I recently purchased Alyson Stanfield’s book “I’d rather be in the studio” because I want to sharpen up the business side of my art. Why Alyson and why her book? Some of the artists I follow who seem to really be doing the business, as well as making the art, recommend Alsyon. For me, that personal recommendation is important. One of those artists is Tina Mammoser, The Cycling Artist; reading about the work she puts in to her business, while retaining her passion, is very inspiring.
One of the things Alyson talks about is recognisable style. I stopped reading at that point and grabbed by visual diary for some note taking. Do I have a real style yet? Do I want to have one? If I do have one, do I even know what it is? If I don’t, should I be thinking about marketing yet or not? These are a hundred other questions…
Today I spent some time looking at photos of my paintings and through my visual diaries – a sort of virtual tour of my art history. Looking for a style; my style. Did I find one? I am not sure yet. Maybe. There are certainly some pointers along the way. What would the words be that describe that style? Again, not sure, but the beginnings of some words are there. Words like mark making, expressive, abstract, landscape, orange, transparent.
So then I thought, okay, of all your paintings is there one that you really feel represents what you want to achieve? The answer night me different tomorrow, but for today anyway the answer is this one. 10×10″ acrylic on canvas, long since sold via a local gallery to a Wellington-based New Zealand film director. And no, I don’t think it was Peter Jackson! (although it may have been for all I know) Why this one – the quality of the marks, the landscape is there but not explicit, the sense of light on the land.
Where am I at then? Thinking, thinking, thinking – and keeping notes as I go. It’s a good process.
Cath Sheard 
So interesting – it must be the time of year or something. I too have been thiking and wondering. For me the big hurdle is putting stuff out there as well as lots of others (hurdles I mean). And then I wonder if I do get a stlye then what happens if I want to change it. Oh it’s all just too hard today.
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Today I learned about style and what it does to my blood pressure. I was wearing a 24 hour amblitory blood pressure cuff. During the day it took my blood pressure every 15 minutes. Today I was trying a much tighter style to express human relationships with a periodic table, cows, a stalk of wheat and a bee. When I painted a rainbow spectrum my blood pressure went way down but when I was critical it went way up. My blood pressure also went up when trying to make tight recognizable cows and trying to keep the vase symetrical. I have no idea if this is going to be a successful painting, but if it is, I can see it hanging in a chemists office because the chemist really connects with it.
I think my blood pressure was down the whole time I worked on on the eartenware vase abofut “Society Allowing and Celebrating Diversity” IThe vase is complete and posted on my web site. I hope you like it too.
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I enjoyed reading your post – very interesting. Now, you have me thinking about my style. I think I’ll look through my paintings today and see what I come up with.
I love your abstract painting – very vibrant!!!
BTW, thank you for your wonderful comments on my “Knock Yourself Off” entry. Where is your entry?
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like the colours you have used..it reminds me of an aboriginal painting..congrats on selling it..As for style ..I think our style changes all the time..I dont think I have got a style but others say I have..I am constantlly doing new stuff as I get bored quickly..as long as we are happy creating is all that is important really…thanks for visiting my blog
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I think along the same line as Lorraine, our style may be the certain touch we leave on every piece of art we do… Even in different categories of art.
And I often find other people are better at recognising our style, for my own part, it could be becuase I don’t want to be “put into a box”…
It may be interesting for you to pose this question to people who know your art well.
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