As An Artist, Do You Venture Into New Styles Or Do You Play It Safe?

This is a work I did today, a new style I want to explore Surreal sculpture.

I change my style often, but experience a lot of failure when I do. Still, my work all blends together somewhat looking the same. I don't think you can look at my paintings and distinguish a 36 x 36 or a 14' by 30'. I am working on a style change for 2015 paintings that I won't post until 2015. So we shall see what happens in 2015.

I'm always learning and exploring. I started out on this photographic journey trying all kinds of alternative processes - Polaroid Image Transfers, large format, pinhole - all sorts of things. Video is my newest exploration.

I enjoy exploring and experimenting with different techniques and styles. Right now I'm working on a painting that is way out side my comfort zone. I have no idea if it will work or not but I'm enjoying the process.

I explore everything. Don't really know myself if it's a good thing or bad thing but I just get bored with one thing very easily; therefore I'm all over the place! (just look at my work) ..lol.. I don''t tell myself it's time for a change, it just seems to happen. Thus far, I have never been ashamed or not liked any of the outcomes. By the way, that piece Mario is absolutely wonderful!!!! I love it! And I definitely understand it so well!

@Lisa, I have tried styles that I didn't like the result, I wouldn't call it a failure but rather and adjustment. Nothing ventured nothing gained. Some times, trying what does not work is good as it serves a purpose in taking you to a new direction.Your Gallery is very nice and I saw diversity and some variations in style. BTW, I love the colors, they are the colors( Purples and blues) I try to have my sculpture reflect, but it's not easy as I don't use paint but heat.

@Edward, Learning and exploring, They go hand in hand, well put!

@ Darice, exactly, it's about stepping out of our comfort zone. I don't think I would ever have discovered I could sculpt copper if I had not taken that first step into the unknown.

@Jonel, first of all thank you for your compliment about my sculpture, it's always very rewarding when another artist tells me I understand it! I think it's important to try as many different things with our art and then maybe we can find a style that truly fits like a glove, but one must experiment, for me it's the best way to learn.

Always trying new stuff ... to the point that even now, after all this time ... I have absolutely NO discernible style. A shame but there ya go. I love to perfect a style or look that I admire ... and will often do a few or go back to it now and then. But if I felt like I had to repeat the same style over and over and over again I'm sure I'd lose what's left of my mind. Discovery and invention and exploration ... that's where the real kick is.

"you never know until you try it" - isn't that what they always say? I'm like Lois, I'm all over the map with my photographs, but you never know what's going to be your new, favorite subject.

Yes and no - and it makes little difference. I began life as a representational painter - went to school and became a kind of abstract representational painter - then I did a little photography and changed my art style (as in painting) to digital abstracts. I did ok as long as I was painting - photography and digital art - well - those have been changes I could have lived without - but there is no going back - unless I want to paint pears and apples.

If I had played it safe, I'd have a lot more money for my retirement......but I boldly told the gallery owners that my style was evolving...I could not hold my process back.
oh well. lol

Nodding at Marlene. Not that I've had all that many gallery owners knocking on my back door, but that has always been in the back of my mind. If I can't stick with one style, I'm shooting myself in the foot.

I now have holes in my feet.

Well, I have been dappling in photography for the past 40 years. From 1980-82 I was a street photographer...Then for whatever reasons I became a generalist doing this and that and everything in between.

Even my first year and a half on FAA I was uploading flowers, sunsets, koi etc....Then I looked into the mirror about a half year ago and said "who is the old man looking back at me"?
It was me!!! OMG....

I realized I didn't have much time left or even if I did it might be as an old droolbucket incapable of taking care of myself. So what to do with my remaining years? I did much research on the internet including YouTube (what a wonderful place for reference material).

I decided it was time to get serious with my photography. Getting serious for me means once again being a street photographer. So off I went......and came back with a backache and much pain from all the walking.... Not to be put off, I did more research and discovered that some street photographers took images from their car as they drove thru the city. I tried this and it worked! I mean it really worked.

So here I am driving thru the city streets and taking candid photographs. I removed all my wall decor stuff from FAA, and now have just my candid images (almost guaranteed not to earn a penny). But I am satisfied in a big way as I am doing it my way....

I go boldly whereever the muse takes me.

Great responses, I actually thought I would get some responses to the effect that an artist needs to be consistent and never change his style or that an artist that changes his style is just amateurish or not to be taken serious. I am surprised that most everyone has suggested that changing styles is what keeps the work fresh and interesting and that it's a away to explore and learn more. I happen to agree, and I'm sure in a few years I'll look back at my own work in utter amazement and say something like "what were you thinking". Why? because I think art is a reflection of who we are as people, it has a lot to do with our life experiences. I am not a stagnant person, I am constantly challenged by life constantly faced with new problems and live experiences if my work truly reflects who I am as a person it's only natural for it to evolve and change.

@Roy, I would say it's never to late to go back, and why would you just be confined to paint apples and pears?

Mario I love Out of Body Experience! It is so much fun and full of wit!

Over the years I have changed mediums numerous times and styles within those mediums. Since I am not exactly a "for profit" artist I can't say if it is good or bad but I think boredom has changed the styles of artists I know....and for me. The little voice in your head that says "what if I do this" and then you are, as an artist by nature, compelled to try.

I think it is fun to see the progression of work with the artists here...their first works and then the more recent...sometimes the change is barely noticeable and sometime quite dramatic. Maybe someone could start a thread...first and recent works to see if we see changes in style.

Thank you Val! Actually I was thinking the same thought about seeing one's work progress when I came up with this thread, so by all means if anyone wants to post two works the early work and the new work I think that would fit right in with this discussion in a very visual way! Thanks Val for mentioning that!

Here is something I did about 8 years ago when I was still a generalist...


And then here is something I did about a month ago since I've returned to being a street photographer...

I'm relatively new to artistic expression, but I have many years of repressed creativity to share with the world so the idea of only focusing on one style of painting, or just painting, seems terribly limiting for me.I have discovered that working in pairs or groups of three helps me move on to other projects sometimes. Feeling pulled in different directions can make me feel a bit indecisive some days, but I've come to terms with the reality that I won't live forever, which means it's highly unlikely that I'll ever be able to see every dream to fruition. Each day is truly a blessing so I intend to play and explore as often as possible.

Wow Robert your work is Two Different Worlds!!! I have to say I so like both.

Ok I'll bite... I don't know if I uploaded this first but was the first image I did when deciding to join faa.

Then moved on to doing this stuff

This is cool to see how other artist are evolving. I'm currently trying to become more free/quick with my style and focus more on colors and lighting than every small detail. Mostly, I'm just getting tired spending 30-50 hours on a painting. I'd like to cut that time down to 1/3rd. Funny thing is, I'm finding people like my quicker paintings as much or more than the ones that look like photos.

Here's an example:

Old - 30 hrs.


New - 10 hrs.

As a matter of fact Mario I am exploring a new style, Matisse. I can only believe venturing out of my little world will make improve my work.
Matisses cut out inspiration,

A more impressionistic painting.

Robert, yes a big difference noted, I like the cat image, but the street photography certainly strikes a different cord with me and I much more prefer it, I can see why you are passionate about it.

Val, both images are very pleasing to me, not meant as a critique as I am so not qualified, but I find that the style is very similar, maybe I would need to see more of your work to notice the change.

Aaron, I can certainly appreciate your desire to cut the time down to 1/3, I like both your works, but if you can save so much time in making them I think that it's a positive change! I have been doing the same with my sculptures, by making smaller pieces and working in a series of anthropomorphic ants I have been making more sculptures in less time but also exploring so many other aspects in my sculptures because of it, like movement, story telling, emotion, and now exploring surreal art, not to mention I'm saving money on copper and brazing rods which are very expensive. The great thing is if I every want to got back to what I was doing there is nothing to stop me.

You know ... your thought, Mario:

"I happen to agree, and I'm sure in a few years I'll look back at my own work in utter amazement and say something like "what were you thinking" "

May or may not come true. Since the installation of the thumbs of different works appearing on our pages here at FAA today, I've heard some people kind of bemoaning the fact that images they'd had stuck way in the back of their portfolios are suddenly now seeing the light of day. And some members are even considering removing those older images. Well ... I hope they don't, at least not without first giving the older art the benefit of a second thought.

When you said

" ... because I think art is a reflection of who we are as people, it has a lot to do with our life experiences."

I completely agreed. And where we were 5 years ago may just resonate with someone else more fully than where we are right now. And it's that connection between artist (musician / actor / author / stand-up comic / etc.) and their audience that is the magic.

Here's the first image I posted, back in February of 2010:


And here's my most recent, posted 2 days ago:

Thanks Mario...I think you are right...subject matter changed but not the style.

@Sydne, very contrasting styles!

@ Lois, very well said, and notable difference, both equally beautiful. Made me re-think, and you are right! I won't ever dismiss my earlier works it's what got me to today's works.

@Val, ok now I get it.

Rejection, Early work, hand hammered copper wall art 2d, coated in poly coat. Gutted, 3d copper sculpture, brazing rods over copper, color achieved by heat and no poly coat.

I feel as though I'm still developing my artistic talents so to say I change my style would be tough to say because I haven't found a style I can call my own. As of late, I feel as though I've stumbled upon a style I intend on keeping. Here's one of my latest works using that style.

Lois, I am one of the ones who deleted some of those older images. I am still not done. I have evolved since I posted them and had almost forgotten about them. It really caught me of guard when they showed up under some of my most recent work. I am not sorry I deleted them. Interestingly, I did not have a "style" when I first started posting. I am evolving as a photographer and for the moment, am comfortable with where I am headed artistically. I am certain that will change. I once thought my earlier work was good.

This is one of the first images I posted in 2012


This is an image I posted today

Arlene, what I'm noticing in this thread is that it is more difficult to define a style with a camera than with a paint brush and with sculpture. At least it's more difficult for me to see a difference in style vs a different subject that was captured, maybe it has to do with viewing a lot of the artist work to actually get a fix on the style in photography at least for an untrained eye like mine in photography.

Julian, post another of your older works side by side so we can compare them and maybe see a style starting to emerge.

Mario, you are right. It is not so much style. It is more defining what type of photographer I am emerging into. I see what you mean.

@Arlene, do you mean it's more about the subject matter you photograph than technique or editing, etc.?

"Have you ever changed your style?"

My style seems to be somewhat consistent. What I have changed is the media I choose to express that style with.

Well, this group was/is refreshing. Great thread!

Thanks Lisa, I think people like talking about their work and better yet showing examples of their work in a discussion.I like to learn and what better than with a bunch of visual examples and explanations especially if it's some thing I'm working on myself.

I enjoy exploring, sometimes new styles rise from it.

Richard, I agree, sometimes new styles rise from it. When I first started with my sculpting I was just cutting out metal and hammering it like the Jesus sculpture shown here, but one day I was doing a local art show and I was placed by a very well know metal sculptor and he came over to admire my work, we started talking and he invited me to his retreat, a out in the country kind of art retreat where he lectured and had artist come to view his works and other things. This man gave me a single brazing rod made of copper and phosphorus, some thing I was totally unfamiliar with. He told me I could melt it let the molten flow over my copper and build structure to my sculpture, that's all he said to me. I took that single idea that he shared with me, because I wanted to explore and it totally changed my sculptures and opened up a world of possibilities in creating with copper that I never would have imagined. Below is one of my first 3D molten flowed sculptures I did using the copper brazing rod.

@ Mario. Yes it is about subject matter, but it is also about post processing for most photographers. I am no expert and have no formal training but I think it is about finding yourself as an artist no matter the discipline. Your style emerges and morphs. You may look at one of your sculptures and tweak it (for lack of a better word) just to discover that the piece has been transformed. You are able to replicate it and love the look. Is this a new style emerging? I may capture an image, add a texture, alter the color in post. I love the results and replicate it over and over again, certainly with different images, but the post is the same. Is this a new style emerging?

Arlene, I agree, it's probably about finding ones self as an artist. I actually never started out with any style as I was unaware of what the styles even were, even now I say I am exploring surreal but in reality I'm not, I happened to make a sculpture based on a concept I had and then only then when I explored the style of others came to the realization that my work fit the style, so for me I really enjoy a broad freedom in my sculptures because I don't feel I have a need to stay within the parameters of any style. I know it might sound like a contradiction but it's quite clear in my mind, I hope to be able to continue exploring in my sculptures.