Artwork: Your Own Style

Keith Haring - Mom, 1989 acrylic on canvas 60 x 60 inches

If you look at the history of very successful artists you will find one main common factor, individuality.  Every successful artist has a style of their own.  You can tell their work by the brushstrokes, use of colors and form.  Think of Keith Haring, Picasso, or contemporary artists like Sas Christian and Michael Husser.  Their works precede them. That is the key to their success. I have seen works of artists that I didn't particularly like, but found successful because I knew the artist when I saw the work.

When you look at your work do you see a defining style? Are you copying other artists? How do you find your own style... These are all questions artists should ask themselves. 

So really how does one find their own artistic vocabulary?  A good start is by experimentation, and lots of it. If you look back at Picasso's work, or Jackson Pollock's you will see that they did not start out painting in the iconic styles they are known for.  Take Picasso, he was a strong realist. It was not though until he began his cubism, that he really became revered.  Same happened with Pollock, his early abstracts were nothing near his completely deconstructed drip paintings.

Remember to stay curious, that keeps things fresh.  Expand your horizons and thoughts about your process. Paint, sculpt, write, sing and be happy!

Sonia