How would you describe my paintings?
When I started painting again, just under 20 years ago (wow - time flies!), I developed a style that involved curving buildings and places, adding movement and animation. Not just for the sake of it - but that’s another blog altogether! I was very conscious, having been in graphic design and marketing for the previous 12 years, that I needed to think about how I talked about my paintings for publicity and to become well-known. I realised that the dynamic aspects of my style could easily attract negative language - I really didn’t want my work to be described as “distorting”, “ contorted” or “warped”. I set about marketing them with “dynamic animation” and “stylised movement”, but it turned out, as I became better known, that everyone started affectionately calling them “The Bendy Pictures” and so it stuck. Not exactly the high-falutin’ ideal I had in mind, but it works perfectly well.
Today, the style has developed, the colour palette expanded and brightened, and I now paint places to commission, all over the world.
So is there a lesson in this? I guess it’s that if something works, don’t change it - my “public” (hahahaha) are ok with it.
I’m wondering if there are ways I can use “The Bendy Pictures” in my marketing - if anyone has any ideas, please let me know in the comments below. It’s tricky to market your own company when so close to it!
As always, here’s my playlist to accompany this blog - all are songs picked from my huge and eclectic studio playlist:
The Long and Winding Road - The Beatles
Brave Face - Frank Turner
Rubber-band Girl - Kate Bush
Up around the Bend - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Movement - Hozier
The Landscape Artist - Ferocious Dog