Finding My True Artist?

I’ve been practicing, learning, trying to find my own sense of style in my artwork. It isn’t as easy as it sounds. I can definitely see influences of the teachers I’ve been learning from. Not that it is a bad thing.  I just feel as though I’m channeling them and not me. Here is an example of my art journal page I did lately without following a lesson or a prompt or while watching a video. The inspiration was my own, but the artwork well, I’ll explain after I show you the picture.

I created this journal spread over the past couple of days. If anyone knows Tamara Laporte you will immediately see her influence in this piece. The background with the moon and stars was influenced by Dede Willingham. There is a more subtle influence which comes from Christy Sobolewski.

The artists I mention are not all the artists I’ve studied and learned from. They are the main influences for this particular spread. I follow many others, Barb Owen is just one other I study consistently and many, many others I grab bits and pieces from.

This however is my own sketch, using skills I learned from Christy Sobolewski and Tamara Laporte, as well as, skills I remember from high school. The sketch looked much better in person. I say looked because I painted over it. It was part of a Life Book 2017 lesson. However, what it did was prove to myself, if I practice, I can become rather good at sketching portraits.

Portraits have been something which I haven’t done since high school art class. They frustrated me. I found them intimidating. For a long time, my idea of art was if my reference is a photo of real life or real life itself, then my art had to look like real life. I never understood the concept of abstract or whimsical or other types of art. Even though I loved some of them, I couldn’t wrap my artist’s brain around how to create them. Letting go has never been something I do well, if, at all.

This is changing. I am finding whimsical fun, however, I have yet to find my own style in whimsical which is why you see Tam’s influence.

I created an abstract painting in my journal, which I found fun and challenging. As I said, letting go isn’t something I do easily, and for abstract, you have to let go.

Then occasionally, I have to satisfy the orderly, logical, and mathematical side of my artistic nature. This is where mandalas come in.

I love these. I could sit down and draw these for hours and hours. Not to say I can’t do the same with my other drawings or paintings, in fact I do. It is just, the mandala seems to satisfy a part of me, the other drawings don’t. Maybe if I had gone into architectural design, it would do the same thing. I’m extremely logical, so the geometric designs, the detailed symmetrical work appeals to that part of me. Maybe it is why I also enjoy creating border designs for stationary.

This is probably one of my favorites. Orderly, neatness, perfection appeals to me though you couldn’t tell that by looking at me or my surroundings. Maybe secretly I love messiness too.

I guess the point is, I’m working through all of this. Trying to find my true artist.

~Patti