I did a lot of artwork when I was in the USA last month but since I’ve been back I’ve really been in the doldrums. I’ve had the artist equivalent of writer’s block and the past few days in particular have been very frustrating. I realised today that I just have to get off my backside when I’m in that mood and scribble – it doesn’t matter what, it doesn’t matter if it’s good, bad or indifferent – just get stuck in and get my hands dirty. I felt a lot better afterwards, like taking exercise. It’s easy to forget that art is a very physical process as well as a cerebral one and it’s easy to spend too much time thinking, reading and researching.
I almost always work from life, so it was a bit odd to do these drawings from ‘my head’ but maybe I should do more; other artists work from within so perhaps I should give it a go. I scribbled on some huge pieces of paper that I found jammed into a bin down the print workshop a while back. Someone had over-soaked them and they were falling apart so I rescued them, stuck them onto a huge board and sized and coloured them with rabbit skin glue and yellow ochre acrylic paint. Today I scribbled on them with compressed charcoal, carbon and chalk. It doesn’t matter if I look at them tomorrow and don’t like them; I can just rub it all down and start again.
Keep scribbling Scribblah! Those doldrums don’t last long! š
Thanks Steve š
i like the drawings and the process the paper has been through – well done for perservering š
Thank you š
well, you must be good – how else dyu get 1300 followers? B-)
Crikey – I hadn’t looked at the figures for ages. Wow, I’m blushing lol
The Doldrums would be a great name for a housing project for artists. I know I’d want a room there to go to sometimes.
Hey! You were on a roll when in the States last month, a real artistic high, so it’s only normal that a low might follow. But I’d sure encourage you to draw from within for a while. Let all that anatomy you draw so well just rip into whatever arises, be it distortion, exaggeration or whatever. You’ll be surprise at what you turn out. But then again, I have a drawing from within bias. Not so different than drawing from life. All ya have to do is close your eyes and then you’ll see all kinds of strange shit š
Thanks – I do indeed see all kinds of strange things when I close my eyes, but I’m not sure I should unleash them on the world LOL š
Why don’t you let us be the judge of that š
hhmmm…tempting lol
I know that feeling as I have photographers block.. I still want to take them but I have sooooo many to edit it’s unreal. and I know I need to sort out the really good keepers and start working on selling or exhibiting or both!
It’s soooo frustrating isn’t it?
It is but I am also aware I need to spend more time doing other things!
I had exactly the same feeling after nine days of art in St Ives. I was so productive there but back in London I just don’t have the same drive…we just have to push through it to get back into the arty groove.
I’m having a couple of days away, see if that sorts me out š
I sympathise Rosie, each day that passes without making a mark, the frustration builds. Like Dexter makes a kill to satisfy his dark passenger, we must make work to keep ours at bay! š
ooh I’m like Dexter LOL