Which one are you making?
Or can they be the same thing?
If you relate to this dilemma, this is something I've struggled with myself and I want to re-assure you that you can make the art that you love, and sell it - the two aren't mutually exclusive!
Here are three tips to help.
1. Relax. Have you even found that when you try to force something it turns out worse than you anticipated? You're determined to do that zip up but it breaks, or you're too keen to message to that person you like and frighten them off?
The same applies to painting. Your tension will translate into paint and a viewer will pick up those subtle signs, but if you try to relax a painting will appear fluid and effortless and naturally attract people who would love to own your work.
2. Be yourself. We've all got to start somewhere, and emulating art you like is a good way to learn to paint, but creating work for sale that is like someone else's is not only a copyright issue but a red flag to anyone serious about buying art.
So just be yourself! You know what food you like to eat and how you like to dress - painting is the same - keep sampling things and trying things on until you find what you like as a painter and customers will be drawn to your unique work.
3. Colour, colour, colour! Do you live in a grey world, with a grey sky and grey plants and animals outside? Well sometimes we do, and don't we feel awful for it!? Colour is key. Experiment to find the colours that you love and then use them so that they shine out in every painting that you make. Soon you will find that this joy in colour will organically help customers who also love colour to gravitate towards you.
