How a 13 year old sees my paintings

Oil On Canvas SOLD by Frankie Stockman

This morning, me and my 13yr old daughter were sitting in the living room talking about art work. She looked around the room at the paintings that I have hanging in the room and said, "Your paintings are so, stuck". She used the word, stuck. I asked her what that meant and she said that she feels that they are stuck in time. They are stuck as if frozen. I asked her if she felt the same way about the Seascape but she felt it wasn't as stuck as far as movement like the landscapes (big relief for me). She said she doesn't dislike the fact that they appear to her like that and then thought a little more about it. She then told me that the best way she can describe my art work is that it seems sad and lonely. My mind instantly went into deep thought.

I wasn't at all unhappy with her description of the work. I was just so curious how a landscape could show sadness and loneliness. Was the fact that she felt they were stuck, make her feel sad and lonely. Then I thought even further, am I feeling stuck, sad and lonely and it can literally come out in a simple landscape?

For the first time since I have been painting, I have never had anyone talk about my paintings in that way. The only feedback I ever get is on how good or bad my composition or perspective is. If I can paint realistic or not. It has gotten to the point where that would be what I tended to focus on instead of what really should matter and that is, how I feel.

The other things I thought about was that we have to stop telling artists how they can and can't do something. What they should and shouldn't do. Tell them how their works makes you feel and what you see. That makes a huge difference.