Try this, try that..... of Art Heroes and Finding One's Voice
It took me a very long time to accept my style. My animal sculptures and drawings have a cartoon-y quality and tend to spring out of me with attitude and humor. That used to make me feel not quite accomplished. I drooled over hyper-realistic work and moody, arty, serious drawing. Couldn't do them, though. Oh, I could force myself to work intently and approximate the look, but results were stilted and weren't me.
It took me a while to understand that each of us has a voice - almost like a dialect within the language of art - and when we use our dialect people "get" our work. If we continue to use it, our skills strengthen, our voice and our message continue to grow, and our body of work expands into places we never thought we might go.
Finding our voice happens if we continue to do work that feels right to us, exploring methods and materials that interest us, while avoiding trying to be someone else.
Do we study the work of other artists and even study with them at workshops and in classes? Of course - exploring the materials and techniques that work for others can help us dial in what works for us. It's just important not to try to BE them but to work on becoming more ourselves as we learn and expand our skills.
I could fill a book with my clay heroes and add a second volume for artist heroes of other media. Lana Wilson and Sandi Pierantozzi, both handbuilders like me, are two of my clay heroes. Layers and texture are intrinsic to much of my work. Both of them use texture in stunning and creative ways. Lana works with a free style, similar to mine; Sandi is meticulous and has efficient methods embedded in her creative process. Both do work that positively sings. Barbara Hanselman is another of my clay heroes. Her work also uses texture to great effect and her forms speak to her abiltiy to engage in the play with clay that is important to my process. Do I admire these three? Oh, yes! Do I adore their work - Oh MY, yes! Their work and their methods are signposts that encourage me to try this, try that, to tweak my process and consider new methods or techniques; to look at my work from a different vantage point.
Each of them has a distinct style, a clear voice that speaks through their work. But my voice must be my own and so must yours. Each artist's unique voice is a part of the immense range of beauty that makes up art's full song. Sing on, all you creative souls, sing on!!
It took me a while to understand that each of us has a voice - almost like a dialect within the language of art - and when we use our dialect people "get" our work. If we continue to use it, our skills strengthen, our voice and our message continue to grow, and our body of work expands into places we never thought we might go.
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| Brushwork cat plate - 8" sq. - Betsy J. Parker |
Finding our voice happens if we continue to do work that feels right to us, exploring methods and materials that interest us, while avoiding trying to be someone else.
Do we study the work of other artists and even study with them at workshops and in classes? Of course - exploring the materials and techniques that work for others can help us dial in what works for us. It's just important not to try to BE them but to work on becoming more ourselves as we learn and expand our skills.
I could fill a book with my clay heroes and add a second volume for artist heroes of other media. Lana Wilson and Sandi Pierantozzi, both handbuilders like me, are two of my clay heroes. Layers and texture are intrinsic to much of my work. Both of them use texture in stunning and creative ways. Lana works with a free style, similar to mine; Sandi is meticulous and has efficient methods embedded in her creative process. Both do work that positively sings. Barbara Hanselman is another of my clay heroes. Her work also uses texture to great effect and her forms speak to her abiltiy to engage in the play with clay that is important to my process. Do I admire these three? Oh, yes! Do I adore their work - Oh MY, yes! Their work and their methods are signposts that encourage me to try this, try that, to tweak my process and consider new methods or techniques; to look at my work from a different vantage point.
Each of them has a distinct style, a clear voice that speaks through their work. But my voice must be my own and so must yours. Each artist's unique voice is a part of the immense range of beauty that makes up art's full song. Sing on, all you creative souls, sing on!!
Brava! Loving that song you just sang!
ReplyDeleteI love to work in an environment with other creative spirits for then I do truly begin to soar in a way that does not happen if I work in isolation . . I love exchange of ideas and methods because each individual brings in their own interpretation and touch of magic . . let that song go on!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Betsy! Deborah - I so agree with you. The magic that happens with shared creative energies is wonderful! Bring on the chorus!
ReplyDelete