Sticking To One Style??

I personally think it is up to the artist. Many times I create by mood or how I am feeling and also what im trying to express and I think variety is the spice of life.. what one person sells all the time doesn't dictate where the market will be the next day or week or year.. Variety I think is good but then there are probably many here that have had success with the same type of art and they keep doing it and it keeps getting sold.. so there again I suppose it is up to the artist.. that is doing the works..

"To thine own self be true"- William Shakespeare

You asked many questions of which probably you yourself may know best to answer.

I believe, "Sticking to one style", is apparently the gist of your inquiry so... Some of that depends on you... what your goals are, are you already okay financially and can afford to experiment with variety... Do you already have a client base interested mainly in one style... if not, do you think you can get that client base in order to focus towards a better financial end??? etc.etc.

My personal answers for myself would be different than your own. I've already had a career and am retired. Any financial gain I make from my artistic talent is supplemental income. My livelihood doesn't depend on my art. I consider myself gifted in many areas and I would consider those gifts a waste if I ignored them totally just because I might do better financially on one style only. I also might miss out on something else I'm talented in that just hasn't as of yet been as fruitful as something else? Maybe I could change or focus more on marketing to turn it around? Maybe I could seek help to optimize it's fruitfulness?

There could be a hundred different circumstances that might affect one's choices or judgements on this issue. Suppose I'm also talented as a teacher/instructor/developer and at some point exploiting that talent using all my different artistic skills to help others is what makes me happiest or provides the best financial opportunities or hopefully both!

Generally speaking... The best scenario I can think of is to focus on what makes you the happiest and try to make money at it. 99% of working people never have that opportunity or never take the chance to follow it. They usually get caught up in a job that comes along that isn't what makes them happiest but they know they can survive and it's safer, or more secure. Maybe you're fortunate enough to have a partner or spouse that is also making money which allows you the luxury of taking risks? My point is, that there could be many contributing factors to the answers you seek. Perhaps you will get enough responses on this thread to come up with a consensus that may help you make a decision.

I can only speak for myself in saying that I love variety tooooooo much to just settle for one style. My love for experimenting basically inhibits me from sticking to one style. I personally happen to believe however that eventually, and without consciously trying, everyone exhibits their own style at whatever you decide to do. Just remember that thankfully, there are a vast many people with vastly different interests and opinions of what they like and want in art.

The key you're probably looking for is how to market to those people that like what you do, rather than doing what you think they like.

My tangents have tangents, so sticking to any given style would really be impossible for me. Too many things interest me. What was I saying?

Jennifer,

I am not sure what style is?

My professors taught us to think of creating our own constructs.
That can be such a tough job that it can take a life time.

For now I am only interested in developing my constructs.

Dave

At this point (and I've been an artist all of my long life), I still don't have just one style. If one style or kind of art really starting selling, I'd probably create more of that, but I wouldn't stop experimenting because, to me, that's what an artist does. And that's what a writer does. And that's what a person does.

Thank you for your feedback
I wasnt looking for personal answers to these questions.
Just random thoughts.. I get those alot usally I keep my rambling thoughts to myself
I do have intrests in alot of different styles and have even explored different things things from pottery to wood work drawing painting but as a hobby. Art relaxs me.
I am teaching myself to focus so I dont have like 10 or morw different projects unfished laying around. I get bored I tend to do something else for a bit

. Past few years I had to give school and art up when my son got hit by a truck on his bike had a head injury. 5 years later hes ok head injury changed his personality. Same year my kids dad my hubby ended up with a baseball size tumar on his heart I was in school and running a home daycare he was working. We ended up losing our 4 bedroom home and moving in a 1 bedroom apartment with all 6 of us.. Than homeless I couldnt find a job to support all of us. Worked at a call center god i hated that job lol

. I always had another job from childcare in home tp in a daycare to working with adults with disablities . I spent years trying to figure out what I enoyed doing as a hobby I like alot. And what I was good at and that I will stick to as a career over 20 years in childcare and school and a degree in early childhood education to relize I am best working with people with mental and physical disablities and more classes and training I found a caterer where I wanna do. I thought till lately I was too old to go back to school . I will when I can afford to go back. I think art therapist is my focus. I can combine art and working with people with disablities. I have drawn and painted with people adults and children and the smiles across their faces is so rewarding.
My dream would be ..having a art studio that adults and children with disabilities can come paint do crafts and sell things they make to earn money I believe that would be so rewarding for them.
Omg Im so sorry this ended up so ling winded.
Long story short art and helping people is my passion.
Just trying to figure out how to make a dream into a reality.

David I dont have a certain style if I paint or draw it comes from my head sometimes and some of my work has more of my heart in it.
Maybe from not what you see here my drawings and paintings and wood work have all had alot more of my energy and heart into them. I stopped doing anything to do with art for a few years. Lost all my paintings and everything in storage.

Maybe it is better to stick in one style so you can develope it and produce recognizable work but that's up to artist's personality.
Unfortunately for me it is not possible. Almost every day I wake up with a different project in my mind.

Jennifer Schneringer3 Hours Ago
Thank ypu for your feedback
I wasnt looking for personal answers to these questions.
Just random thoughts.. I get those alot usally I keep my rambling thoughts to myself

You asked questions on a public forum so are going to get personal answers. If you do not wish to know what others think and feel, may I suggest not posting your questions, otherwise it appears very rude to those who took time to respond to you. Just a thought

ya I tend to have more than one project in my head too

chances are if you have a style, you couldn't break out of it even if you wanted too. its like changing your favorite color or food. when your first starting out your methods change, but eventually you settle on one and usually stick with it.

that said, i have different genre's. and they may be fun and sunshine, or killed baby dolls. but the style itself is the same throughout.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

sorry I didn't know I was being rude or I didn't mean to sound that way.
I do word things wrong or come across rude
when I said I wasn't looking for answers to the questions it came off like I was saying I don't want anyone's feedback. that's not what I meant :(
they where supposed to be just random questions
again Im sorry if I came off rude.

What are you meant to be doing? I wish I had the answer to that one for myself.

Personally I have found my style but I have so many interest in photography my mind is often scrambled. I often find myself chasing waterfalls and landscapes but shoot macros just as well. Here is a few examples

Beautiful pictures willam I really like the waterfall :)

Thanks I love the outdoors but if you look at my site you will see I tend to adapt and overcome in just about any situation. But with me I am stuck on photography so I guess I have my style per say.



Heres my favorite shot of charlotte even tho I was there due to family member in the hospitol I still made the best of it and this made a awesome get well soon gift.

I must agree with Mike....your style, once developed, is your style...there's no getting around it or denying it.
You may use a brush or charcoal or even a camera, your style will still shine through.
I think what you mean to ask is about using different mediums....

Style is like a face. People remember faces When you put on a mask, you lose them.

i tried to change my styles a while ago. and no matter how different i thought it was, people could recognize it at a glance. but since i started selling you do really want a style people can recognize later. it makes the piece your own.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com