Art with Heart

After so much introspection, journaling, painting, dreaming, thinking, imagining...I have been in a dilemma regarding the direction I want to go with in my art...should I go in the direction of a highly stylized/mixed media art or should I go in the direction of a more classical/portraiture type of art? The art that pulls me in, that I LOVE is art that has passion and HEART! Whether it's Van Gogh, Modigliani, amazing Canadian portrait artist Jean Pederson , artist Margie Oomen's wonderful creations or those stunning and timeless Chola Bronzes of South India...what stirs my heart and soul is the passion and love that shines through in these works of art. I love the direction and possibility of mixed media and the uncertainty and learning that comes with not really knowing how the painting is going to turn out but trusting that the image will appear as it should. I also love the technical aspects of realism, the control of design and the beauty of a great drawing. Maybe I can combine these two aspects in some way or...do both? I still don't know exactly where this path is going to take me but I feel a few steps closer. And it's the JOURNEY that's important...after all.