And Now For Somthing Completely Different

safe zone IMO is stale zone.

A very good point John.

When I exhibit at my local art shows I am often asked why I don't specialise in a particular subject or theme, "You would do much better if you did", I am often told by the armchair experts and weekend browsers.

I disagree. Different people like different things, so I will take pictures of anything I think may be sellable, or which I think would appeal to somebody. At a local art fair recently I sold pictures of buildings, steam trains, landscapes, places of interest, floral, dogs, travel, abstracts, and probably a few other things I've forgotten about. Of course there are many who do specialise and I dare say become experts on producing art of their chosen subject, and no doubt make their fair share of sales, and I take my hat off to them.

Personally I think I would go nuts if I could only shoot one particular subject, theme, or style!

Whenever I pick up a pencil or brush I feel like I'm standing on the edge of a cliff. Subject, style, medium, it's all irrelevant, I don't think making art is ever "safe", there's always the risk of failure.

I couldn't agree more, John. I really enjoy trying out new subjects, new techniques, new ideas. Forcing myself to stick to one style would be like being in prison. I wouldn't want to be a one-trick pony - I prefer to be like a butterfly, flitting from one thing to another.

OK, "Jack of all trades, master of none" comes to mind! :)

Same here! Photography, photographic art, fractals, furniture painting and modifying, tile mosaics and Pique Assiette, crochet, needlepoint, quilling, sewing, fingerpainting . . . I do, or have done, these things and many more; and sold (to some degree or other) in every category.

I truly believe you can create to please yourself, and still find the right buyers for your work.

There's plenty of variety to be found in my portfolio, from black and white photography to wild, vibrant, digital abstracts.

Comfort zone? What's that? ;-)

Art is like a giant buffet and I wanted to try everything and to be good at. I do many mediums subjects and styles and each one attracts a different audience.My comfort zone is just do it!

Yes, I've been trying some encaustic work this summer, started to dabble with digital painting, drawing, probably one the best motivators has been producing work for the publishing industry. Playing with dark moody themes.

I do love to venture out of my safe zone. I have found that some publishers want to know how to market your work and prefer that you stick to a particular style, but here on POD I display different styles and subjects.

Well John, I didn't venture to far, it was still painting, put I don't do flowers very good and I don't work with acrylic very well, so I guess this is as far as I got out of my safe zone.
An Acrylic painting of flowers.