Visit my new website and Be an Art Critic.

[Armstead]

I have a little personal website, an online gallery of drawings and computer graphics I've done over the years.

I just redid it, and would be curious as to your reactons. So I invite you to pay a visit and post your opinions, comments, constructive ctriticisms or interpretation of their hidden meanings or Freudian subtexts.

Free free to be honest. I can take it. Naturally I hope people like it, but I realize everybody's got different taste. I also have a realistic attitude about my limitations. It's a hobby. Constructive criticism is helpful.

Anyhow, if you care to Be An Art Critic, the url is:

http://home.nycap.rr.com/armstead/index.htm

[Don_G]

1. I Like Them

Especially the Painting. Good work and thanks for sharing!

[Armstead]

4. Thanks

Appreciate the comment.

[roughsatori]

2. They made me think of Alex Katz and Jeff Koons

for some reason. If you check out the Katz link, his work must be seen in person to really appreciate due to the large scale:
http://www.alexkatz.com/

I have always liked Katz's work a lot. Jeff Koons is someone who I am interested in how others perceive his work--but his work does not appeal to me, but the ideas do. I'm not sure why your art reminded me of him--but it did. http://www.guggenheim-bilbao.es/ingles/exposiciones/permanente/jeff_koons/jeff_koons.htm

Thanks for posting the link to your work. I enjoyed the tour. Hope this is not too vague of a response.

[Armstead]

3. I can sort of see the similarity to Katz

In tone of not quality. Same interest in faces, and kind of austere (rather then cluttered).

The link you gave only had one pic by Jeff Koons. You've piqued my curiousity, so I'll see of I can find more somewhere else.

[roughsatori]

5. here's a better link to his pictures

http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Exhibit/9929/koons/

You might think I'm crazy, but he did come to mind. The Katz work is very reminiscent to me though.

[Armstead]

7. Sorry, I don't see that one

I don't see much similarity there (except perhaps an undertone of weirdness).

[SOteric]

6. Oooh Cool, - Some I haven't seen before

I particularly like "Marsal" it has a Matisse-like grace to it.

Another good comparison would be Modigliani.

[Armstead]

9. Thanks

I pulled some more out of the "closet" and posted them.

I hadn't touchedthe website -- or done any art -- for a couple of years. But recently, I started to do "just a little sprucing up" and got carried away. Went through all the old files, redid some things and generally got obsessive about it for a week or so.

Now I wanna try my hand at making some new ones.

[roughsatori]

11. Amedeo Modigliani is so great and beautifully mournful

I think he was one of the more skilled European artists at incorporating African Tribal Art into his work. I have a little known imported bio of him around here someplace. I read it years ago, now I forget the name of it. I have books every were. Your post has got me searching. Well, maybe I'll find the Brancuzi book I bought and lost. :)

[SOteric]

19. Good observations

about Modigliani. I think similar things about Chagall, but for some reason his work is less mournful, less earthbound.

Constantine Brancusi? The sculptor? - Love his stuff!

[Melsky]

8. Some of them are really good!

I love this banjo player one! It has excellent composition

It works because of the way the road goes up the hill semi paralel to the neck of the banjo, and the way his eyes are directed up the hill. It's a primitive graphic, but you can almost hear the bluegrass music.

I like all the paintings, especially the first woman and this one:

very dreamy. All the paintings of women are really cool.

The black and white graphic ones don't stand out as much but it's fun looking at someone else's computer art sketchbook.

[Armstead]

10. Thanks for the feedback

I hadn't consciously noticed that aspect of the banjo composition. I guess it means it really was primitive and instinctual. Glad you like it.

Yeah, the sketchbook is really sketchy. Was not sure whether to post raw stuff like that, but I figured what the heck.

I'll check out your website.

[DemExpat]

12. I'm impressed....

Admittedly I prefer the paintings and bold graphics to the other work, but that's just my taste....
My favorites:


Something about the expression on her face......







And some of the cartoon 1 portraits...

Any of those (on the site) self-portraits??????
DemEx

[Armstead]

14. Self portrait

Thanks for the comments.

No deliberate self portraits there, but I'm probably in there somewhere among the goofier of the cartoons.

[inthecorneroverhere]

13. I like 'em

I like 'em. This one speaks the truth!



This is subtle, but I just noticed that the radio is tuned to the 'right' side of the dial. LOL!

[Armstead]

15. That is subtle

Wish I could say it's deliberate. But actually the dial is set to the right becaue that's where our local right-wing talk station is.

I just noticed that the radio guy himself is facing right too. hmmmm

[Armstead]

16. A kick

:kick:

[F.Gordon]

17. I always knew you had a "creative" side

Critique: Your style is all over the place, and your minds eye "sees" in a very narrow perspective.

Don't sell yourself short on your "limitations". Find a medium or two that you are most comfortable with and stick to it. I think your "style" would be best defined with pencil, charcoal, or pen and ink. You do have a good eye for color. And don't bounce back and forth from conventional and "digital" art so much.

I see some good "stuff" here. Thanks for sharing a very personal side of yourself. I think if you obtained a little "formal" training you could easily exceed your own expectations.

All Art is good, and if you enjoy what you do then don't pay any attention to people like me that "critique" it. Have fun!!!

[Armstead]

18. Good observation

"Critique: Your style is all over the place, and your minds eye "sees" in a very narrow perspective."

Good observation. I've noticed that paradox myself when I see the ten years worth of pix all together.

Part of the eclectic all-over-the-place style is because of experimentation. Trying out different things, partly for the heck of it because it's fun. It also is exercises to stretch. For example, my original natural tendency was to draw cartoons of goofy guys with one arm in profile. So, I started doing somewhat more realistic women because it was so diferent from that.

I'm not sure I'd describe the similarities in content as a narrow perspective, but I know what you mean. I think it's that like most people I have a particular set of themes or images I'm drawn to (no pun intended). Like I don't do fuzzy rabbits. So I end up reworking basic ideas and themes as I go along, even if one is a painting and another is a cartoon.

Also, my taste tends to want to keep things simple. But there's also a practical reason for that. Even though it's high-tech digital stuff, I try to be fairly conservative in the sense of keeping it as close to traditional in the process as possible. I try not to cheat by doing things like taking a photo in Photoshop and punching a button to make an "arty collage."...So in that sense "keeping it simple" evolved from keping it managable to do, beause of the nature of digital art.

At some point I will probably by osmosis gravitate to concentrating more on a particular style, though it's probably always be an eclectic stew -- sorta like my politics I guess. ;-)

[F.Gordon]

21. By perspective I mean dimension

Like being able to "see" an image from different angles.

And yes, you can't find a comfortable "style" without experimenting. I'm the worst kind of Art Critic. I'm a collector. I want the Artist to be consistent so I can immediately identify their work. The reason I chose the "Uncle Sam needs you" icon is because I'm a huge Flagg fan. (but I can't afford his originals) And he was "all over the place" when he was starting out, but eventually he settled down and did some fantastic work.

...and I like your "politics". Miss ya' posting in GD. You're still one of the few DUers that can piss me off in a way that "motivates" me enough to reply....

[Armstead]

29. Ah, that kind of perspective

Actually, I think I see from a pretty wide perspective. It's just translating that with my fingers that's difficult. So I call it a style.

I like Flaggs work a lot, and a lot of those old illustrators from that era. In Flagg's case, considering what he is best known for, a name can be destiny, I suppose.

[ronnykmarshall]

20. Great!

Your cartoons kick ass.

[Armstead]

24. Thanks.

Kick ass, huh? Maybe I should get into political cartooning, and really kick some ass. Somehow, though i can;t seem to get inspired to do a likeness of Mr. Bush.

[ArkDem]

22. Nice.

Wish I had some artistic ability. I like the sketches.

[Armstead]

25. I appreciate that.

I'll add as a vote for the sketch section.

[rbnyc]

23. Well done!

Nice layout. Fast loading. Cool pictures. Sketchpad is my favorite.

:)

[Armstead]

26. Another vote for the sketchpad.

I'm glad it's fast loading. One of the tricky things about websites is that line between quality of reproduction and speed in terms of loading. I tried to keep it fast, without deteriorating the image quality too much.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

27. Neat

A lot of your stuff keeps with the same general theme, but the painting I liked was:



Hopefully I can get more of my artwork up for everyone to be a critic. ;)

ps- Are you using acrylics? Just curious sometimes I can't tell on the screen.

[Armstead]

28. media

ps- Are you using acrylics? Just curious sometimes I can't tell on the screen.

Actually it's mostly electrons. The painting aspect is all digital, using the mouse and software with "natural media" brushes.

Some of them I draw the basics on paper and scan them into the computer and work on them from there. Some of them are drawn within the computer.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

33. oh i thought it looked digital

but i wasn't sure. i didn't want to assume.

[Armstead]

30. One last....

:kick:

[scucci]

31. All of your work is wonderful but

I really like:


I'm by no means an art expert but she reminds me of something. She looks so sad and the crops have withered and died but there is a white cloud looming behind her that she doesn't see. Her shoulders are shrugged in a stance of resignation. She doesn't see or refuses to see hope. I think we've all been there at different times in our lives. This is just how I see it.

Regardless of what my opinion is, I hope you keep on doing what you do. You've got a gift, my friend.

[Armstead]

32. Stories

Thanks. I guess one of the things I enjoy are pictures that hint at a story, but leave it to the viewer to fill in the blanks.

I'm also a sucker for neo-Celtic and British folk music and associated lore, like Loreena McNinnet and early Fairport Convention. A few picturs I've tried to capture that feeling, and that's probably one of those attempts.

(I guess it's possible she simply lost her car keys, and is trying to remember when she might have dropped them. But I like yours better. :) )

[Karenina]

34. I also find this one compelling.

GOOD on YOU, Armstead! :loveya:

[Armstead]

35. Thanks

/nt

[bif]

36. Nice.

I especially like your paintings.

[Blue-Jay]

37. This one looks like me!

If you added a goatee, that is. Nice work on all of them!

[Armstead]

39. Then you must be a cheery fellow

but how do you type with those hands?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

38. You have a real talent

for conceptualizing your ideas and communicating them on paper (or in electrons), whether verbally or visually!

I also appreciated the mischievous humor shown in a lot of the sketches and drawing, and I second the praise for the "talk radio" drawing.

[Armstead]

40. Mischievous eh?

I guess causing mischief might also apply to some my vrbal behavior here at DO too, eh?

Thanks for the nice words.