The value of critique - and when to hop on your bike and piss off.
I love this place.
It can be pretty unpredictable:
-random inquiries from people that want to represent you in some strange form or other in countries you have never heard of, and never again will…
-normally sane and intelligent people commenting on dog poo and colonoscopies…
-being on the exclusive advisory board for some of the many rb love triangles, very interesting!
-informal discussions on the benefits of petrol fumes (among other things) on ones creativity
and today
-an old friend appearing out the woodwork back in my bubble-box – telling me of some new shonky bubbler on the prowl.
You know, I don’t really care about shonky bubblers and criticism on my work. Infact, as my good friends here know, I often invite it. Kafka, Kim, Ray, Josh, Katherine, Mike, Mimi, Anita, Walt among others will all vouch for me on that one when I recently uploaded ten paintings specifically for that purpose and then removed them from public view once I had the feedback, advice and criticism I was after.
However... it does piss me off when a friend tells me that she has done her first painted portrait ever of her nephew and some asshole under the name of “artcritic” comes along and with their sympathies for the child being ‘retarded’.
She also mentioned that the slimebag had been cruising around my stuff and leaving comments too.
Normally it wouldn’t bug me, and in fact, he/she has critiqued work that I was happy with, and lest we forget, work that has been sold and that is proudly hanging in other peoples homes, by their choice!
The first critique was on The Homecoming 
and the comment and reply are as follows:
paint by numbers. Right?
(My reply) Wrong! No, I actually wanted this effect… feel free to move right along if it’s not your cup of tea :D
and the second was on: Out West
and the comment and reply was as follows:
amazing what you can do with a paintbrush and no imagination
Add your comment as a reply to artcritic
Yea, it’s sort of like humour. Some have it and some only have bitter sarcasm to fall back on. I noticed you only recently joined RB and by the looks of it your taste in art is pretty predictable so I’m surprised you don’t like this. Now piss off on your bike.
—-—-—-—-
I could have simply deleted these comments, but for once I decided that I would leave them – I am confident in these works. I am also glad this person gave me the space to consider this fact and I wanted to bring to your attention their insipid but ‘valuable’ existence.
Keep on painting on…
XOX Carmen.
madvlad
haha ha oh gawd!!hey once i was in a art show, and i was standing by my art piece and the mayor of our town came by-looked at my art piece and said, that,s the god damest ughy painting i ever seen—haha it sold for 500 bucks haha,
-so carman,itz a dangerous world out there,never ask for an honest oh pee on—cus,itz iffy hugzCarmen Cilliers replied
LOL – it’s the honest ones I value Walt! LOL I’m laughing at your story about the mayor haha, art is so subjective! The point I am making is this person doesn’t even seem to be giving honest opinions, they are just trawling through redbubble and looking to make snide comments. The work they have favourited is very good, but they haven’t got the education to even leave a comment on those and not to mention haven’t put up any of their own work or a personal introduction of themselves. Tells me a lot.
~ Ademac
Iknow it does not worry you Carmen….............this dill is a serial pest and has done this sort of thing to a number of my dear friends here on the bubble. Just a poor soul looking for attention…..........really we should feel sorry for them and their silliness.
Cheers Ade
Carmen Cilliers replied
Well, I’m hoping that my journal will give them their daily dose of attention. :)
Julie Langford
haha – yes, I have seen this person and their wonderfully constructive critique around lately as well. Kind of like a Simon Cowell wannabe of the art community. Roaming around aimlessly, leaving troll like comments, as they have nothing better to do. There is nothing wrong with constructive critique as you say – but comments like that, are just laughable. The most amusing thing about them is that they really do show the complete lack of understanding of the subject they are claiming to be “the expert” in.
As you know Carmen, your work is not always to my taste, as mine isn’t to yours, but both are good in their own right, and liked by a whole lot of different people.
So, keep painting, keep smiling – or in the case of this trolling critic – keep laughing your arse off.
Carmen Cilliers replied
That’s why I like you Julie!!!
catherine walker
Good on you carmen..I love your work..and there’s no room for comments like that persons..I applaud your bravery in telling them to piss off..I would have done the same only maybe said it in a different way..like keep his bad comments and opinions to himself..but the same thoughts on the subject..I just hate when people do that to others they have no right to do that ..none at all ..well done carmen ..and keep turning out those masterpeices.. I think you’re a truly fabulous artist and many of your works are masterpeices..for real! !
Carmen Cilliers replied
Hi Catherine – damn, I had you down as a C and then changed it to a K. Yea, you think I shouldn’t use words like “piss off” oh, hun I can be pretty un cut lol! He can give me his opinions but then I want more substance :D
~ Ademac
lolol…...........fancy having the arrogance to call yourself “Artcritic” in the first place. I have spent my whole life either creating art or teaching art. The years have taught me two things “how much I don’t know” and “how much I want to know”. Keep painting, stay healthy and keep smilin
catherine walker
Hi carmen..no I didn’t mean that ..not at all..I thought it was great ..just wish I was brave enough to say it outright like that ..I would have been so angry about it as well in fact maybe more angrier than you and would have devised a way to get them out of my gallery for sure
piss off was great !!! ..easy to understand..very spot on ..hha!! and I applaud your ability in all areas hha!!..I get so angry when people say things like that to others..it’s just not on ..love your style lady in all areas of life !! ..love it ..and love you too!
xxoooo
I love it!!
Carmen Cilliers replied
Hehe – there is a fine line between bravery and boldness. Apparently the line is as fine between being a hero and being stupid lol! Thanks Cathy x
Belinda "Billy...
Geezez Carmen, where do these people come from. Those comments are uncool and should be reported not deleted. I don’t understand why people would make a comment if they didn’t like someones work. I happen to love your work and appreciate all that you do. I too am having problems with a member who is trying to cause me pain. Its a sad fact of life that some people are on the internet to be mean.
Carmen Cilliers replied
Hi Billy – they can’t cause you pain, you can only be allowed to feel it. Yes, there are some real dicks out there. I’m not upset by what they said at all, but if it was my new work – those currently on site unshown – then I would be feeling a lot more fragile because I’m still navigating that territory myself. As for what you said about people being on the net to be mean – you are so right, we are actually very lucky here, I’ve been on other sites or forums and couldn’t believe the vulgarity and nastiness. xx
Josh Bowe
U crack me up Carmen, great approach bang on the money, if youre confident of your work(and in my humble opinion you should be)you should leave them up, anyone with a an iota of a brain cell knows these vapid comments are ….................well that VAPID, and only deserve a sardonic reply, keep em coming, love your work, my only complaint is you removed them, but thats your perogative, Im just glad i got to see them before you removed them, Im sure others would love to see them too
Josh
xxx
Carmen Cilliers replied
VAPID – i like that word!
You know why I pulled those works, they are still here, just hidden… till I decide what I’m doing with them. If I want to show some of them eventually I want them to hit the scene ‘new’ not new in Perth and old on RB.
As for my journal… did you expect anything less from me – LOL
I take it you have a day/eve off? xxx
Belinda "Billy...
You are my gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous REdbubble girlfriend. I love your art, your sould and WHO YOU ARE…you are a top chick. So there!
Mark Peterson
So the artcritic strikes…they will probably have a lot of fun with some of my work LOL!
Carmen Cilliers replied
you want me to send them your way darl… after all, I’m could do with one of your fired up journal entries for a laugh :D x
Kim Grace
Yeah, pretty bollocky comments, I notice this tosser doesn’t actually have any artwork of their own up, pretty brave to critique other’s work when you ain’t got the balls to put up yourself eh. And I would not expect anything less than the replies you handed back, good girl, proud of ya :)
Carmen Cilliers replied
Exactly! And pretty pedestrian in what is favourited… although well executed work of course. Mind you, wouldn’t expect anything less from an ‘art critic’ would you.
Leith O'Malley
Go Carmen!
Good to see someone whose work kicks arse also kicks some arse!
Well done!
Woohoo!!
Don’t mess with CC..
Carmen Cilliers replied
Damn – I forgot your name in the glory list and thats after I specially emailed you to go have a look and give me your opinions!
How are you – and yea, man, I can kick arse so hard that I don’t need no steel cap boot!
Kim Grace
Can’t stand em myself, they outta be stocked in the village square 3 days after market day when all the veggies are off, or buried head first with their arses left up in the air to be used as bicycle racks, or something similar OR forced to watch continuous reruns of The Brady Bunch! ANyways, they are bitter and twisted people who should really learn to harness that stuff into doing something creative and beautiful like your stuff :)
Maria Wiley
Obviously an attention-seeking jerk-off! Good on you Carmen! I admire your work & I admire you as a person who stands up for themselves! You are tops girl!
Carmen Cilliers replied
Hi Maria!!! Judging by all these comments he has picked the wrong chic.
inventor
I have to thank artcritic. If your comment had not caught my attention I might have never seen “The Homecoming” I think it is FANTASTIC.
What is Shonky?
Carmen Cilliers replied
Hello! Shonky – where did I write that – sounds like me though, shonky is the same as ‘dodgy’. Think along the lines of a ‘shonky used car sales man’ or someone giving you a shonky deal, or you know you did something by half measures.. so it was a shonky job. Is any of this helping :)?
Marion Cullen
This person thrives on publicity and journals just like this one…he keeps coming back because he needs his ego fed and because he likes to throw the proverbial cat amongst the pigeons”, (‘scuse the cliche). It seems RB is most obliging.
My suggestion – report/igonre/delete – remove the satisfaction.
nirvanavisions
I hope that my responses are as witty and respectful when I am confronted with such ignorance! Well done.
Sticky Flower
^ she’s right..having said that, I think it’s good for this person to know that their efforts to upset people with their “critique” are futile. I am the same as you, I do not shy away from honest critique.I think it’s important for some of us, and I have also openly requested it, because I feel a lot of people are frightened of offending by being completely honest.For some people, they just want approval and validation.For me, my personal opinion is that honest critique helps a person to grow as an artist, and I always want(and need) to be open to that.
As for these tossers, well they have nothing to do with anything that we as artists need to concern ourselves with, and I for one won’t be having a crisis over their “critique”..
sigh
Elf Evans
Yeah, some are Dumb. Some are Dummer and others sttrive to be DUMMEST.
Carmen Cilliers replied
:D
Cherie Dirksen
Your art is stunning, vibrant and creative – and that’s all there is to it.
Carmen Cilliers replied
That’s really kind!
Laurie Lou McKern
As someone who is used to critiquing my students work to get the most out of them- and also giving and receiving critiques from my paint buddy and fellow red bubbler Petra Pinn I know the value of a good critique. However this was not a critique but (as my 10 year old daughter just said) an insult. How can someone grow as an artist from these comments? As alot of artists (at least my self) are always doubting their abilities we don’t need to be extra insults. Has this person uploaded any of their work? I am interested to see it. By the way I think your work is fabulous!
Carmen Cilliers replied
Yea – there is a lot to be said for delivery, the power of the word, honesty vs insult and unfortunately you will never see their work… they are no longer on Redbubble and when they were they never put up any of their own work and in the massive myriad of creativity only managed to favourite 5 pieces!
AnitaInverarity
HoHo- What a prize knob (obviously hasnt got a life or an ounce of talent of their own)- You’re so right about this not being constructive critque, which can be most helpful, this is just someone being a mindless ass.
Carmen Cilliers replied
Yip – who has left the building!
kafka
LOL – I love your journals Carmen!
Why can’t I find the guy’s comments on your pages any more?
I was so looking forward to seeing what the product of an incestuous union between a colur-blind nose-picker and a verbally comatose arse-scratcher actually looked like……they’re so rare you know…….
Carmen Cilliers replied
Hi My Friend! It turns out (news from the artist that originally brought him to my attention and reported him) that he has been removed from Redbubble. I’m sure he/she’ll be back under a new guise in no time!
As for by products – guess what – they never had any of their own art listed – he was just a bag of bad wind.
Trish Woodford
What a tosser, so glad you put him back in his box where he belongs Carmen, go you!!!!!!!! These are both outstanding pieces of artwork :))))
dogbreath
so, you are saying that the kid isnt “retarded”????
Carmen Cilliers replied
Don’t you be a tosser too!
dogbreath
ok, sorry…. but for the record, the dog poo wasnt me.. it was my alter ego…. the colonoscopy was mine :(