Some serious soul-searching...

I was discussing art with a client once, and I was showing her the different things I'd done in the past. There were huge abstracts and floral works on canvas, delicate watercolours on paper, graphic black and white pieces, and a few figurative bits and bobs. She commented that she'd never guess they were all done by the same artist. Which, if I'm honest, threw me a little bit. Did that mean I was too scattered in my approach? Did it all look a bit hit and miss? Should I work on developing a particular 'style' and stick with it? I'd never really though about it too much before, and had always just painted what I liked, whatever that may be. Which seems completely natural to me, but maybe that's not the best way to approach this business. I mulled it over for a while, trying to decide what to do.

Then, a discussion with a friend put things in a whole new perspective. We both often joke that we really need a good half-dozen houses, just so we can decorate them in all the styles we like. Breezy and beachy, clean and modern, heritage, country....they all hold a certain appeal, and I could quite happily live in my version of any one of them. So why not art? Who's to say I need to stick to one style - surely there are no rules? I like to rotate my paintings with the seasons; darker, moodier pieces for winter, fresh and bright for summer. And why not combine lots of styles into one glorious mish-mash? I decided to go in search of the best examples of this approach, and think these pics prove without a doubt that 'eclectic', although done to death, really is rather fabulous when done right.

So, I'd love to hear what you think? And if anyone is a marketing-guru extraordinaire, then I'd also love your thoughts from a business perspective. But at the end of the day, I am who I am, and this is how I work.

Thanks guys, you're the best. Hit me with your best advice...I'm ready.




sorry, but lots of these images were saved ages ago...long before I was savvy enough to record the source. I know a few are courtesy of Lonny and Rue magazines, and some via realestate.com.au. If anyone knows more, please let me know and I'll credit accordingly. Thanks!