Art in truth is merely a reflection of oneself. The way in which we perceive, and the emotional response to artworks, is all dependant on our own thoughts, understanding, and upbringing. Where some see light and happiness, others see the dark, and desolate. It is quintessential that artists keep this in mind whilst creating works; many will become enamoured by the thought of creating art that speaks a specific tale, but in their determination to create such an explicit piece, will become frustrated, and soon discover that this obsession is to the detriment of their work.
There is of course, no issue with a piece of art having an underlying theme, but permitting the viewer to allay their own thoughts and prejudices onto a painting, allows the observer to empathise with the piece.
This thought of mind can become incredibly difficult once you've discovered your niche, or style as an artist. As soon as something begins to become a routine, or a technique, you almost unintentionally implant a meaning to a piece. This is something that I have struggled with as an artist. I often become so obsessed with creating a certain painting, following a strict guideline, that it's to the detriment of my own work.
The art that I typically create, is often very caressed, and clean cut, with a slightly melancholic ambience. I've always believed this style of painting to be quite in-keeping with my own personality, but as time had worn on, I have found myself struggling to portray an image that cuts deeply, and instead my renderings had been quite easily forgettable. It must have been about two months ago that I'd realised I had reached a brown stage. This is a time every artist knows well. It is where you've lost the glint in your eye, that makes you push your art to a new level. Usually I'd panic, and allow myself to wallow in self pity about this, but I realised it was probably time that I discovered a technique for getting out of this mindset.
I permitted myself a small break from painting, just to alleviate any frustrations. Then in my first new artwork, I completely scaled back on detail, and instead focused solely on atmosphere. I used large, heavy handed brush strokes, with thick colouration to add an ambience that I had not been able to achieve in my previous paintings.
Outside of the colouration, and volume of the brush marks, I also looked to change the way I position a painting. Typically I work within 3 varying perspectives. Foreground, mid-ground, and background. However in this painting the perspectives are far more blended, and it leads to a more flowing image. I am quite happy with how this painting turned out. I wasn't looking to create anything that I could shout from the rooftops about. I just needed to try something new. Luckily for myself, the painting worked out fairly well, with the composition of the piece holding up far far more than I had anticipated whilst I was sketching the piece up. I will likely look to add certain features of this style to my my typical painting style. I definitely feel that the blended tones of the background could lend itself to my landscapes, and help create a real sense of distance within them. I could also perhaps add some heavy handed brush strokes to certain areas of my paintings, in an effort to create a sense of focus, something that many famous landscape artists have done.
Overall I am incredibly happy that I went down the route that I did. Forcing myself to change, has helped me grow as an artist, and has definitely revitalised my passion for painting. I am hopeful that I'll continue to trial new style every so often. I might even one day attempt to paint abstraction.
When pigs fly.....
My next major project will be to move on to portraiture, and look to create pieces that inspire a sense of meaningfulness. This project will hopefully be started in the coming weeks.
Stay tuned...