An Artist's Journey is One of Discovery...

...and I'm not just talking about the art!

“Stand out in the crowd. Don’t stand in the crowd. People should be able to see who you are inside and out and not what they expect to see from you. Be a unicorn in a team of horses.”

Elizabeth ?? (anyone know the author’s full name?))

Unable to locate a unicorn, or a team of horses, a solitary poppy in a field of barley will have to suffice…you get the idea.

My younger self would have recoiled at the idea of standing out from the crowd, of drawing attention to myself. Although a chatterbox at home, school reports invariably stated that I was quiet in class. This reticence to push myself forward, to find my voice, continued on, well into adulthood.

It’s only in these last few years, that I’ve begun to find my confidence, and voice. Bearing in mind, I’m now a grandmother, you can see it’s been a long road.

This growing assurance comes, in part, with age, but also with the acknowledgement that I’m increasingly finding my artistic voice - both painting and writing. There’s been lots of iterations along the way…

In the beginning, the work was very ‘tight’ and literal…

I then dabbled with acrylics, because that’s what artists should use, right?

I played around with florals…

…before having a go with ink…

I then experimented with my first concertina sketchbook…

…before having another go with acrylics…(!!)

And then I finally started producing work that really, really spoke to me…

..leading to a big break through…

All the while I’m finding my style, discovering what I want to say, and how I want to say it. And with that growth comes resilience, the ability to withstand the ups and downs, the knock-backs - along with a willingness, to speak out, to stand out from the crowd…

‘If you want to stand out from the crowd, give people a reason not to forget you.’ -Richard Branson

How will you stand out from the crowd this week?

Until next time, happy painting!