Finding your Artistic Style

I was preparing to take these three pieces to display at Scallions, and I had to chuckle at the variety. I painted each one in the past six months, however they are all completely different styles. The Country Cow painting was done in oils from a photo that I took, and the other two are mixed media inspired by some angel Christmas ornaments I saw at a store. I’ve painted pretty consistently for the past three years now, and I still struggle with my style. I also can’t seem to stick with one particular medium.

If you’re an artist, do you have a style? Do you think it’s important to limit yourself to one style?

I’ve really been perplexed over this the past week after seeing my paintings side by side, and I’ve boiled it down to this theory. It depends on my mood and how much time I have. The cow painting obviously was very detailed and took me about four lengthy painting sessions to complete. I don’t seem to have a lot of extended time slots to paint, so starting a piece like the cows, that requires so much concentration, is intimidating. I also don’t see that this style of art, at least for me, leaves much room for expression. Sometimes I love working on a piece where I have to concentrate and really challenge myself, but more than not, I like to paint something that has moved or inspired me and be able to express myself and push it past “looking so perfect”. 

The older I get, the more I rebel against the pursuit of perfectionism. I feel like art needs to reflect the artist, not look “just like” the object or someone else’s work. I love mixed media because I can be messy and free and don’t put pressure or expectations. That make the creative process fun and enjoyable for me! I found this article over at the Empty Easel on finding your artistic style. I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic!