Should you have a consistent artistic style?

Artists often perceive an expectation to paint in a consistent style. As I look back over the paintings that I painted last year, I see three distinct styles that categorize my work, and I'm not mad about it. Just as my personality is complex and nuanced, unable to fit neatly under a label, my art can be too. I don't have to choose just one of these styles to commit to, and I can let them speak to each other and shape my future work. And I can invite new ways of expressing myself into my art in 2023, and see what emerges with anticipation.

Here's a look at the three different styles, revealed in some of the paintings I made last year:

Traditional:

Frozen in Time, watercolour on paper

This is my style of painting representationally, and it's more true to the reference image than abstracted or imaginative. I want to be skilled at seeing a scene and painting it well, and so even as my art becomes more abstracted, I still choose to start most paintings with a representational version. I notice that my representational paintings have a strong sense of peace about them, and vibrant colours. I like to simplify shapes and the scene overall, rather than capturing every detail.

Another Bend in the River, watercolour on paper

Minimalistic:

Signposts, watercolor & charcoal on paper

Somehow it brings me so much joy when I see magic emerge from a minimum of strokes. Sometimes this is an extreme simplification of a landscape scene, other times it's an abstract exploration of shape and colour. Simplification helps me see beauty in letting go, and not to always be trying to prove myself or over-explain. There's a lot of trust involved in minimalistic painting!

River Frontage, watercolor on paper

Overworked:

Blaze Across the Land, watercolour & charcoal on paper

Yes, it's a style, although I'm being a little tongue in cheek here. Probably a better term for this style is "heavily layered." I used to fear overworking (this is probably where my minimalist style emerged from) but I have learned that there is a lot that can be done with a dark, layered watercolour, and it has a beauty all its own. I do a lot of experimentation when I start to find myself in "overworked" territory, and I've had a lot of fun developing a style around the idea of having gone too far!

Streets of Montreal, watercolour & charcoal on paper

If you're wondering about this idea of having a personal artistic style, remember that style is simply a term to describe the visible results of the decisions you make in your painting practice. The decisions you make consistently - colours, brush marks, patterns & shape - show up repeatedly in your work and make it identifiable as yours. Even if you can't see it, others will, and the more you paint, your ability to make the decisions you like, and make them consistently will become even stronger and more evident.

Studio Sale: Prices Increase February 1st!

I'm going to be increasing my painting pricing on February 1st, which means that now is a great time to invest in an original watercolour by Angela Fehr. I've added new paintings to my web site; take a look and add to your art collection here. (Please note that as I am traveling to teach during the first half of January, paintings purchased online will ship on January 20th.)

Layered Landscape, watercolour on paper