Holy Progression.
So it didn’t really occur to me how aggressively my work has evolved until I started to replace old photos on my wholesale platforms to reflect the quality of my newer work. Below, I’m sharing three photos of my work, all about 4-6 months apart from when I started painting them to most recently.
START
About 2 months of working
6 Months + Cross country move
Current work
6 Months + another move
Looking back at photos, the changes are pretty startling. I think my biggest self-criticism in the original work was the sheer AMOUNT of pattern and color. The designs could be so busy that the cat got lost in the maximalist sauce.
I made a conscious effort as I worked to try to pare down the busyness through either color selections (limiting to certain color families/combinations on backgrounds and on the cats themselves to create more contrast), or just volume (smaller patterns, more white/negative space).
Also evident is the line work…. MY GOD. I invested in a few nicer brushes and reigned in some control over the finishing line work. To this day, its still my least favorite part of this whole process. I get so anxious when it comes to finishing the design with my brush. Overall, I’d say the quality has greatly improved with some more control and a higher quality brush!
What are your thoughts? I’m so anxious about these changes. I have to remind myself that people still enjoyed the old work and I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to work and improve/zero in on my style. I’m thinking about trying to incorporate some of the kind of wonky, oversized print back into some of the new work. I kind of like the larger, original oversized versions of my signature pattern. There was a kind of freedom in the mess. I definitely do not miss those wonky faces tho… hahaha
Please do drop a comment or share your thoughts with me - it is impossible to hurt my feelings so don’t worry. I’d love to hear some honest feedback. please please please leave a comment below!
