For quite some time now, I've wondered if I have "a voice", something that distinguishes my work from others; that elusive 'something' that immediately says that this is a Heather Anderson painting. It can be hard to know, because I am up close to the painting and the inspiration behind it.
I've come to the conclusion that now I can say Yes, I do have a voice that makes me an individual, not just one of the crowd (where ages ago, we all started out). My animal paintings are consistently light, bright, and even the ones that are filled with action, have a sense of peace or fun.
Recently, there appears to have been some ridicule directed towards me because I choose to use a lighter hand with color - light and bright as opposed to vivid, and because I choose to draw my images instead of tracing them. Vivid is good, it's exciting, and I long ago accepted that many people prefer to trace. If that's what feels right, do it. It doesn't feel right for me. I need to draw the image in order to feel connected with it and I need to create a light, bright, clean image where, when it comes to color and detail, less is sometimes more. ( This doesn't mean I don't use many layers of color or that I don't love using detail - it just means I'm selective about which details I use and which colors I put together and how intense I let them become.) I was always taught to leave a place for the eye to rest, and even when I'm painting action, I make some small peaceful spot to rest.
I know where I'm going, and I like the path I'm on. I have every right to be here and talk about my art journey. In short, I'm comfortable in my own skin and painting with my own voice. And really, isn't that what it's all about?
The painting I've used to illustrate this blog is APPALOOSA SPRING, a 14 x 18 watercolor on Arches 300 Hot Press.
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