I have done so much art this past week.  More than I’ve done in a very long time.  I got this surge of wanting to do nothing but art.  But I find myself at a stump.  I feel something coming, like a shift in what I’m doing.  Maybe pushing me to a new dimension.  But right now I’m not satisfied with anything I’ve done.  And yet, I can’t stop!

For the first time ever, I took an online art course.  I took Traci Bautista’s monotypes and drizzles class.  It was great to inspire me and get me to doing something each time we got a lesson.  But I have to admit that I didn’t learn a lot for the amount of money I paid.   I had hoped to get a lot of new ideas and techniques, which I didn’t, but as I said, it was good to inspire me just to make art.

I also, for the first time, looked at a lot of videos by various mixed media artists like Millande, Willowsong and Suzy Blu.    I am so impressed that they a) know how to make a video and b) are willing to share their process with everyone.   Millande, especially, was very inspiring to me.  But the thing I noticed about all of them is that they draw a lot.  I can’t draw.  Well, I can but only in pencil and only certain things and only when I work and work at it.  It’s not something I can just do quickly on a canvas like they do.

It seems that successful mixed media artists have a very distinct style.  Claudine Hellmuth – poppet people; Kelly Rae Roberts – girls with big skirts and tilted heads; Traci Bautista – graffiti like, multilayered paintings.   I have  my own style, in a sense, but I have several styles.   I like the simplicity of dresses done in only two or three soft colors with lots of texture.  I also like bold colors with lots of smudging and messiness.  And I do a lot with neutral colors accented with dark browns and blacks.  So, I wonder do these artists really only do the one style?  Or do they only  market one style so that’s all we see?

I’m wondering if a “real” artist has such a distinct style that all their work is very recognizable.  If so, maybe I’m not a real artist.  Maybe as I continue to create, my styles will merge into one unique style.    In the meantime, I’m going to continue to paint and glue and play – creating what I’m inspired to create.