I have been selling my artwork since about 2003. In that time I have mostly done seascapes, but I do not consider myself a seascape painter. I do everything from the normal groups, portraits, still life, landscape, and even range into the dark and bizarre. I have won a few awards for my bizarre stuff, and quite a few for my seascapes. But anytime I talk to buyers and other artist’s, it’s all about my seascapes. Do you ever feel trapped to paint what the market wants? I mean I do enjoy painting seascapes more than other subjects, but I do want people to know that I do other things. Certainly I do not want to paint just to sell…it’s in my soul…but it sure would be nice to make more money at it.
This is a very interesting thought tl…Since January I have been painting small 6 x 6 or 5 x 7 inch land/seascapes for posting on DPW. These sizes are easier to sell and ship than my larger abstract paintings which on reflection have taken a back seat recently. I have one 24 x 24 inch stretched canvas nearly finished for an exhibition but my other new large blank canvases are sitting in a corner untouched. Has DPW membership pinned me into a trapped situation? I hope not but your question tl is a timely reminder of this. Today I shall put a large canvas on my easel and think ‘abstract’. After I have first painted a little one of course! 
I paint what I like to paint on any given day. I guess I don’t have the same volume of sales to worry about it. But then again, hubby pays the bills.
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I think my ego pins me more than anything. Don’t like to fail. Easier to stick with things I already know how to paint. If I do paint something different and it turns out well, it seems to me that some time or other it will find a good home.
That’s an angle I haven’t thought of. Good point.
I’ve always considered myself a portrait artist, but I’ve been branching out and painting other things. I started painting animals (primarily cats) and now I think I’m being viewed as a painter of cats! I still sell plenty of my portraits, but the cat paintings are the ones that seem to fly off the shelves.
I’m okay with this, as I love painting the cats. I’m entering my portraits into art contests, so I’m not “giving up” on the portraits by any means. But I love painting cats, I sell my paintings of cats, I see no problem here! 
I am pin down more by size. It is easier and cheaper to sell small paintings vs larger ones. I have been selling on line for almost three years and my 16" x 20" do not sell well. I even lowered the price to what I would sell a much smaller painting on my older 16" x 20" .
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Same for me @dmunsch. Lots more buyers of small paintings (no risk I guess) than larger paintings.
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People are funny, aren’t they? If you become known for painting one particular theme, and then try to paint others from time to time, you run the risk of someone coming up to you and saying “oh but I thought you painted theme X! Why are you now painting theme Y?”…as if painting Y was somehow a hideous crime. I’ve sold a variety of stuff online since 2000 but these days it seems to be the flower paintings that go first (if any are likely to go, that is! 
).
I wonder if buyers just psychologically pigeon-hole the artist as a sea-painter, or flower-painter, and never even consider the possibility that the painter may have a need to experiment and try different things. I try not to feel pinned down because although it’s nice to sell (keeps the art materials paid for), it’s also good to get away from the regular subjects and have a bash at others…and that includes changing medium as well. If the result comes out good then put it online, I reckon…
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Yes it is funny how people think you can only paint one thing. I do enjoy seascapes the most, but I don’t like that people look down or are unsure of me painting other subjects. Guess people expect what they expect. I have done some real oddball works, and I know that isn’t gonna sell as well, but I wish they’d give it a chance. I haven’t done much of the changing mediums but I do drastically change styles from time to time. Now if I could only figure out how to drastically change my art income from time to time I’d be happy.
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It seems viewers who have the potential to purchase want to become familiar with the artist. Since you have done mostly seascapes that is how you are known and trusted. Perhaps by consistently offering works of other genres over a period of time buyers will take the chance and purchase your work slowly building a broader base. Though there certainly are examples of artists who are known for very specific subjects and do very well with that.