"The more things change, the more they stay the same" - someone

An interesting recent development, entirely predictable of course, is a certain social media network showing me memories of decade-plus old art. I never really thought about it when I was in my 20's but at that point I really didn't have much if any art that was a decade old. I painted and drew in my teens and grade school but if it survived, it was nothing I'd really consider "good".

Now, every few days I'm reminded of a painting that I thought would get attention or start something big...they didn't...but luckily I still largely like them AND it gives me an opportunity to reflect on old trends in my art, current trends, and some similarities and differences a decade or more makes.

The painting on the left popped up this week as I was processing photos of the new painting on the right. While very different, it's interesting what tendencies have continued alongside some pretty drastic changes. I think the most obvious and important is the figure, or lack there of, in the previous work. There was a number of years I largely didn't paint people and if I did it was a very simplistic form. Not that my current figures are realistically rendered, but the human connection brings a great deal to a painting and has become a mainstay of recent work. 

Another difference is the focus on mark-making in a non-painterly way. While I still draw plenty, flowing paint is a constant in almost all artwork these days where the majority of paint used a decade ago was simply as a backdrop for oil pastels. I've dropped the oil pastels for a few reasons in favor of acrylic markers, but there is a textural and tactile quality lost from one to the other. 

While different, as called out above, similarity can be found in the symbols used and general mark-making. On the right side of the new painting you'll find almost the exact same "wave" shape as on the left. While a little less repetitive, these simple marks add energy and movement along with a child-like looseness that embodies my paintings. While the scene on the right is more refined, the overall activity and abundance of these marks has been a constant over the last decade-plus.

I regularly am asked why I paint in different styles and while I understand the question it also perplexes me to some degree. I see the differences, but I also see how they connect and transition, typically differing based on size and media more than intention. While I can obviously see differences between these two paintings, I also see how one followed in the steps of the other and could be considered a refinement of style rather than a complete departure.