The new issue is out so go get it people. As per my usual I’ve provided an excerpt from my column which this time around was about the painting Tuckered Out.
What is Cutecritteradoraphobia?
I suffer from a condition known as Cutecritteradoraphobia, which is fear of overly cute baby animals in my art.
Yeah okay, I made that up. But it does exist in the deep recesses of my fevered imagination and in reality, as an actual aversion of mine.
As with all phobias the best way to figure out how to deal with a debilitating disorder, is to try to find the root cause of it.
Hm … let’s see. I can’t blame my schooling because I’ve had no formal art training.
I can’t blame actual baby animals because I love baby animals.
And no, it’s not because overly adorable baby animal art doesn’t sell. The fact is, it does and does so quite well.
Tuckered Out
Original Painting Size 12 1/2 x 16
Print Image Size 11 3/4 x 15
So after much pondering and reflection I have decided to blame my mother. (I know … how original of me, huh?) But hear me out. She is a painter and during my early artistic endeavors she pretty well drilled it into me that painting overly cute, doe-eyed baby animals is at the very bottom of the artistic pool.
In an artistic family her saying “Cutesy is not art” rings in my head much the same way as phrases like “Eat Your Vegetables,” and “Don’t run with scissors.” Those early art lessons taught me that an adorable little Appaloosa foal touching noses with say … a baby kitten, is to art what a prepackaged snack cake is to fine dining. As a result the number of baby animals I have committed to art is countable on one hand.
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