All in Good Taste

As I do more and more wood burnings, I expand my range and keep trying new things, new subjects.  But I gotta say, it really makes you wonder if the things you like and think are pretty or interesting actually appeal to the masses.  Art is funny that way.  Two people could absolutely love the same article of clothing or piece of furniture, but detest each other's taste in art.

Every photo I choose to use as a subject for my wood burning has to have that extra something special about it.  If it doesn't strike me as beautiful or captivating in some way then not only does it not turn out as good in the end, but I don't even enjoy doing it as much.  The exception here is when someone requests a specific image.  As soon as it means something to someone else, I love it as much as they do and put my heart and soul into the work.  I'm curious if I'll ever come across an image I truly detest, no matter its importance to the buyer?

This morning I tried using my scanner to get higher quality pictures of my finished work.  This is both convenient and a test of bravery.  With a standard camera you can get a clear picture of the work, but sometimes the details are lost and in some cases that can make it look better that it does in person.  But when you take a 600 dpi scan of the piece, there is no loss of detail and you're forced to showcase the piece and all its potential flaws.  So now there are two tests of bravery - Showcase your work and all its imperfections, and pray that people actually find your tastes appealing.  For example:

One of the biggest aggravations with being uncertain about your choices of subjects, is the fact that if you follow through with an image that's questionable, you could potentially waste an entire day on a piece of crap.  It's like slaving all day in the kitchen over Thanksgiving dinner, only to discover that the food is all spoiled.  Questionable in the first place and unappetizing in the end.

So you pull opinions from all sources and take countless suggestions and hope that you've successfully weeded out the poorer options.  The trick here is to not discount an idea simply because you think you aren't capable.  Always challenge yourself to do better, to learn.  You may find that someone else's taste is actually yours too.