Finding your “voice”
These days I hear lots of discussion about how an artist finds their “voice,” which means their personal artistic style. Obviously, I can only speak from experience, but I discovered I had established a “voice” even before I realized it.
About a year after I started showing my work in juried shows, I was at a quilt show in NJ. As I stood near my quilt, two women approached and began to look at it closely. One said to the other, that looks like a Leni Wiener (although she mispronounced my name). Looking at the card along side the quilt, her friend replied “it IS a Leni Wiener.” I stepped towards them and said I believe it is pronounced WYner and the indignant reply was “oh, no, you are wrong.” OK, so she didn’t know how to pronounce it, but the fact was she RECOGNIZED it as mine. That was proof to me that I had found a style that was distinct and unique.
For a long time I fought my natural instincts towards a recognisable style. I love abstract work, and am always drawn to it. But my abstracts looked contrived and forced. What I was drawn to create–images from photography–was not what I wanted to produce. I needed to create works that told a story, that had emotion, that were representational. What I wanted to create were abstract studies of color and value and pure design. It took me a long time to realise that was not my voice. (At least not yet).
As a former photographer, I see images. Walking around every day I see photographs, compositions that speak to me. Sometimes I have a camera and record them. Otherwise, they are lost in the course of my day.
It became apparent to me that I could not ignore these images that were so prominent, and that I could still do studies that deal with color, value and pure design in the way I addressed each of these images. I consider my work to be value studies as much as anything else. Having established a viewpoint–photographic images–I started to think about technique.
Finding a voice was as much about what I felt I did well as is was about what I wanted to leave by the side of the road. I don’t like precision piecing and matching of points–it moves too slowly for me. I don’t like applique with neatly turned under edges for the same reason. That made it clear to me that raw edge machine applique was the way to go. This method is fast, spontaneous and intuitive–and that is the way I like to work.
Borders? Hate them–they take up too much fabric and look too traditional for me. Gone. Bindings? Same fate. Quit backs–require too much yardage, so I began to purchase off white kona cotton by the bolt. Now all the backs are plain–and consistent.
Finally, what I think people often don’t realize is that their stash is also part of their voice. I am drawn to the same sorts of fabrics, in the same colors over and over again. My work is dominated by reds and red oranges (I have one color that is so dominant in my work and in my house that my friends and family call it Leni Red). I hate purple–although I use it because it can be effective with red. Organizing my fabrics in color families I came to see that the red, orange, golden tones and black and white fabrics overflowed. The purple, yellow and pinks all live together in a bin with room to spare. And the surface design is often the same, as well.
As an artist, your voice is always changing. In the past my work centered on people in an environment like this one entitled “Patience”
But more and more I am finding the creation of the environment not nearly as interesting as the people alone, and my work has evolved, like this from over the summer entitled “Joy and Wisdom”
Finding your voice takes patience and honesty. When you find it, it will bring you joy and wisdom.
Tags: finding your voice
November 8th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
and I am just the opposite….I would love to produce works that tell a story with images but it always seems to forced and jumbled up…I think I will stick with design and color! Thanks for your comments…
November 8th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
This is a thoughtful post, Leni. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts, and how you and your work has evolved to be more you. I’ve been on a similar path, and I, too, think about it a lot, probably too much. I do enjoy reading another artist’s perception. Thanks for sharing.
November 8th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
A very interesting post Leni! I, too, seem to struggle with more abstract work, and wish I didn’t.
November 8th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
A thought-provoking post indeed. I’m taking a new look at myself. Thank you!
November 8th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Hi Leni
thank you for such a wonderful post… I think this is one of the most difficult things we deal with …once we start creating a piece it (if we are lucky) will flow from our heart to our fingertips. but getting it started is not easy always. That is why I love to take photos lots pf photos because I see what intrigues me over and over(thanks to the digital camera God). I am fighting this right now being a widow 6 months and trying to support myself .
November 8th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
this is a post that has really resonated with me…. i never reply to anything…trusting your process and letting things evolve has been a tough lesson to learn ….but once you get there,the results often surpass my wildest dreams and give me much joy
November 8th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
Hi Leni,
I lamented to my mother at one point that I loved quilting but that all of my quilts looked like “other people’s” designs. She was a wise woman and told me just to keep working at it, and that eventually, it would “happen” for me too. She was right. I loved your post!
November 8th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
I know what you mean about wanting to create non-representational work and somehow having it feel wrong. My voice is the same but I am singing different tunes right now, if that makes sense.
I am always stunned when somebody recognizes a piece as being mine — but then again, we don’t always see what others see. Like listening to yourself on the answering machine — everybody else knows it is your voice but you don’t necessarily recognize it as yours.
November 9th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Great post, Leni, and very much appreciated as I, too, am wrestling to find my own voice!
November 9th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
An interesting post that will probably be very helpful to many. If you are really thinking about what you are doing, whether you work in abstract or representational styles, this technique or that, certain colours, all/none, voice development becomes less important than what you are saying with it (content)I like that you mentioned time and patience, for I do think a certain amount of process must be undergone before a real, true voice may emerge. And understanding can be enhance by plenty of good picture taking along the way, and seriously setting out these pics to look back and ponder what you were thinking at the time. I’s amazing what a periodic survey of your own work can throw up - thinkg you haven;t been conscious of thinking about, developments you didn’t notice, and so on. Writing about it in various ways, is very helpful.
November 9th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Leni,
Your post is very thought provoking; especially to those people still on a quest for their voice.
I’ve tried most quilting techniques more than once and I find I like something about all of them. So far, that’s been my voice. I have started taking photographs more and more; I just need to find the right one.
February 2nd, 2010 at 3:50 pm
Brilliant work. You have earned a new reader. Please keep up the great posts and I look forward to more of your intriguing updates.
February 8th, 2010 at 3:27 pm
OP: I could be daff (lord knows I have been told lol) but that made absolutely no sense what so ever…