Linda Wetzel

Linda Wetzel: For all of you photographers out there who are afraid to review art because you do not think you know enough about art, stop worrying. You are visual artists so you can always comment on depth, perspective, clarity, light, shading, and how a piece is composed. Is the rule of three followed? What about the golden ratio? How is the color palette? Are the colors suitable to the subject matter? Has the artist given a new twist to a fairly standard subject? If so, how did they do so? Art follows many of the same rules that you photographers follow. You do not cut off your subject. You do not put your focal point squarely in the middle of the page. Are the brush strokes sure or tentative? Does the composition lack detail that would make it more pleasing to the eye? Are the highlights and shadows consistent with the light source? See, you know more about art than you think, so start reviewing!

Linda Wetzel: I would like to encourage everyone to enter as many of the contests as possible. Even when you do not win, they challenge you to create a piece you might not ever consider trying. I know the contests have helped me improve the quality of my work and experiment with techniques I would otherwise not have tried. Plus the feedback on even not so good pieces has helped me understand how I can improve on that style. I have created pieces that I hated, but so what? It made me step out of my comfort zone and sometimes the result has surprised me. So go for it folks and let?s support those folks who spend their precious member dollars to create venues that challenge us!

Linda Wetzel: Just a heads up, if you download an app called Sizely you can resize any photo. It?s free. Just upload your photo to Sizely. Then click on resize. You then have to use your erase key to remove the current pixels in the first box. Then type 600. The width box will automatically resize. You lose no clarity but any large photo can be resized to meet FAR requirements. 600 pixels is fine for any internet application and it prevents anyone from downloading your photo and reusing it as a large image because when enlarged it will lose its clarity. It is a good way to aid in keeping anyone from stealing your art.

FanArtReview wrote to Linda Wetzel: Running on the Beach finished third in the contest "Summertime Art"

FanArtReview wrote to Linda Wetzel: Rainbow Wings II won the contest "Macro - Art"

FanArtReview wrote to Linda Wetzel: Night Sky Over Faerie Town won the contest "Moon and Stars Art"

FanArtReview wrote to Linda Wetzel: Looking Through the Sea Oats won the contest "Flowers - Art"

FanArtReview wrote to Linda Wetzel: Bird of Paradise finished second in the contest "Flower Art"

FanArtReview wrote to Linda Wetzel: Trio of Sunflowers won the contest "The Color Yellow"

FanArtReview wrote to Linda Wetzel: Boot, Bottle, and Blooms finished third in the contest "Line Art Contest"

FanArtReview wrote to Linda Wetzel: Nature's Flight School won the contest "In Flight - Art"

FanArtReview wrote to Linda Wetzel: Fall Respite finished second in the contest "Tactile"

FanArtReview wrote to Linda Wetzel: Nefertiti finished third in the contest "Portrait Art Contest"

FanArtReview wrote to Linda Wetzel: Congratulations! Breeding Blue Heron won the site sponsored contest "Line Art Contest"