There are ways you can figure out what you love just by doing what you’re already doing: scrolling your Instagram or Pinterest feed, going to local events and even going to the library.
Instagram is a wonderful tool that you can use to your advantage! While not every artist has an instagram for their art, most of them do. Ways I have found artists I love and am drawn to via Instagram is by looking up hashtags like
#portrait
#watercolor
(or whatever medium you are interested in) and
#artprocess. I also look at other artists that I follow already and see who they are following because, chances are, if they are inspired by them I will be too. Pinterest is a vast, glorious, pit of endless potential. Start making a board of art that you like just from looking through the art section. Don’t think about it or put limitations on it; instead just pin anything and everything you like. Follow every rabbit trail that you get on and see where you end up. I never knew I had a style that I really liked until I looked through my board and saw consistency in the things I was pinning.
While these are not an all year long thing—at least here in Iowa they sure aren’t—they can be a great way of seeing many different art styles and mediums all at once. You can see what you are drawn to and what you can easily walk past. Can you not take your eyes off that landscape photography, but could walk right past that sculpture of a mother and a child? Or maybe it’s the opposite. Maybe you had no idea that you loved the color blue until you see an artist that uses primarily blues and you can’t get enough of their work. Ever year, the
Des Moines Arts Festival
invites artists from all over the world for a three-day event! It’s a really fun experience and opportunity.
Growing up I spent a lot of time in libraries, not because I am a great reader, or really that I even love to read, but rather that I wanted to look at the covers of the books. I wanted to see what colors they used, what they chose to be the illustration on the cover and how they bound the book. Even before looking into the chapter books' covers, looking through the children's books can help you find things you’re drawn to. The great thing about books these days is that many new forms of art have made their way onto their pages. When I was little I loved books by Molly Bang and I have no doubt that that has shaped my love for art that displays everyday settings with beautifully illustrated people. Another book that I have long loved was Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
and from this I gained a love of blocky, colorful work with simple shapes.
And, as always, you’re welcome to step into the gallery to peruse the work on our walls! We host a
variety of mediums and artists
with all different backgrounds—we want there to be something for everyone. Finding the art you love is a journey that will continue to evolve over time. Be open to new ways to find art that you love, but know we are always here to help you out with it too! We love talking art—all day, every day.
