Critiques and Self-Critiques are tools that many artists shy away from, often as a result of negative experiences with insensitive teachers or artists who don't really understand the purpose of a critique.  At its best a critique offers an opportunity to improve on a work that may be okay but lacks something to make it more interesting and exciting.  There are numerous  critique forms available on the Internet and with experience you can write one of your own to help improve those "not quite there" paintings.  To the left top is a plein air painting that I did this summer.  I intentionally kept it loose and was pretty happy with the result.  It sat in my studio for several weeks as I went on to other projects.  

When I decided to discuss the process of critiquing with the class I teach, I used this painting as an example.  I noticed that although I had a focal point, my eye didn't really move around the painting as much as I would have liked.  Since the pink flower focal point was really the only place with any pink, I decided that touches of warm red and rose could add to the interest and move the eye.  The resulting changes gave the painting subtle movement that was lacking in the original.