A Distinctive Appearance

Magnolia © 2014 J. Travis Duncan

Style. Every painter has a specific style. One painter might have something subtle in his/her paintings, yet another might have something so overtly different that it distinguishes itself from all other artists. Van Gogh is a perfect example of a painter with a signature style. Everyone knows "Starry Night", but even some of his other works, "Wheatfield With Crows" or "View of Arles With Irises In The Foreground", reveal their creator by their brushstrokes and color. To think of a more modern example, I would have to propose oil painter, Leonid Afremov. Working with a palette knife, he has an amazing style that he has honed and perfected. The color palette he uses is not limited, but rather seems to include every color of the spectrum. With any artist, a style tends to evolve and solidify with each painting finished.

Do I have a style? When it comes to watercolors, I like to work a loosely. Details are something that I have a hard time pushing away from due to my years of illustrating. However, I enjoy having more freedom with the brush. In other words, I rely upon the viewer to finish the details when viewing the work. This can be seen in my acrylic painting "Magnolia". I opted not to use a lot of detail on the blossoms, but rather put them in a brighter light to allow the eyes and mind to fill it in. As for a style, I guess I would say that my style is still brewing inside.

Sometimes I have to fight trying to force a style. It would be easy to mimic another painter's style, but I believe that when you try to do something that's not natural it is counter-productive. Experimenting with your art is fun and needed in order for artistic growth. It is when I try to reproduce another's style, I ruin my paintings. I love Monet's paintings. Yet, if I were to replicate him, I have done myself a disservice as well as art itself. To the artists out there, work hard, continue to experiment in your art, but never forget the person in front of the canvas is you.

The Art of J. Travis Duncan