Some
of the best artwork in the world has come about from, what some refer
to as “happy accidents.” Who would not agree that it is very
difficult to come up with a new idea in art? It seems that, when it
comes to art, everything has already been done. The good news is
that you don't have to reinvent the wheel here, you just need to find
your own voice, so-to-speak. Whether you paint, sculpt, make music,
or something else, it is important to let yourself come through and
be expressed. How to stand out in the art world, is to create
artwork that is unique. Artwork that is a reflection of YOU.
My
current style of painting emerged after years of studio time, playing
around, experimentation, and lot's of happy accidents. There, of
course, is a certain amount of discipline involved, like taking art
classes, studying color theory, and practicing my drawing skills, but
nothing has made my work progress more than experimentation.
Through experimentation, my own unique voice is allowed to come out.
My psyche gets a chance to play and be expressed. Happy accidents
become inevitable, and the artist that can see the accidents for what
they are, break throughs, and then use them to progress, is the
artist who will stand out!
I
was speaking with a would-be painter recently, and she said she was
reluctant to start a painting, because she was afraid that she
wouldn't be very happy with the results. She had pulled a canvas and
paints out of her closet weeks ago, and they just sat there, taunting
her. She had done this many times, and would do a painting, but
would always be sort of disappointed with the outcome and would put
the art supplies away again, until the urge forced her to, once
again, pull them out of the closet and try again.
My
advice to her was not to do one painting, but ten. She looked at me
funny, and just laughed. But I wasn't joking. I said, well, of
course you give up after just one painting, in frustration, because
you're not giving yourself a chance to warm up, and get the juices
flowing. You wouldn't expect a ballerina to go out and perform after
just one practice session would you? By painting number 6 or 7 you
might be warmed up, and by 9 or 10, you might actually be starting to
tap into that lovely, wonderful, pool of creative juices that resides
inside of you! One painting will inform the next, and so on and so
forth. Each one bringing you closer to that voice inside of you, as
well as, those happy accidents, I keep referring to.
So,
back to being unique. How do we set ourselves apart from the
millions of other artists out there? Yes, practice and
experimentation are a big part of it, but what else? How do we take
practice and experimentation and arrive at originality? We have to
look no further than our own minds and our own lives. Aside from
painting, sculpting or writing music, what are your interests? What
are your experiences? What are your passions? What gets your goat?
What brings you to tears? What do you LOVE? What do you HATE?
These are the things that make you who you are. These are the things
that need to come through in your artwork. If they aren't, then your
work is not truly your own. This is where the magic comes in!! The
beauty of this is that you don't have to go to school or read boring
text books to learn about this. It's all right there inside of you.
All the wisdom, all the fodder, all the juice! You don't have to
make it up. It doesn't matter if you are a painter or a writer or a
musician, this simple fact applies to all.
There
is an artist I know personally, who is a perfect example of what I am
saying. His name is Alan Bur Johnson. I met Alan in Jerome,
Arizona. He lives there, and has a wonderful art studio that you can
go visit durning open studio tours. I've spent many hours talking
with him, talking about his artwork, and about his life. Alan was a
total science freak growing up. He collected insects, and dead
animals, froze them, put them in jars, and spent endless hours
examining and pondering these little creature, or, "treasures" in his
mind. He inherited a collection of book, specimens, and other
scientific paraphernalia from a high school that closed down. As an
adult, Alan became and artist, and this collection from the high
school filled his studio. His artwork reflected this passion,
without a doubt, and right from the start, but the real breakthrough
didn't come for a while. Then one day in his studio his childhood
passion collided with his artistic present, and a new art form was
born. That art form now defines his artwork, and he exhibits his
wonderful creations nation wide. Here is an example of his work.
One is of the whole piece, and the other a detail, so you can see how
it is created. You can view more of his wonderful work at: www.alanburjohnson.com
Your
work needs to be an extension of YOU! There is only one you. So it
goes without saying, that if your work is an extension of you, it
can't help but be unique! You are made up of your own unique set of
experiences, knowledge, passions, joys and sorrows. If you express
that in your work, then your work WILL stand out. Your artwork
needs to have some significance to you. When you create from your
soul, then others cannot help but respond, as it will speak to their
soul. Your audience will find you. The viewer may not know what the
significance of your artwork is, but they will FEEL it, and this will
set you apart.
