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This post is inspired by Illustration Friday and it has been something that has been on my mind.
The topic is multiple, and I am applying it to the multiple styles that I work/experiment in.
Is this a bad thing?
I'm sure on a sales perspective, probably. From what I have been told, art collectors want a strong, identifiable, consistent style from a particular artist. As you can see by browsing just a few pages of my archives, this does not describe my art.
I try.
I get an idea, and excitedly tell my husband, "I think I am really on to something this time." Then 5, 10, or 2 paintings later want to try something else. I do call up some of the old 'styles' for time to time, so maybe I'm working towards a stock of applications that can be called upon when needed.
I'm young.
I've only been painting for 3 years. Well officially, I've been creating my whole life, and have spent the majority of my life in some sort of art class. But as far as painting on a regular basis and offering the work for sale, it's not been THAT long, in the big picture.
I paint what excites me.
I suppose I could pick a style and say thats it. This is the way I am going to paint a face, a background, a dress... But I would be giving up possibility. I would be giving up the unknown. I would be sacrificing my growth as an artist, and suppressing my voice. Obviously, I can't do that.
Consistency
There are some things that are consistent in my art. I love faces, womens faces in particular. I love stylizing their faces. I like long necks and eyes. I like using ephemera in my collages. Vintage maps and dictionaries. I love the color blue.
I know I can't stop the changes, I guess I'm looking for some insight, how do other artists stick to one thing, or do they find themselves changing over time too?
I know for my personal journey, it is a good thing. Looking back at earlier work, I can see the positive growth from then and now.




This is a big painting for me, 11" x 29". I painted it with mostly oils on an old cabinet door. I love the rusty, distressed hinges. It adds so much visual interest. I wish I had more of these door, I only have three left.

On other fronts, I had to make an important decision regarding school. They changed my degree program, now offering a studio arts option. That was good news for me, as then all my "art classes" are fulfilled. Those are the most difficult to schedule, they are long, and usually in the middle of the day. So officially, I have only 10 classes left, then an intern semester and a student teaching semester. I was overcome with excitement, to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, I was thinking I could push myself and complete the 10 classes in a year, so would be ready to look for work in 2. Immediately, I began to fret, Lila is only 1 now, I would have to find some sort of full-time daycare for her while student teaching. If I did the 10 classes in a year I would be very busy, finding babysitters, driving all over, doing homework, I feared my kids would get the short end of the stick in this deal.

I decided in favor of taking the lesiurely route. It will take an additional year, but then I will be present for my kids, be able to continue with my personal art, invest a lot into the classes I am taking and all over be a more relaxed person :)

Yea! for stopping to smell the roses.