Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Finding one's voice as an artist

All artists strive for authenticity in their art. In the beginning, the fundamental need to create is the force that drives one to accept the challenges that come from learning one's craft. And as we grow as artists, we then begin to explore beyond the basic skills of our art.

I read constantly about artists who have worked in one medium for many years, finding new found joy in discovering another. A painter in oils, now has become a pastelist. Just as a majority of jazz artists who have classical music training, most artists start out as realistic painters and then start pushing the boundaries of their creativity. It has been said, one must learn the rules in order to break them.

The constant in all forms of art is the ability to engage others in one's point of view, to invoke a dialogue, to pull the observer into the piece, producing an emotional response.

As we grow, we begin to find our niche. One fellow artist, who had started out as a watercolorist and was now immersed in monoprint and collage said to me, "I guess this is what I was meant to do. I am having fun and am successful at it." She has now won more awards with her prints than she ever had with her watercolors.

The goal is for our art to become recognizable and identify us. And if we are lucky enjoy the process.




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