Individual Style

      

        We all begin as fledgling artists taking classes and struggling to master a new vocabulary, new skills and all sorts of materials. Hopefully, we progress to more competent and capable artists experimenting endlessly to develop our own personal style.

        Since early in my painting education (with a variety of excellent teachers) I have kept a journal of my "Eureka!" Moments -- when something I had heard hundreds of times finally made sense.  Reading back over my journal periodically has been a regular part of my art experience.  Each time I read it, I learn something new because I'm at a different level than I was before.

As I read through the journal today, it dawned on me that I finally know what my style is.  It is a distillation of all the information that is percolating in my brain as I listen to other artists, read art books, visit museums and explore dozens of different media combined with the experiences of a lifetime.  It doesn't matter if I paint exactly the same scene as a dozen other artists, the end result will be uniquely my own.  What do all of us have to gain from a realization like this one?  Stop worrying about developing your own style!  As you learn and as you practice your craft, your style will emerge -- it doesn't really have a choice.          

    Once we begin to recognize our personal style, it is key to intentionally cultivate it. Vincent Van Gogh's distinctive approach to painting evolved over time, as he experimented with different types of brush strokes and color palettes.  If we look at his works we see that developmental process.  If you place three of your artworks created over time side-by-side, what will you see?  As Alyson Stanfield says in The Art Biz Blog, [style is] "that extra little thing you do to distinguish your work from that of other artists." So, what's your extra little thing???

Van Gogh's Early Work

Height of Van Gogh's Career

One of His Last Paintings

   

 

BECOMING AN ARTISTIC POLYMATH

“The real master has no tools at all, only a limitless capacity to improvise with what is to hand.”

So what you ask is a Polymath?  A Polymath is someone who knows a lot about many different things – think Renaissance Man (or Woman).  Or maybe jack of all trades.  In a world which is becoming ever more specialized, whether it’s your doctor or your college professor, isn’t it nice to think that as an artist YOU can become a polymath simply by stretching your wings?  If you’ve said to yourself, “I’d like to try other media but I’d better stick to the one I’m comfortable with, “ you are denying yourself the opportunity to grow and develop as an artist.  Trying different media does not mean you have to ignore the one you’re most invested in because what you’ll find is that each one you explore “informs” all the others.  If you learn to use color in pastels, you can use the same palettes in oils.  If you learn to draw really well, you’ll paint better because of it.  Making manipulated papers for collage teaches you about mixed media for painting.  You get the idea.  And don’t worry about spending tons of money to try new techniques look at the tools around you.  What can you do with a twig, chopstick, lemon juice, a candle, baby wipes, cotton balls, your kids’ crayons – the list is endless – the tools at hand.  So come on, think like Picasso who worked in oils, collaged, sculpted in wood, clay, wax and metals, designed sets and costumes for a ballet and even wrote poetry (when he was 53 years old).  Improvise and become an artistic polymath!!  And if that’s not enough, you can add a new word to your vocabulary. Please comment -- What's the most unusual item you've used to make art?