Does Consistency Matter?

After making art for all but one of my 61 years, I wrestle with the issue of consistency. I see so many artists who work in the same medium with essentially the same look for year after year. They hone their style and technique. Their work becomes nuanced and sophisticated. I totally respect what this approach can bring. I just can’t do it.

I don’t know if it’s my ADD, or what, but I’m happiest when I’m trying something new…a new medium, a new type of mark, a new tool, a new finish. While I think it helps the work evolve in its own way, I do feel bad that my curiosity (and impatience…I do like to fling paint and clay) impedes deep exploration. I know it’s a problem for my illustration portfolio, which is as all-over-the-place as my fine art. How can a client know what to expect. I always just hope they’ll see that I can choose what they want based on existing samples and know I’ll come through. I couldn’t pick a single medium if I had to. Each brings something exciting and allows something the others can’t. I think I’m doomed.

Etsy…again.

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Over the years I’ve dabbled with having an Etsy shop for selling reproductions, CADDis…various and sundry, but I never took it particularly seriously. I had a recent conversation with someone who DOES take it seriously and has had significant success with it. I decided to start again with a fresh approach. At this point I only want to have original art there. I create more work than I can find gallery homes for, so this really makes sense. I’ve loaded some available work into the site and will constantly be adding more, including a children’s section. I hope you’ll visit and tell your friends about it. Hranilovich Arts

Taking images farther in Photoshop

Last fall I decided to take some old images and rework them in Photoshop. Creating something directly in Photoshop doesn’t appeal to me, but seeing what happens to an image that’s been painted, with all the complexities of surface and color does. Here’s one that was posterized, among other things, and another that I inverted.

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Then I was doing an image for the holidays…a Father Christmas. I finished the painting, but it was just lacking something for me. I brought it into Photoshop and started adding arbitrary textures, like cement and closeups of leaves and fabrics, tweaking screen levels and cutting away where not needed. I had a terrific time doing it and fell in love with the complexity of the surface. Cement into snow…what fun! This piece has been winning awards, so I might be on to something.

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The latest piece was this cardinal. There was so much going on already in the original I had to be pretty descriminating about where to enhance, but put in textures here and there along with a couple of real berry photo images. There’s a richness that’s hard to explain with this system.

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This is definitely a direction worth pursuing further. It brings a fresh tool to the studio, but lets me keep what I love about painting. Time flies when I’m working on these…fully engaged and excited. Feeling lucky.