Art Musings

I thought of something concerning my artwork. I’ve been looking at the artist’s magazines and stuff that seems to be geared towards middle-aged people who want to paint landscapes and traditional art. I couldn't find stuff people my own age were doing, but now I think they just aren’t doing that traditional stuff and are designing stuff with recycled materials, or are doing nontraditional things. It's hard to find people doing stuff like that when you aren't going to art school or something. I just can’t find the people who aren’t doing mainstream stuff, because it wouldn’t be easily found. I don’t want to do that type of thing either, like landscapes, American flags, floral still lifes, or studies of houses. I want to do things that are more about me, with my own symbolism, or about social ideas, and the world. Painting a pretty picture of a house with a swing in the front isn’t interesting to me. It is much harder to get to things that actually matter to me, or to push the limits in a way I’ve never done before, or seen before. A lot of the stuff that I do still seems like I’ve done it before, and I can’t seem to think of a way out. It’s frustrating because it makes me not want to do anything, so it doesn’t seem like I’m improving. I expect my work to be up to a more professional level, and it always seems to stay on the amateur status. I was thinking I might change media again. I still want to do acrylic collages, and push that a little more, but I might try oil painting again.

I am just frustrated by how I can’t get the right colors in watercolor. It might have to do with the student grade paint I’m using, but it just doesn’t seem rich enough and I can’t get the shadows and tones right. Oil paint might be good for a painting I can work on for a while and get more details. Watercolor seems too difficult to layer, at least for me. But then oil paint is more expensive and I can’t store tons of canvases in my bedroom. I think I will try it though, just for a break from the watercolor.