A Recognizable Voice
May 2, 2013
Inspirational Art
Today I would like to ask for your input. I want to talk about creating an unique artistic voice and I think the best way to define it is to have you, the readers, break it down together. Are you up for it?
The primary question is, what does it mean to have an artistic voice? I think the answer is in understanding what sets the well defined and easily recognized style of one artist apart from all others? Sometimes it’s the choice of form or imagery, maybe even a standard set of colors. But what if that artist does a wide range of things. Is their particular voice going to stand out if they jump from one thing to another. I think, if they are following their true selves, that voice inside that directs the inquiry and steers the fascination that motivates the artist to create can be apparent in a wide variety of work from the same person.
Take a look at the piece below. Even if you have never seen this type of work from this artist, you may be able to guess who this is. I did pick a fairly easy person to recognize.
Did you guess? You can click on the image to take you to the artist’s website if you like. But we’re going to chat a bit more about this before answering. So … this piece is not one of the more popular, widely seen pieces from this artist and is not one of her more well-known styles (perhaps … it’s hard to say that any of the phases or styles of this artist aren’t fairly well-known) but how quickly did you come to recognize the artist? I’m guessing for most of you it took almost no time. And why is that? Why, when this artist is known primarily for her translucent techniques, her imagery, her purses, do we still recognize a vegetable sculpture by her so readily?
Some of the reasons are pretty simple but they do matter … like the fact that she’s widely shown. But what else? What is is about her work, no matter what form, technique or imagery she uses, that allows us to recognize her? Are there other artists that come to mind that you know you’ll recognize right away? Why?
I would love to have as many of you chime in as possible. If you are getting this via the email delivery, you can click on the title of the post in the email to go to the blog and comment at the bottom of the post. If you need, you can reply with an email and I can post it for you. But do get in on the conversation if you have anything to add. I can have my say about why I think Kathleen Dustin here is so readily recognizable but its just my view. We are a large community with many, many different views. Let’s hear what you think.
Cloisonne Like No Other
May 1, 2013
Inspirational Art
Faux Cloisonne is not a new technique at all in polymer but there are at least a dozen ways to do it. Even then, within each approach there are very definite choices that become the signature of the artists who have chosen to work extensively with it. Below is a piece by a fairly well-known and, I think easily recognized artist (or maybe I’ve just been admiring this person’s work for ages!). Eugena Topina sells tutorials for this technique as well as having provided the basics in an issue of Polymer Cafe many years ago but as beautiful as this technique is, you don’t really see its likeness anywhere.
I’ve been sitting here trying to figure out how to say what I want to say next in a sensitive manner but I’m not sure there is a way. I brought up Eugena’s work because I wanted to address the worry that some artists have of being copied. My first thought on this subject is always about why one would worry about being copied. If it directly impacts your ability to gain income from your art, that is somewhat understandable but the fact is, you will put your art out there to be seen at some point and if it is well received, others will try their hand at it. There’s no way around that. My second thought is, if you have developed your own unique voice as an artist, there is no way anyone will be able to copy you so that what they do will be mistaken for yours. The third thought … do what you do so well, no one else can copy you, not in any direct manner.
Eugena’s approach to cloisonne is very precise, her colors are bold and bright and her finish looks flawless. She also tends towards flora and fauna in her imagery. This combination of approach, skill and imagery marks her work and makes her pieces easily recognizable. Even with all her information out there on how to do what she does, you don’t see work like hers by other artists. I think she’s simply done it so well, no one can touch her. So if you have a technique, design approach or form that you want to really push as your own, perfect it. Invest time in developing it to its full potential so when you do put it out there, you are setting a very high bar for those who want to emulate what you do. This will give you a solid position and the kind of recognition that does give you income making opportunities in being able to teach it as well as sell it.
Your other option for keeping people from copying you … develop your original, very individual artistic voice. We’ll touch on ideas about how to do that in tomorrow’s post along with a stunning example to draw from.
The other thing about people copying your work … if they do, it’s not only a compliment but an opportunity. Christi Friesen lives off the fact that so many people try and emulate her work.
Covering the Original Artistic Voice
April 30, 2013
Inspirational Art
Since there seems to be a lot of conversation about originality lately, I thought we’d focus on that idea for a bit this week (which is a great excuse to just bring the most stunning work I can find to post for you!) Finding your own original voice versus copying or following trends has been a point of discussion since Synergy 3 with the widely shared talk, The Good, The Bad & The Ugly in the Age of the Internet given by Harriete Berman, to comments and links here, to other articles and posts making the rounds like this one regarding copying posted by Ronna Sarvas Weltman on her Facebook page over the weekend. Originality is a very hard thing to teach. But awareness of what it is may be the first step in finding your own original artistic voice.
Covering objects with cane slices is in no way an original idea. But if someone did it for the first time today and for weeks after other people started doing it, would they be copying this innovative artist? Not necessarily. It is not the process or the skill that makes a piece unoriginal but the ability for a person to make what they see or learn their own personal expression (see Sunday’s post for the more in depth philosophical discussion on this). There are techniques, concepts and approaches to making art with your material of choice. Learned well, they become a skill. This will not make one an artist. It is what you do with it, how you make it your own, let it express what you see and care about. So … how can covering with cane slices be wholly original?
This frog is a Jon Anderson piece (see the Spring 2012 issue of The Polymer Arts for a gallery of his work and bio based on the only interview he has ever given.) It is completely covered with cane slices. However, every slice has been placed with purpose and as a way to express what Jon wants to portray about this creature and the colors and patterns he has been inspired by throughout his life.
Jon chooses the patterns on his slices, the colors and the way he lays them out to emphasize the form of the frog as well to embody his sense of what is beautiful. He also embeds symbols such as the moth on the frog’s head that give you reason to pause and wonder what else this is about besides the frog. There are a few other artists that use the same patterned approach to covering forms with cane slices but I have never seen any of their pieces that could be mistaken for Jon Anderson’s. His approach is a reflection of himself, the individual, the original person that his life and experience has formed.
Who would you consider the most original artist that works in the forms, techniques and/or approaches that you do? (And it’s okay if you think it’s you. It may very well be!)
Today I would like to ask for your input. I want to talk about creating an unique artistic voice and I think the best way to define it is to have you, the readers, break it down together. Are you up for it?
The primary question is, what does it mean to have an artistic voice? I think the answer is in understanding what sets the well defined and easily recognized style of one artist apart from all others? Sometimes it’s the choice of form or imagery, maybe even a standard set of colors. But what if that artist does a wide range of things. Is their particular voice going to stand out if they jump from one thing to another. I think, if they are following their true selves, that voice inside that directs the inquiry and steers the fascination that motivates the artist to create can be apparent in a wide variety of work from the same person.
Take a look at the piece below. Even if you have never seen this type of work from this artist, you may be able to guess who this is. I did pick a fairly easy person to recognize.
Did you guess? You can click on the image to take you to the artist’s website if you like. But we’re going to chat a bit more about this before answering. So … this piece is not one of the more popular, widely seen pieces from this artist and is not one of her more well-known styles (perhaps … it’s hard to say that any of the phases or styles of this artist aren’t fairly well-known) but how quickly did you come to recognize the artist? I’m guessing for most of you it took almost no time. And why is that? Why, when this artist is known primarily for her translucent techniques, her imagery, her purses, do we still recognize a vegetable sculpture by her so readily?
Some of the reasons are pretty simple but they do matter … like the fact that she’s widely shown. But what else? What is is about her work, no matter what form, technique or imagery she uses, that allows us to recognize her? Are there other artists that come to mind that you know you’ll recognize right away? Why?
I would love to have as many of you chime in as possible. If you are getting this via the email delivery, you can click on the title of the post in the email to go to the blog and comment at the bottom of the post. If you need, you can reply with an email and I can post it for you. But do get in on the conversation if you have anything to add. I can have my say about why I think Kathleen Dustin here is so readily recognizable but its just my view. We are a large community with many, many different views. Let’s hear what you think.
Read MoreFaux Cloisonne is not a new technique at all in polymer but there are at least a dozen ways to do it. Even then, within each approach there are very definite choices that become the signature of the artists who have chosen to work extensively with it. Below is a piece by a fairly well-known and, I think easily recognized artist (or maybe I’ve just been admiring this person’s work for ages!). Eugena Topina sells tutorials for this technique as well as having provided the basics in an issue of Polymer Cafe many years ago but as beautiful as this technique is, you don’t really see its likeness anywhere.
I’ve been sitting here trying to figure out how to say what I want to say next in a sensitive manner but I’m not sure there is a way. I brought up Eugena’s work because I wanted to address the worry that some artists have of being copied. My first thought on this subject is always about why one would worry about being copied. If it directly impacts your ability to gain income from your art, that is somewhat understandable but the fact is, you will put your art out there to be seen at some point and if it is well received, others will try their hand at it. There’s no way around that. My second thought is, if you have developed your own unique voice as an artist, there is no way anyone will be able to copy you so that what they do will be mistaken for yours. The third thought … do what you do so well, no one else can copy you, not in any direct manner.
Eugena’s approach to cloisonne is very precise, her colors are bold and bright and her finish looks flawless. She also tends towards flora and fauna in her imagery. This combination of approach, skill and imagery marks her work and makes her pieces easily recognizable. Even with all her information out there on how to do what she does, you don’t see work like hers by other artists. I think she’s simply done it so well, no one can touch her. So if you have a technique, design approach or form that you want to really push as your own, perfect it. Invest time in developing it to its full potential so when you do put it out there, you are setting a very high bar for those who want to emulate what you do. This will give you a solid position and the kind of recognition that does give you income making opportunities in being able to teach it as well as sell it.
Your other option for keeping people from copying you … develop your original, very individual artistic voice. We’ll touch on ideas about how to do that in tomorrow’s post along with a stunning example to draw from.
The other thing about people copying your work … if they do, it’s not only a compliment but an opportunity. Christi Friesen lives off the fact that so many people try and emulate her work.
Read MoreSince there seems to be a lot of conversation about originality lately, I thought we’d focus on that idea for a bit this week (which is a great excuse to just bring the most stunning work I can find to post for you!) Finding your own original voice versus copying or following trends has been a point of discussion since Synergy 3 with the widely shared talk, The Good, The Bad & The Ugly in the Age of the Internet given by Harriete Berman, to comments and links here, to other articles and posts making the rounds like this one regarding copying posted by Ronna Sarvas Weltman on her Facebook page over the weekend. Originality is a very hard thing to teach. But awareness of what it is may be the first step in finding your own original artistic voice.
Covering objects with cane slices is in no way an original idea. But if someone did it for the first time today and for weeks after other people started doing it, would they be copying this innovative artist? Not necessarily. It is not the process or the skill that makes a piece unoriginal but the ability for a person to make what they see or learn their own personal expression (see Sunday’s post for the more in depth philosophical discussion on this). There are techniques, concepts and approaches to making art with your material of choice. Learned well, they become a skill. This will not make one an artist. It is what you do with it, how you make it your own, let it express what you see and care about. So … how can covering with cane slices be wholly original?
This frog is a Jon Anderson piece (see the Spring 2012 issue of The Polymer Arts for a gallery of his work and bio based on the only interview he has ever given.) It is completely covered with cane slices. However, every slice has been placed with purpose and as a way to express what Jon wants to portray about this creature and the colors and patterns he has been inspired by throughout his life.
Jon chooses the patterns on his slices, the colors and the way he lays them out to emphasize the form of the frog as well to embody his sense of what is beautiful. He also embeds symbols such as the moth on the frog’s head that give you reason to pause and wonder what else this is about besides the frog. There are a few other artists that use the same patterned approach to covering forms with cane slices but I have never seen any of their pieces that could be mistaken for Jon Anderson’s. His approach is a reflection of himself, the individual, the original person that his life and experience has formed.
Who would you consider the most original artist that works in the forms, techniques and/or approaches that you do? (And it’s okay if you think it’s you. It may very well be!)
Read More