Recently I entered a landscape and a portrait into the Philadelphia Sketch Club's Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings, and both were accepted.
This may not seem significant to most people, but to me it was curious because I've always heard artists are supposed to develop a "label" or a "brand," which means painting the same thing over and over until you are recognized for it. Sounds boring to an artist. Why shouldn't we paint whatever moves us and be appreciated for it?
Up to this point I've had two separate careers as a landscape artist and a portrait artist. Everything is separate: gallery representation vs. portrait commissions, publicity, and collectors. It sometimes feels as though I'm coexisting in two parallel worlds.
So that's why I find it so curious (and very exciting) that these two paintings were accepted into the same show.
1 comment:
I, too, favor painting portraits AND landscapes. Yes, the marketing for each is handled differently. I think that is a good thing as it can provide for a crossover - patrons of your portraits will find out about your landscapes and visa versa. BTW, I enjoy your blog and learning about what you are doing. You keep yourself extremely busy and I admire that.
Patrice Erickson
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