Artists Who Box Themselves In

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It occurs to me every now and again about some of the unbreakable rules and regs that have been established.

Seemingly unflinching, these control the vast majority of what artists produce. Sensible in nature, they are the wall between the ordinary and the unknown.

Any artist who has been producing work for a number of years should feel this way too. Sell a few paintings, get some positive feedback, and all of a sudden you are on the slow train to consistency.

Now of course you want to brand your style and your methods.

It is how an artist becomes recognizable for the work they do. It is also a comforting feeling knowing that you can produce something beautiful, but different, every-time you pick up a brush.

As comforting as that may be, it is a massive barrier to the creative palette. It keeps the artist in their comfort bubble, all the while hindering the artists development.

For myself, I have a number of things that I do in the creation of a painting. Most of the time I am happy with the results, but then again that is no surprise.

I think what is far more exciting is knowing that what I am putting my heart and soul into may not be successful. It may be a waste of a $40 canvas or massive amounts of sculptural material. But that is the best lesson an artist can receive.

For other (largely abstract) artists, this doesn't mean just changing a canvas to wood or a bigger brush instead of a smaller brush.

It means fundamentally altering how you approach a piece of art. Who knows, you may just break through that wall.



Artwork by tohdaryl on deviantart.com