Do your own thing, even if it's the same as mine?

[tylerzachary412]

I think it's real beauty when everyone has something special even if it's just another type of colors. This is the uniqueness of every art person

[BluZebra5510]

I realize that I am not in competition with anyone and my art is my own, so I have no worries.

There are a couple of people who do work that I love just because they have a style that might be considered similar to mine. I love their colors because those are the colors that I use. I try to practice their technique to expand my own artistic horizons, knowing that no matter what I do, my work will still be my work.

[candacendiaye]

Originally Posted by Horsa

I have encountered the work of a local artist that I feel is very similar to the direction of my own work. Similar subject matter, not total dissimilar styles, similar use of colour, etc.

The biggest difference is that she paints large acrylics and I paint small watercolours.

I think we developed in similar directions independantly. Both of us are influenced and inspired by the local natural world for instance.

I am curious, has anyone else encountered work that makes you think "that looks like something I would do", or "that is the direction I want to explore"?

What do you do?

We are in a small area and I don't want a situation to develop where it seems we are competeing for the same territory.

I found out about her work when we hung together in a local juried show. Our pieces did fit well together.

The reality is that, in 2012, most things have been explored on one level or another. Thus, there are bound to be some similarities out there. Do the work that inspires you and that you want to do and that makes you happy, and don't worry about it. If the other artist wants to say something to you about it, they can. But I'm guessing since you hung in a show together, she/he probably would have done so then. I wouldn't concern myself with it.

[Adrian Setterfield]

as long as you being true to yourself there is no way any thought against what you hold to be true, can disarm your present position...as Shakespeare said..to thine own self be true...

[Lyall Brownlee]

Quite frankly I'm a little jealous. I live in a small city full of artists, but no one is doing anything similar to what I am. I would love to have someone who was in to the same genre to share ideas, influences and even collaborate with.

[PaulsArt]

@OP, I think you should wear a tin foil beanie when painting, That way the art ideas won't leak out and get copied. Just kidding. Although if you do wear a tin foil beanie I'd love to see a picture of it! LOL

I think the idea of a joint show is great. Maybe even go to the same spot and do simultaneous paintings of the same scene. Similar is not 100% the same after all. There are going to be differences in the paintings. You might have a lot of fun doing this. I think I would anyway.

[roseyd]

I can imagine a lot of artists have similar approaches to how they do art. They may learn similar techniques to how to shade/light a scene, or even chose similar subject matter - but, the proof of the artist is that very few of us who create our own work, and develop our own style have to worry about others' renditions being so similar that they seem to borrow from us, our style.

I'm still young in the craft and have a lot to learn, but my way of seeing it is that there's lots of different ways to paint flowers, or puppies, or vases - or landscapes, or portraits. just because someone has a similarity of interest doesn't mean that the results will be identical.

One of my good friends took an charcoal class at Univ. - and she showed me one of her drawings once... a wonderful rendition of a naked man... who seemed very well endowed to the point of being 3 legged. I asked her, on seeing it - 'was it really like that???' and her response ... 'no, but it was the only thing that caught my eye' so she drew it out of proportion. In comparing others folders - I'm sure that wasn't always the 'misproportioned' study...