Tales by Firelight

A Few Caveats: Nothing I critique gets a 5/5 because perfection is unobtainable; thus, the highest score I can give is a 4.5/5. Secondly, I don't value "originality" as a measurement by which to judge a piece of art. A bowl of soup is not very original. However, a good artist can make an amazing bowl of soup, the delicious goodness feels but a spoonful away, and the artist should not be penalized for lacking "originality." That said, I will mesh "Vision" and "Originality" and calculate my own score at the bottom of this review. That said, let's critique.

Vision (4.5/5): This is artistic storytelling at is finest, no words, just body language and emotions. Through them, with just one picture, the audience learns a great deal about the nature of the characters and their relationships with one another. Let's take just one example to summarize. Look at the boy on the far left, the one with the blue spots and the orange hair. Instantly, the audience knows that he is the storyteller, the big brother to the rest of the group. How? The other characters, whether they are looking at him or not, are affected by his words. As the boy spins his tale, some cast their eyes about, listening to the wind and the shadows shuffle behind them. Others lock their gaze upon him, hanging upon every word. And of course, the older character, the girl in the red hoodie, just smiles as she listens. She's probably heard this story before, but she respects and enjoys the storyteller's skill. This is just one example of many. The depth of this piece is remarkable. It takes exceptional vision to paint such real, believable people.

Technique - (4/5): Technique is one of David's strongest suits, and he dons it regularly. He does here as well, with only one noticeable exception. The good first. This picture simply feels real, like you could step into it, and also has elements that guide the viewer's eye. The characters body position mimics the way people sit, their clothes folding in just the right manner. The embers glow and cast shadows, their orange heat drawing the viewer to the action of the piece, the storytelling. The gently sloping hill and the moon reflecting off the water guide the eye towards the storyteller as do the gazes of the other characters. The piece feels focused yet not too narrow. The use of negative space in the sand the water are also effective at relaxing the piece, not making it appear to crowded. To put it simply, this piece is gorgeous. But, there is one big problem.

Those clouds, those chaotic things called clouds, which don't entirely look like clouds. There isn't enough distinction between which clouds are more in the foreground. Thus, they all appear flat, like the artist just drew random squiggles in the background with the paint tool. I don't like them, but the rest of the image is so good that they fade into the background and don't detract much.

Impact (4/5): I love pictures like this, when they feel so alive. Also, this scene takes me back to my childhood and campfire stories with my cousins on the riverbanks of the Sypsey, crisp water, singing crickets, and stories of the Boo-hag who lived down in the sloughs. While this piece isn't life changing, it sure brings back some good memories.

My Overall Score (4.2/5)