My last blog entry dealt with a technique I call No Expectations. I use this technique to make beads when I am trying to work past artistic fear. Or when I am just looking for a little creative inspiration. This is my final installment of Fear and Texture. It is a few words of advice about self-imposed limits and a couple of photos.
When we are young we begin coloring, and (they) tell us “oh that is nice dear but try a little harder to stay in the lines”. (They) tell us when we draw a dog it actually has three legs. When you draw a barn animal, horses have a nose but a pig has a snout. When we took up painting with our water tin of cheap watercolors and the horrid little brush it comes with, (They) tell us that the sky is blue. (They) tell us “those are nice tress but trees don’t look quite like that”.
I used to belong to a water color artist group. We taught each other, painted, critiqued each other and in general had a great time. I was very fortunate to be able to observe two artists in particular that had a great deal of impact on me. Neither of them have any national fame or recognition but they are both great artists. You will recognize the fact that I spoke directly about them in my last paragraph. One of these artists creates whimsical barnyard scenes and the other creates landscapes with the most amazing color combinations you will ever see.
These two artists both shared with me the most important pieces of information I have ever learned about my own artwork and creativity. They both told me they quit listening to the voice of (They), who ever (They) might be. These two artists also told me it was very important to not become the voice of (They) yourself. Even as an adult (They) told Barnyard Artist that cows and sheep and horses don’t have pig snouts. Well in her paintings, she proved (Them) wrong. She paints the most amazing transposed animals because she doesn’t color in the lines. She doesn’t listen to (Them) and she doesn’t allow her own inner voice to become that same stifling voice.
Landscape artist creates color combinations in the skyscapes and landscapes he paints with colors very few artists would dare to use. I am pretty sure this man has thrown out his color wheel years ago. Both of these artists are very satisfied with where they are at creatively. They are also both successful commercially, their work sells for a lot of money, they are in numerous galleries and they are self supporting through their own art. Not a bad place to be
So now that we are adults and we can eat our dessert first. Remember you can also make the decision to color outside the lines or paint your sky purple or yellow. My personal view is conformity in art leads to stagnation, regression and an overall lack of vision in whatever field your art is in. This is not to say do not learn the basics and do not learn from those that have gone before you. However once you do learn the basics, make that decision to not allow your inner voice to stop your creativity. Do not allow all the voices you have ever heard to reside in your inner critic.
We can easily blame everyone who has ever criticized our art or everyone who has never understood why your art looks “different” than anyone else’s. Ultimately, the choice is ours individually, let our art be guided by what “they” say or detach yourself from those constraints and let your own artistic vision surface through your work.
This is what happens when I color outside the lines:
Otter is a glass artist who blogs from the Pacific Northwest.