Dear Angela,
I have gotten good at copying painting demonstrations on YouTube, but I want to do my own work. How do I find my own way? - a recent email question
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For many years, my security as an artist came from painting realistic paintings. Being able to paint something identifiable, something that could be measured as skilled by anyone felt like the safest way to create good art.
I would often look at abstract art, simple, powerful paintings and wonder how the artist could be brave enough to present something so hard to identify. How did the artist know that way of painting was for them? How did they not feel bound to make art other people would understand?
I didn’t want to paint weird stuff, but I craved the freedom that the most innovative artists seemed to channel so effortlessly.
How do you develop creative self-confidence?
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…painting with the distraction of TV, cramped in my seat with a board on my lap wasn’t really the best way to create a quality painting process and be mindful of the creativity that would enrich my paintings. It’s little wonder that my paintings from that era were stiff and controlled. There was a lot of tension between the paint and the artist, and it shows in my work from those days.
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When I was first starting to make my name as an artist in my community, it was interesting how frequently I had to turn down possible art jobs. I was painting landscapes and florals in watercolor, but I received requests for mural paintings, portraits, graphic design, children’s book illustration…a smorgasbord of variety! And I hated turning down work! But I knew my limitations and no matter how creatively I looked at it, there was just NO WAY my watercolor would translate well to mural painting. I knew my limitations.
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The question I get asked most frequently by growing artists is “How do I find my style?” I am never sure if I can offer an answer that satisfies, as what I’ve learned over the years is that we artists are often asking the wrong questions.
You can’t pick your style from a list. Your style is as instinctive and intrinsic to you as your own personality, and that’s actually a really good thing! When you learn how to listen to yourself and paint from that inner artist, you will start creating your deepest and most authentic work.
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When you’re working in watercolor, a large painting is usually quite a bit smaller than what’s considered large in paintings on canvas. The largest common size for watercolor paper is 22 x 30 inches, so that’s one limitation. Watercolor brushes are scaled for smaller size paintings as well, and even palettes usually have small wells that won’t accommodate a large brush. All reasons why watercolor painters tend to work small.
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What if heart-led watercolor could be the starting point, instead of introduced as an intermediate transition toward a personal loose style?
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“I teach myself to paint every day.”
I think there are a lot of misconceptions surrounding professional artists. We have a level of skill other artists aspire to, and we often present our work with confidence and pride. Mistakes aren’t as visible, leading to the assumption that maybe we didn’t make any (ha!) and so often this leads to the idea that we’ve “arrived” at some place of achievement where doubt doesn’t enter, where struggle is past, where we are just able to do exactly what we plan to do in our work.
And maybe that is true for other artists. I can only speak for myself, and, having painted in watercolor for twenty-four years, I am still teaching myself to paint.
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“Well, I guess I’m just not a loose painter.”
You’ve tried. You love the loose, intuitive style of watercolor artists like Jean Haines. You’ve followed tutorials and watched videos, but when you try to paint your own loose painting, you quickly fall into your usual habits. Detailed copywork of your reference photo, tight pencil sketches and muddy overworking seem to be an intrinsic part of your personal style, and you feel like it might just be the way it’s meant to be for you.
What style is for you? Can you choose your style, and when should you give up on pursuing the style you yearn to make your own?
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Do you know how powerful your mind is? Our thoughts determine the choices we make and over the years I’ve become more and more convinced that mindset is the biggest determiner of whether you will succeed or struggle, and this is as true artistically as it is in other areas of life.
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Every now and then I get an email from a student asking, Angela, I’ve recently lost a loved one and haven’t been able to paint since it happened. Do you think I’ll ever be able to paint again?
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I’ve been thinking a lot about one of the scariest words in life; transition. Transitions aren’t just about change; they are the process of bridging the gap between where you are and where you are going.
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I found my high school art portfolio, and it includes the very first watercolor paintings I ever did, and they are terrible; truly a testament to the power of practice. It's not magic that got me to this place where I love what I create, but many years of building skill in technique and experimenting to get closer to my heart.
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When I stopped thinking, “I can’t paint that way because no one will understand it,” and just painted what made my heart happy, I found a freedom and joy that I’ve never wanted to lose.
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