IN the past this question was my starting point. And also my finishing. I had no idea what sort of art I wanted to do. I had some sort of notion that I should be expressing something earth shattering or at least an original take on some serious notion that most probably has been tackled before. It stifled me from the get go. What did I have to say that hadn’t been said before and probably better. I had no idea, but I made art anyway. The problem was I was a harsh critic, and I saw right through my flimsy endeavours. There were some paintings I liked, and some that others liked and bought, but all the time I knew that really I was faking it. I had no idea what to produce next, and no driving urge to unleash my soul on the canvas like the ‘real’ artists.
Then the penny dropped. I just had to make work that I loved. That’s kind of easier said than done. If someone asked you “What type of work do you love?”, would you have a ready answer? In order to get clarity you must pay attention to what excites you and to be really specific. If the landscape that surrounds you inspires you to paint – what is it about the landscape? The clothes you choose – what colours do you always go for? Do you choose pattern for home furnishings? All these choices that you have made give clues to your instinctive preferences and can give you a starting point for playing with paint.
Recently a neighbour from across the road popped into my studio while he waited for my partner to climb into his lycra in preparation for a bike ride they were going on. He looked at some work that I had recently completed and said “Oh who’s doing stuff like this? I’ve never seen this sort of art before.” It made me smile because in his eyes if the work didn’t fit into an established type like landscape or still life, figurative or whatever else he knew then he wasn’t sure it was ‘a thing’. And if it wasn’t a thing, then how was he supposed to measure if it was any good??? And if he couldn’t decide if it was good or not, how could he decide if he liked it??? The confusion was real, however, fortunately he didn’t have to ponder for long as lycra-man appeared and off they went to huff and puff on their bikes. I was left in my studio to do the pondering. I thought what a funny reaction and YES!!!! IT’S DIFFERENT FROM ANYTHING HE’S SEEN BEFORE!! It’s MY Art. I quickly had to reign in my self-congratulations as his experience of Art was clearly not extensive.
This is what I am aiming for when I work though. I want to find MY style, which is simply made from a series of decisions choosing my preferences. What I love and choose may be similar to what others love, but it won’t be identical because none of us are. As long as I follow this trail my work should reflect me and my preferences, rather than those of others. And that is what should make it unique.
In the history of mankind, and projecting into the future of our species, there has never or ever will be Art like mine, or Art like yours!! If you have the desire to make art, then only you can make your Art. You may say well the world can turn without my meagre offerings, and of course this is true. But you won’t become the best YOU you can be if you don’t pay attention to your desires, and get working!! I have no idea what my work will look like in 10 years time, or actually even 1 years time, but it’s an exciting journey to embark on, and I am eager to find out!
Currently I’m working on a series of 7 paintings. They are not finished but some of them are close. Here are some photos that show the progression of one of them. If you would like to see my new work as it happens sign up for my newsletter here.
Or if you want to follow me on Instagram, I’m over here.