What is your Artistic Niche?

When you consider your niche, theme, or style, what does that actually mean? Let’s consider the niche. Basically an art niche is the genre or where you fit best as far as the overall theme, style, and material you use in your artwork. This post might help you figure out what you want your artwork to convey and where you fit best. No artist is identical in style, niche or theme. One artist may specialize in all things aquatic themed murals, another painting pet portraits, doing comics, biblical children's books and another enjoys creating large bronze statues of farm animals.

If you look at Anne Getti for example, no one quite captures a photograph of an innocent sleeping infant, in a nature setting the way she does. The same goes for illustrator, Mary Engelbright and the whimsical theme in her unique illustrations and greeting cards are sweet and only how she could create them.

Part of discovering your own niche is exploring what others have done in the past. Who's artwork do you admire and why? What about their artwork speaks to you?

The detail in Andrew Wyeth paintings touch me on an emotional level. I love the detailed environments and people within them. While my style is more simplistic, in comparison to his, I long to bring into my pieces the tactile feel of his pieces. Being inspired by what has come before is wonderful.

One artist from the past can teach you concerning color choice, the next artist you may be attracted by the mood in their artwork, and the next artist can capture your love of line, unity, texture, or a number of other things. Artist often feed off of one another's creativity. It is fun to explore and see how others express themselves.

Another thing to consider when exploring the question of what is your niche or theme or style, are your actual likes and dislikes in your daily life will give you clues. For example what are your hobbies and interest? What do you spend your time doing it? What would you enjoy doing more of and why? What are the things you value? What are your beliefs? What are the things in life that you honor and respect? Who are you? What defines you?

For the person of faith, we have an advantage to discovering our artistic niche. We can literally go to God in prayer and ask for His help in sparking our imaginations or giving us specific images that He wants us to create. Remember not all things that come to mind may not be what He wants you to convey, so discernment and getting confirmation through prayer, the Word and relying on the Holy Spirit is a must. Not everything that you create is of the Lord. It may say Christian but may not be Christian. So best to lean into and spend time seeking Him when you are creating.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Phillipians 4:8

Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father. Colossians. 3:17.

These two verses are worth holding onto as a believer and an artist, as you are in the creative process. It has been a challenge for myself, figuring out what my niche was and what to create. These two verses helped me put my artistic gifts into the proper perpective and I hope they do the same for you. If you have any questions or feedback, I would love to hear from you. Leave your comments below. In the meantime I hope you have a creative day! Jennifer

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