Not for Sale... Yet
Normally, I'm constantly flooded with inspiration and ideas, like all artists. I have the 'seeds' of great paintings in a hundred sketchbooks, on the backs of envelopes, in my photo library, and usually I have to choose between them, to pick out one over the other... it's a great thing. HowEVER. ... when a deadline looms... when I want/have to have a selection of work for a show, etc. I can get frozen in front of the easel. It happened last weekend. I have a lot of pieces I want to bring somewhere. New pieces. I had SO many ideas ... but when it came time to prep the panels my ideas dried up. I dried up!
So I took the pressure off by going through my 40,000 images on my computer. (I know, I know... get them off the computer...) Didn't help. I tried just plowing through and starting a painting - even though I wasn't excited about it - *wipe*wipe*wipe*. I tried music... looking at my favorite historical artists.. nuthin... my current living artist hero's... nope... I 'dialed a friend'... uh uh.... I had some swedish fish.... then had to brush my teeth... all diversionary tactics. What happened to my zillions of paintings in my head?
Why do we freeze when the creative process gets 'direction' like this? Eventually I just started a few pieces, with NO HOPE that they'd turn in to anything.. and I lost the self consciousness, and slowly got lost in the work, and things started to flow.
Regarding the name of this piece: When I named my first son Rory, the old Irish ladies in the neighborhood would sing to me "Rory, get your Dory, there's a herring in the Bay..." - he'll want to kill me if he ever reads this, I'm sure.
:)
Doesn't everything just get in the way when you have SO MANY IDEAS? I know it does with me. Try setting up a still life? 45 Minutes? An HOUR?
ReplyDeleteThis has great design and the little splash of orange makes it ;)
we are going to take a million more photos! You know we are :)
This is great painting, glad you became unfrozen! It may have been just a rhetorical question, but I think we freeze up because somewhere in the back of our minds we think we have to get it "right" or it needs to be "perfect" and we fear it won't be. That fear chokes up the creative flow. I see the mental picture of my mind of someone squeezing the neck of a chicken and then being totally mystified at why the chicken isn't breathing.
ReplyDeleteConsidering the angst of the deep freeze, I honestly have to say, Kelley, that this is one of my favorites yet. Something about the colors and the whole of the composition. It is absolutely perfect. Me? Now I'm hearing, "Rory, the racing car..." song from the kids' tv show.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love this--the reflections of the boat and the buoy are perfect--and the deep blue water coming in from the right is to die for. I just had to paint two similar paintings for Color and Composition class of a small sail boat with a buoy nearby. One was only in opaque colors and the other was opaque and translucent. I guarantee you, Rory will not kill you!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful painting. Love the peacefulness! Also good to hear that the big girl artists struggle with things and how you worked your way through it. You rocked this one- Rory would love it!!:)
ReplyDeleteWell for all that work you ended up with a wonderfully beautiful painting. Really captures the mood. The blues are beautiful
ReplyDeleteI was right there with you yesterday....had the same problem but by lunch I was finally working steady. It always seems to happen when I have a lot to do in a short amount of time. Thanks for sharing...always great to hear about someone else's struggles!! Love the reflection of the boat and the glowing blue of the water. Really nice composition...takes my eye right through the painting.
ReplyDeleteI love the cool calm of this piece and the warm shot of orange. I also appreciate hearing about your trials and tribulations! I often wonder how people come up with their ideas and find inspiration. Love it!
ReplyDeleteA wonderful painting! And a great story.... we've all been there :)
ReplyDeleteBrilliant painting, and inspiring message! Kelley, I love your sincerity, and ability to write about what actually happens during your process of painting! You are so talented in both writing, and painting! Thank you for sharing all of this with us!
ReplyDeleteThe painting is awesome Kelley. :) No evidence in it that you had a blo#k. (I choose not to spell that word cuz I'm superstitious like that)
ReplyDeleteLove the serenity of this scene! I certainly know about painter's block ....... Ughhhhhh !
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