STUDIO BEHIND THE SCENES ///
Hey there! A little update from me this week from behind the scenes.
Part of the artist's journey is to find their voice and style and have a sturdy cohesive body of work to show for it. This can often be a bit intimidating and overwhelming...
I have worked hard to find my style, and you will most likely know it's me when one of my paintings pops up on your screen. You will always find bright, colourful energy and lots of flowers in my work. However, it is the subject matter and the subject's environment that I have struggled with.
You will see many artists with clearly defined niches, for example, some artists just paint still-life flowers or landscapes. 100s of them. All roughly based on the same composition, subject matter and colour palette. I feel no shame in declaring this isn't where I am right now. I haven't made one painting that shouts to me. Paint 1000 of these, please, with some subtle tweaks and changes! This is it!
Maybe it will come. There are, after all, plenty of excellent, amazing, in high-demand artists that don't veer too much from their niche. And others see this conformity to defining themselves and their art as the only way to monetise it effectively and make a living out of it.
I fully appreciate that it may indeed be me that is missing the point entirely, but I'm going out on a limb and letting go of the status quo and doing my own goddamn thing!! Hallelujah.
I have landed in a place of clarity and conviction as I have taken time to lean on my why and the things that drive me to make art in the first place and to consider the space I want my art to have in the hearts of collectors.
For me, it all comes down to 2 things:
1. Greedily using creativity and painting as a life improvement hack to greater well-being and fulfilment.
2. Making beautiful, heart-felt, sentimental art to support the connection between people's hearts and homes.
I'm not after awards or recognition or fancy gallery openings. I want to paint and make my best work and share that joy and beauty with others. That's it. Simple as that.
As well as creating original paintings. I will be adding some simple online art classes to my studio offering, to boost my ability to connect more people with their own creativity. The benefits are life changing in my opinion.
In terms of my portfolio, I have worked out that I can create consistency in my portfolio and still maintain some freedom with my subject matter by focusing on the environment as the niche element. For me, this means painting the world around me, specifically the Sunshine Coast hinterland region. Filled with lush evergreen native trees and rolling hills and mountains. Vibrant florals and fascinating wildlife. This way, I can paint both still life scenes and birds and landscapes and anything else that inspires me from the world around me.
This body of work will be split into two collections for now:
Garden Scenes: vibrant, colourful floral home garden scenes and landscapes featuring hinterland views and wildlife.
Home Life: Sentimental, quirky, floral scenes from around home, inspired by hinterland living.
There is often magic in letting go of the supposed-tos and the must-dos and finding something that suits your natural rhythm and vibe. Do you agree? Let me know by adding a comment below or emailing me at hello@samhortonstudio.com
Take care, Sam x
