This morning I finished a piece that had been almost done for a month or so, and I also started a new one. The contrast in their two styles reminds me that I regularly go back and forth between two distinct approaches: one which places the viewer in a definite location, and one in which there is no discernable reference point.
The "you are here" works, which are often stripe-oriented and seem to have some reference to a horizon line (that's why people often say they see landscapes in there, I think), are like the ones below. They are usually vertical rectangles.
And the paintings which are "surroundings" and don't have any sense of orientation are like the ones below, usually in a square format:
I need to make both types of work, as they both reveal different sensations and ideas.
These natural pauses in creation time, to me, are healthy and productive, although I know many people view them as "artist's block" and are afraid of them. But I believe that time away from painting reinforces in my mind the reason that I'm an artist in the first place: because I love it. And I love it because I want to see how the visions that pop into my imagination will look in real life, pure and simple. Sure, a bunch of shows and sales are great. But the REALLY great part is just grabbing that paint and pouring, brushing, drizzling, scraping, blotting, layering, and everything else!!
2 comments:
You write about accepting time to pause as nourishing your work -- I agree with you on that. Although I was initially frustrated by interruptions to the flow of my studio days, I finally recognize the value of these pauses. It give me more clarity.
The two 'surround' paintings are beautiful--lots of depth in them.
I believe there is a difference, though, Tamar, between deciding not to paint for a period of time, to take an artistic break, and having your creation time crowded out by life's events. If it's a choice, fine, but if not, it can be frustrating!
I'm so glad you like those paintings, thank you.
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