Finger Painting As Fine Art

"If you think finger painting is just for kids, this video will change your mind" according to the video box, and it surely did just that. Finger paint artist Mary Ann Brandt, whose semi-abstract works are filled with trees, mountains, and mysterious hooded figures, comments on her paintings and the finger paint process itself in this interesting video self-portrait of the artist. Low budget in approach, the program shifts between overlaid narration about themes and motifs in Brandt's work, and on-camera sessions of the artist working on a new piece. While art enthusiasts might find this worthwhile, the fact that the title suggests this might be a "how-to" (which it is not), and the poor decision to put a series of weird non sequiturs on the video jacket ("reveal almost surreal drama," etc.) which give the browser no information whatsoever, make this an optional purchase at best. (R. Pitman)