Daffodils Maybe? (Acrylic on Canvas)

This is a solid TWO on my "Artistic Merit One-to-Ten Scale" - it is not 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 these things: I am almost certain that somewhere in this illustrious gallery there is a painting very much like these very ones. Which means just one thing: "Paint Night Suggested Topic for a Herd of Boxwine-Drunk Soccer Moms!" 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 before being painted upon, in order for the artist to save money and get more paintings done per canvas. 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 rightside 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 instead of a genuine Dionysian Bacchanal of senses and emotion. Feh!

Children, Flowers (Acrylic on Rough Wood)

(Value Village Art Gallery Favorite)

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 anonymous children are great. Did I mention the flowers? They and the greenery around them kick a truly remarkable amount of ass! Artiste of unknown age: 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 of a person for their 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.)

"Hippos a l’Orange" (Acrylic on Canvas)

For what it is...I think...I like it (?)

If this is original work, as opposed to a stolen/lifted/borrowed style and/or subject, then yes, I like it. It feels primitive and modern at the same time. Vaguely inflated/cartoony/graffiti-y in a Keith (ugh) Haring way, but we won't hold that against it.

Yep, I like it!

"Silenty Night" (Acrylic on Canvas)

This has GOT to be yet another Paint Night suggested subject. Or a steal of some else's original idea. Because I seriously doubt that an artist as ehhhh amateur as this came up with an idea like this all on their own. This kind of thing, the mixing of genres/ideas/themes was fun 20+ years ago but now it's just tiresome. The painting itself isn't Awful awful. It's not even awful. It's the kind of basic, average, novice work we see a lot of up in here.

Artist: don't give up. But do better.

"Girl it, get." (Acrylic on Canvas)

Three words: Waste. Of. Paint.

Goldfish (Some Kind of Lumpy Paint on Oval, Cork-Bordered Canvas)

I like this one too! I realize that there have been a lot of "I like this one"s here today, but I really mean it. This one is kind of charming and kind of competent and kind of unusual in an original way, so it gets a legit thumbs up as far as I'm concerned (and I'm concerned quite a bit, seeing as how I run this here joint.) Good work, artist-whose-single-initial-and-lovely-inscription-are-on-the-back :)

Maaaaybe Magnolias (Acrylic on Canvas)

I like this one a whole bunch! But just between you and me, when I asked my wife what kind of flowers they were, in addition to opining "Maaaybe Magnolias?" she then added "Badly-Done Magnolias?" But whatever. My suggestion is that you take a gander at what generally passes for Art up in here, ruminate on it for a bit, and then get back to me: I'm betting that you will eventually come to the conclusion that these are some of the most beautiful Plant Sexual Organs that have ever been exhibited here :)

Don't Know, Don't Care (Acrylic on Canvas)

If February hadn't been such a slow month for additions, this would not be here: I am not a fan of the "Live Laugh Love" Advertising/Sloganeering school of Wall Art. Even when it's a Harry Potter reference. Pfft.

Sunshine (Acrylic on Canvas)

Another one that's...not bad at all. It's different from our usual entries. In a good way. It feels vaguely South American or Guatamalan to me. I dig it!

 

Colorful Forest (Acrylic on Canvas)

I like it. I'm a sucker for bright colors.

Addendum: Gadzooks! I guess this must have been a "Paint Night Suggested Subject" (tm reg us pat off):

https://valuevillageartgallery.blogspot.com/2024/12/strange-forest-acrylic-on-canvas.html?m=1

Butterfly (Acrylic on Canvas)

 It's been a rough month...