I find that the Herald's Arts & Entertainment editor, Pat Miller, rubs me the wrong way. Her comments are neither a critique nor reporting. She is snide and sarcastic in her comments, especially about pastels and plein-air painting.
Both are difficult to do well. I would agree that most are like what we have seen before and need to be more innovative. But that should not take away from these artists that it is difficult to make a good painting.
Because pastel painting is just becoming popular of late, I am sure that these same artists will move along in choice of subject matter and style. And the idea of plein-air is to take on the challenge of painting what you see before and make a reasonable likeness of the scene. You have to get grounded in the basic skills of the genre before you evolve.
Most of the paintings at the show judged by Miss Goodnight were well done and shows that the painters are improving all the time. The artists did not need the nasty tone Miller writes with. All the artists are trying their best to make the best art they know how and are putting their work on display for the public. It takes some courage to put your art before the public.
I think Miller needs to take a lot of courses in art appreciation. She seems to write with a vicious, snobbish tone rather than be able to critique art. She seems to use a negative sarcasm in order to get attention so that no one will notice her weak art knowledge.
I don't think her kind of reporting is appropriate for a local art show, which is all it is.
Judy Cumberworth, Farmington