What's your signature style?

 Ruling pen and shellac ink

A week or so ago I was reading an interview with Brian Ritchie the bass player from the Violent Femmes. I no nothing about the Femmes music but was interested in what Ritchie had to say on artists who repeat themselves, in other words giving the fans what they want rather than trying something artistically different. As the curator of the MONA FOMA in Hobart, Ritchie states that ‘I don’t want to give [people] what they want. I want to give them what they don’t know they want yet. ' 

Last year I completed an online workshop to help me identify and decide if I wanted to pursue an artistic business. Interestingly once completing the workshop I found my desire to not only create art, but also sell it and create a business out of it diminished significantly. I suspect that was information overload in action. One of the key messages I got from this workshop is that successful artists have a signature style; it is a message that is repeated in subsequent art books I have read. It is something that has worried me because I’m not sure I do have a signature style. Yet what does a signature style actually mean? Is it important? Can you have a successful career as an artist without developing a signature style?

Fineliner on cartridge

My interpretation of signature style, at least initially, is that artists repeat the same type of art: same media, same colour palette, same substrate and same images. It’s something I’ve noticed in a number of artists whose blogs I follow, almost every new artworks seems to be a variation on the last new artwork, there is very little actually new about the artwork. I’ve also noticed it in successful calligraphers that consistently do the same lettering style. In fact, it’s common in all forms of artistic expression. You become comfortable in doing a specific thing and it becomes successful and then you just keep doing it. Look at all the ‘80s bands, they are reforming and performing all of their old hits because the ‘80s is popular again.

Is the variations on a theme signature style enough for artistic fulfillment? I suspect not. Personally I’d find it very boring indeed to continually paint or draw the same kinds of images. I like to do new things, learn new techniques and try something different — can’t that by my signature style. I could call myself an experimental artist!

Rotring radiograph on watercolour paper

Now I've looked at it at a deeper level, I think that a signature style is something that signifies something about you. For me it’s specific media; pen and ink, watercolour, graphite, coloured pencils and similar themes and images; freedom, flowers, women and text. While I like to experiment and see what happens with specific techniques, these are done within a similar theme. I like to think that each new artwork is different to the last, and that it tells some kind of story. So, I guess I do have a signature style, just not in the obvious sense.

What's your signature style?

Time

This is another composition piece that I did for the Claudine Hellmuth collage workshop at Big Picture Classes. Am I allow to actually say that I love this piece, so much in fact that I'm actually thinking of framing it!

This is the first piece that I've done that included objects rather than just layers of paper. When I set out to do the piece I really wanted to make a piece about time and really it started with the clock stamp that I'd been itching to use. Then it was a matter of having fun deciding what I could use from my stash to create the piece. In fact that's one of the things I love about collage, you can actually use stuff from your stash rather than hoarding it.

I honestly think that the key to creating is just having an idea and allow it to grow and see what happens at the end of it.

Well that's all for now, I'm using the time between MasterChef finales to catch up on some blogging and computer work and I'm hoping that Kate wins.

Karen

Bubble Lady

Remember I mentioned the bubble lady, as I like to call her. Well here is the collage I created using that particular piece of artwork. I printed the artwork onto canvas paper and then did some fussy cutting to get a good outline of her.

I've used the script to create the horizon. This script is based on a 1929 font by Jan Tschichold a very famous font designer. I've been reading a book on Edward Johnston for my MA and this font was discussed. I love that it's modern and rounded sans serif and a bit funky. I'd like to play around with it a bit more and really develop a script from it - oh to have the time!

I haven't had a chance to look at the last week of the collage workshop notes because I'm trying feverishly to get some work finished before the school holiday onslaught. I'll hopefully get to it soon, and I've gotta say that I'm going to miss the workshop and the interaction with other class members. But I have a plan! Ali Edwards has been mentioning doing her Week in a Life project again and this time I think I might just go along. I've been a bit slack taking photos of the family and I'm finding I'm much more productive when I have a project to complete.

Till next time I hope you are enjoying your day.

Karen xx

It's almost Christmas!!

I just realised it's been almost a month since I posted. Oh well the best laid plans of mice and in this case woman!! I do intend to post more often, it's just that life gets in the way.

Anyway here are some cards. I've finally perfected the VersaMark resist using a brayer. You need to let the VersaMark dry before you use the brayer to ink the glossy paper. It took me a while to work out what I was doing wrong, but I got there in the end.


This idea I cased from someone, but can't remember who (sorry!). It uses the masking technique and the sponge daubers - my new fav tool! It's actually a very effective technique that I'm sure I'm going to use again, when I get time.


This is a sneak peak on a calligraphic work-in-progress. This year rather than create a design for a christmas card I thought I would complete a finished piece. This is half-uncial and a celtic greeting. I think I picked the most elaborate celtic decoration I could find, but I'm sure it will look cool when it's finished - hopefully by next weeek. I'll post a photo of the finished piece.

I feel like I'm always rushing at the moment and it's about time to rush to kinder, rush home, rush to swimming, rush home and rush some work in this afternoon. Then it's collapse time for a double episode of the Amazing Race - if I can stay awake that long!! Have a good one and hopefully it won't be too long before I post again.

Some things I love

All supplies Stampin' Up except eyelets, which are Making Memories

I love this stamp and this technique. This stamp is from the stamp set Heartfelt Thanks. The techniques is pastel chalks blended using the blender pen. (Thanks Yvonne for showing me this technique!!). It is subtle and delicate, like the flower.

Image from Susan Skarsgard

I also love abstract calligraphy; the ability to manipulate script and to push the boundaries of what is image and what is text (the crux of my Masters thesis!). I am lucky enough to be attending a workshop (ConText: letters/language/meaning - an exploration of calligraphy in the 21st century, as a modern and relevant form) with Susan Skarsgard in early July and I am very excited about what I might learn. Other abstract calligraphers that I love are Brody Neuenschwander and Yves Leterme, both of whom live in Bruges, Belgium.

Why not share what you love with me, I'd love to know.

A good day is one where I get to do calligraphy for two hours, so you know today is going to be a good one. Hope it is good for you too!

Oopsie!

Brush calligraphy: gouache on cartridge paper

I got really excited about this piece in calligraphy class yesterday . . . and then I looked a bit closer and realised that there are a few typo's in there!!! Unfortunately no amount of editing can fix this. Still it was a practice for a layout that I'm working on, which will be done on cold-pressed watercolour paper. I must say that I am loving brush lettering, it has endless possibilities.

I'm working on some cards to post, just to prove that I can stamp! Time and balance are two things I'm working on at the moment. The best time for me to do anything is when the twin munchkins crash and burn at about 7:15pm each night. From about 5 pm onwards it is seriously out of control in this house, trying to get tea made, everyone fed, boys bathed and ready for bed and trying really hard to get some quiet time before bed. Andrew and I have almost given up on this, the boys just go crazy, sumo wrestling, pretending to be dogs - you've got to see Nathan say to Bailey, sit, stay, good boy!! Bailey does it all with his tongue hanging out. It's hard not to laugh, but at the same time by the time they are tucked in bed, Andrew and I literally collapse on the couch in a heap and just the thought of being creative is too much to bear.

I'll work it out, just as I'll work out how to get rid of the sh*t that's currently everywhere in this room I'm typing in. I will win the clutter war!!

Have good day!

Settling in

Watercolour on canvas

This is a work-in-progress. I'm still undecided if I want to add anymore text to the spirals and the heart needs some more definition, I'm just not sure what kind. This is something I've learned recently about the creative process, sometimes you just need to be with the art work before moving on. You need to let it go, come back to it and then decide if it needs anything more. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither should my art work!!

Life is changing around here. I'm now back in paid employment, initially casually for 12 weeks and then hopefully on a permanent contract. I've done my first copy-edit in about four years and I love it. Yes, I know you thinking What The! I love having my dictionery and my style guide next to me, using the correct copy-editing marks, and I lurrrrrrvvvvveeee my red pen!!! In fact I love copy-editing much, much more than Instructional Design, but sometimes to pay the bills you've gotta do both.

I've also recently become a Stampin' Up demonstrator and I'm trying to get my head around that, playing with the stamps and thinking about running some workshops. I'll start posting cards and layouts as well as artwork as I progress. So, if you are interested I'd be happy to take an online order.

Bailey and Nathan are growing up. We have now moved onto Lego, which I think is very exciting. At this stage they are using Lego that belonged to Andrew, so that makes it VERY VERY OLD. I'm sure that no doubt we will continue to grow this stash and make more clutter in our house.

Time to pick kidlets up from kinder, have a fantastic day!

Worth holding on . . .

Acrylic paint and ink on canvas paper. Words: Eleanor Roosevelt

Sometimes it's worth holding onto things that you are not happy with when you have finished. This piece is part of a larger piece that I didn't like. Yesterday while searching for some canvas paper for a new project I found it and thought actually I like this little bit, let's cut it out. So I did and this is the result, which I quite like.

With any type of creative endeavour sometimes you need to leave it awhile and come back to. Working on something for so long can skew your perspective.

The collage project that I was working on went in the bin - sometimes you just have to admit defeat!!! But it brought about a host of other ideas, one of which I'm exploring now. That's one of the things I love about the creative process, it's all about experimenting and exploring. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but our failures and mistakes can sometimes blossom into opportunities.

Life has been incredibly hectic around here. Today is the first day I think I've come up for breath! That of course will stop in about ten minutes when I leave to pick up Bailey and Nathan from kinder, then it's come home, get ready for swimming, go swimming, come home, have some lunch, then off to the doctor for four-year-old vaccinations - oh the joy!!!

It's important to realign your perspective, dust yourself off when something doesn't work, and to keep trying, or as Andrew says, 'Keep hanging in there!'

Back again

Walnut ink and ruling pen with watercolour on Canson Mi Tientes

Okay so I haven't blogged for quite a while! I've just been out of control, overwhelmed and generally struggling a bit. So, sometimes something has to go, and it this case it was blogging, and art. But I'm starting to get a handle on it again and thought I would post this piece. I scanned it in a while ago and wasn't sure if I liked it or not, but now that I look at it it is quite interesting.

Currently working on a collage of words, paint and found items so will be interesting to see how that works given I haven't done anything like that before. Really what I'm trying to do is combine all of the things that I love and to express how I've been feeling and some of the things that have been floating through my brain.

Also been trying to get up-to-date with my MA thesis, which as of the moment has no words!! Still I have almost finished re-working my plan and hopefully will be cooking with gas from there.

If you have some time today and you're interesting in stamping I recommend that you head over to Jennifer McGuire's blog and check out the videos using Ranger Distress Ink. I found these to be really interesting since I have some of this ink and I've not been sure how to use it effectively. Jennifer is a fantastically creative stamper and card maker and I love checking out here blog on a regular basis. Enjoy!