I am never satisfied with being competent, with just getting by. I go for the brilliance. I include unusual subjects or paint a common subject in a way it's rarely seen. I tell a story and include something a viewer can relate to in a personal way. My paintings convey a mood or relationship between the subjects and the viewer.
People love stories, and they're attracted to paintings with a narrative element.
It doesn't have to be a story with a beginning, middle and end. It's enough that the painting suggests something interesting going on. Personal circumstances plus a weariness of pursuing an art career as a painter of realism in the 1970's and 1980's influenced my decision. I dismantled my three-room studio, sold my equipment and inventory, and believed that the transformation was permanent. My friends and family, clients and galleries expressed dismay at the decision, but I would not be swayed.