Landscape (Acrylic on Canvas)

Another by the same artist. Really fun, and there’s some actual talent here. It’s a pleasure to run across goofy yet well-composed and purposeful art such as this. Way to go, unknown artist!!! 

Make a Decision (Acrylic on Canvas)

(Value Village Art Gallery Favorite)

I don't know what you’re expecting me to say, but I’m guessing this won’t be it:

I LOVE THIS!!! It’s quirky in a charming yet talented way, as opposed to in an inept and clueless way. Great work, anonymous artist: keep it up :)

Postscript: if anyone can put me in touch with this (assumedly local?) artist, please do. I have so many questions :)

Gotham By Nighlight (Acrylic on Canvas)

I’m really hoping some kid or teenager did this. So I could say “great job young dude/dudette: keep it up!” Because our only other option is that an adult did it. Which would be a little sad, really.

Weird Tree Triptych (Acrylic on Canvas)

At first I thought this was store-bought, but on closer inspection I realized it is FAR too weird to have been mass-produced. Obviously the two on each side are supposed to sit a bit higher up, but this is all I could manage on the fly. 

This thing is big. Someone MADE this. And probably spent a lot of time doing so. Only for it to wind up at Value Village being sold for $7.99! Don’t get me wrong: I don’t dislike, or like, this painting. I’m just in awe that someone spent so much time and effort and talent making something so strange and (arguably) unattractive.

Artist: try doing a nice landscape next time. Or maybe someone’s portrait.

Sometimes (and in my opinion, USUALLY) “normal” is nice.

Random Pattern (Acrylic on Canvas)

The hipster equivalent of Bank Art. It’s pretty and momentarily distracting, but it says and means nothing. Maybe it was an experiment of some kind.

Pink and Blue Unicorns (Acrylic on Canvas)

I suspect there’s a message here, or some kinda symbolism happening, but I’ll keep my mouth shut. I’m not a fan of unicorns, or glitter/confetti, or the colors pink and blue, dig? I kinda like the unicorn on the right though because it looks like it’s up to something.

Primitive Abstract (??? on Canvas)

I’m not sure what this is, what it’s made of, or how it was done. All I know is that someone named Hebert is responsible. Maybe he’ll see this one day and tell us what it’s all about.

Fox and Pumpkin (Acrylic on Canvas)

While this isn’t great art per se (all that black! sigh), since we can tell what this is it can’t be that bad. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

“Man in Red Jacket” (Oil on Canvas, 1985)

 

This is a really great painting in a classically-competent and painterly sense but there’s something a little bit “off” about it and it kind of bugs me that I can’t put my finger on it. I do like it though and I’m very pleased to have it here.

Postscript: It’s the mouth. The mouth and the set of this guy’s jaw look off-kilter. It’s disconcerting.