She painted in such a way that I could see how each stroke had been applied with a kind of perfected, even unearthly skill.

To me, art should go beyond that. The technique should be transparent. I've heared music that was played with the most exacting technique that didn't have the spirit of a bunch of mental hospital patients banging on kitchen pans. And the latter is easily at least as enjoyable as the former. Granted it's best when there is both spirit and technique, but, in general, I would prefer the spirit to the technique. And, if the technique is there, I, for one, don't want it shoved in my face.