Is there something you want to paint but don’t know where to start?
Have you started a painting but are unsure how to finish it?
Have you completed a painting but are not satisfied with it and don’t know how to improve it?
My critique and consultation service will provide the solution to these problems.
April 2020
My name is Lyn Battle and I live on Sweers Island, in the remote Gulf of Carpentaria, offshore NW Queensland. My husband and I have lived here for over 30 years and operate a small fishing lodge. Being so remote, it can be tricky to learn new skills. I have always wanted to paint but after buying several ‘How To’ books and making little progress, I stuck to my pencil sketching. That is, until last January when I was introduced to Elena Parashko and her amazing Distance Education Program with a painting consultation and critique service.
I emailed Elena some of my efforts and she swiftly responded with supportive comments and tips for improvement. I was quite pleasantly surprised at how much her response was tailored to my work. I think I expected a generic ‘how to’ but she was extremely specific in her critique and immediately put me at ease about my efforts. She was able to assess my level of skill and where I was lacking, and she provided me with reference material for the particular techniques I was trying to achieve.
As I practiced each new skill, Elena suggested another, and led me on to further develop my painting, gradually introducing more complex techniques. All the while she was supportive of where I was getting things right, which improved my confidence. Elena pretty much developed a personal instruction plan for me to follow, and I could see my work improve with each painting. Her feedback was swift, specific, and honest. Her instructions were easy to follow, she included photographic examples to explain her point, and where appropriate, attached worksheets or projects for further study and practice. I really feel like I have a personal tutor with me looking over my shoulder to guide me. Quite an amazing feeling considering we are actually thousands of kilometres away from each other.
Elena is personable yet professional, she has a great knack for “gentle criticism” giving praise where due to build confidence, and at the same time dangling that carrot of critique to push me beyond my comfort zone to try to do more. She backs up her comments with solid examples of how to improve, so it is easy to put her advice into practice. Her written feedback critiques are well laid out documents and I have really appreciated the additional follow-up emails when I have tried to implement some of her suggestions. It has been really enjoyable working with Elena, and I cannot emphasise enough how helpful her critiques have been to me as I progress with my painting. She has now critiqued 12 of my paintings and I have more ready to send to her. You can see some of the artwork Elena has helped me with on the following pages.
Some people are good artists, and some are born teachers. I think Elena is a rare combination of both.
Lyn Battle
Sweers Island
Gulf of Carpentaria