Following your muse....

guest blog by Barbara Bechtel of Floridity

Don't worry about your originality. You couldn't get rid of it even if you wanted to. It will stick with you and show up for better or worse in spite of all you or anyone else can do. ~ Robert Henri

People often ask me how I arrived at my current style. Being a little shy when it comes to discussing my work, I'm often unsure how to answer. Most often, I divert the question by talking about my methods, my inspiration, and current ideas in the works.

Style is a topic that is ephemeral at best. Everybody likes it and most want it. Some are sure they have it, other think they may never have it. Think of your favorite designers and artisans...be they high-brow or low-brow...most have a style. Some have arrived at it deliberately, some have arrived at it by accident, some have worked very careful to cultivate it.

Being a mixed media artist, and a painter by education, I've never felt I had a recognizable style. I want to be identified...like Georgia O'Keefe or Frank Lloyd Wright. Until recently, this always distressed me greatly. So, I decided to look critically at all of my work and identify patterns.

Identifying patterns is very important. It is through patterns that you recognize what you are doing cohesively from one piece to another.

By identifying these patterns, you can adjust or refine your working method to help you cultivate your own unique style.


What colors do I consistently use? Do I like these colors? Do I want to use different colors? How can I experiment differently with my color palette? I take out the paints I use. I identify the hues on a color chart. I am a scientist with my process....



What shapes or forms do I consistently use? Am I drawn to geometric forms or organic forms? Why am I drawn to them? I make a list....



Texture. Do I prefer clean lines or a rustic pattern? Why do I prefer that? What other objects in my home and my life personify this texture? How can I translate this texture to my work?


How are you evaluating your own process to better identify your own personal style?

How do you feel about style? How would you like to define it? for yourself? for others?

Can you translate your style into this month's Art Spark? Be sure to check it out and submit to win a host of nice things and challenge your creativity!