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Piety,
I have been thinking about what to say to you because, as you said, this portrait is not traditional. I think it was very brave of you to post it on this forum because the artists here definitely strive for realism.
What I like about it--and about your other portrait--is that you have an introspective way of portraying the people you paint. You really capture what is going on inside them. Their feelings, their intensity, their imagination come through to me. This is a real strength in your work.
I know you recently went through art school where there is more emphasis on finding a "different" way of expressing yourself. The qualities in a painting that would be praised and rewarded at PAFA, for instance, would not be those qualities that would earn you praise from a portrait painter who was trained at a traditional atelier. At many art schools, students go to great lengths to find "different" ways of self-expression, but if you were to try to be true to yourself by painting realistically, that might not be considered "different" enough, and you might not get noticed for it or encouraged to keep going in that direction.
I am saying all this because I notice a tension, or maybe a conflict, between realism and expressionism in this portrait. Some parts of it, like the light side of the face and the neck, shoulders and shirt, are very realistic. Other parts, such as the shadow side of her face and the background, are subjective. Instead of working well together, the objective and subjective aspects do not communicate what you have intended. For instance, the shadow side of the face appears bruised. When I first looked at it I thought she had a huge black eye. When I read your explanation, the painting made more sense, but my personal feeling is that the painting should communicate something (even something ambiguous) without needing an explanation. I like the background and I feel this would have worked if you hadn't made me wonder whether she is an abuse victim who is running away from a house.
I hope I am not too critical, and that you will not be upset at my honesty. I see this as a philosophical problem which you will have to resolve by painting more and more. It is NOT a question of talent. You so obviously have loads of talent and a lot to say through art. I think your painting of the artist and puppet is so remarkable. It could not have been accidentally created by someone who did not know what they were doing. It is brilliant! In some ways, this portrait is brilliant, too. But I think it is inconsistent. I think the inconsistencies will resolve themselves in your future work as you figure out what direction you want to go in, and how best you can express your unique talent.
Alex
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