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Is Your Art Good Enough?

5/19/2021

 
Is Your Art Good Enough?
Artists have difficulty evaluating their own work. They often ask, is my work good enough for a gallery?  Is it good enough for a museum?  How do I know?

This question cannot be answered in the abstract, since a specific gallery or museum would have to look at your work and consider it from their own point of view. But asking, "is my art good enough?" may help you see the relationship between your intentions and the art you are creating. 

Think about what you say when people ask you to describe your work. Do you talk about the ideas that inspired it, the emotions behind it, the aesthetic problems or social issues you address?  You may not be articulate, but  you do have a sense of what your work is all about.  

Then evaluate your bodies of work to see how well the art reveals your intentions. Would a viewer be able to see or sense what you’re trying to say, without the need for words?


In a portrait, for example, how well does the spirit of your subject shine through? In a realistic landscape, does it seem as though we could enter the painting and walk along that path? Does your abstract sculpture reflect or challenge our notions of what the human body looks like? In a study of color and light, do we see the world through a different lens? Does your work comment on, deepen or change our perceptions of ordinary reality? 

Your work is "good enough" when it expresses your intentions, and reveals them to others without the need for explanations. Your work is ready when it speaks clearly in  your own voice, and says what you want to say. 

~ Mary

Mary Edwards, Ph.D
Career & Life Coach for Artists
“Left Brain Skills for Right Brained People”
Instagram: coachingforartists.maryedwards ​


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Local Marin County artists meet with me in person, by telephone, or via Zoom throughout the coaching program.  I coach U.S based and international clients via telephone, Zoom and SKYPE.  Contact me now to schedule a free, 30-minute consultation.  
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