Split Personalities

The May, 2008, edition of Southwest Art has an article entitled Split Personalities. Sub title: Some of today's top artists divide their time between realism and abstraction. This article fits me to a T (I don't know why they didn't feature me in their story....lol).

I have always struggled with style, meaning do I paint realistically, impressionistically, or abstractly? For me, it's whatever creative muse moves me at the moment. I bounce back and forth between realism and abstraction. I used to consider that a negative, but I can't help it, so now I choose to consider this a profound positive.

Experimentation is the key. Let the creativity FLOW. I do admit, however, that I am subject to "operant conditioning." I read about operant conditioning in Robert Genn's weekly newsletter (http://www.thepainterskeys.com/). I saved his article from 11/29/07 because I thought it applied to me. Operant conditioning means the consequences or outcome predicts future actions. Actually, it applies to all species of animals. If you get a favorable result, you're probably going to repeat the action.

My gallery told me a large horse painting of mine sold yesterday. So, immediately, I start researching a future horse painting. If it had been a landscape, or floral, or abstract, I would be pulled in that direction. This is how artists become stuck in stylistic ruts. "Success breeds sterility" as Picasso said.

My point on this rather lengthy rant, it that I feel empowered by my versatility. I will continue exploring different artistic styles. Maybe, some day, there will be such a demand for my (floral, abstract, landscape, animal - choose one) paintings that I will have to limit my efforts to one area, but I doubt that would ever happen. Meanwhile, I'll just continue my split personality.