It has been a strange start of the new series. One day of amazing clarity and feverish painting, underpainting, touching up old paintings and sketching out new ideas. That feeling lasted for a day.
The next day is running around in circles wanting to paint but having not a clue of how to go about it. Not only is the painting blocked, the writing and photography-everything in suspended animation.
I know the process, I should be quite comfortable with it by now but sometimes I think I need to have that feeling and the lack of it is really uncomfortable. It's almost like being addicted to that rapturous moment of creativity and what makes it even more aggravating is the subtle glimpses that you might actually get back to being creative but your just not quite there.
My first thought was a bunch of small pastels to get me back on track but still nothing-what to do when there is no picture to go from-it's an intangible picture in the mind but still it's something.
I have had the idea to paint patterns in nature on gourds for many years but have never taken it seriously enough and suddenly my out. I started painting pots to go with paintings I have hanging at North Haven Gardens Gallery and I finally knew what to do.
The great thing about this is its technical-you are copying real patterns from nature-so far butterflies and fish. I don't have the problem composition or depth-it's kind of like production. It's fast and furious and I can see the patterns that I have always seen almost like seeing them for the first time again.
Details and colors that I had never realized come out clear from the blue trim of a tiger swallowtails patterned wings to the delicate white and yellow dots on the monarchs body. Not only is it enjoyable as a diversion, it's quick satisfaction and a bit like exercise getting ready to paint again.
I was at the gallery last night and suddenly the ideas started getting clear again. I added two more painting ideas to my growing list. This should be a great series, it's just getting started-Strange Perspectives series 2015. Stay tuned and let me know if you have ever had this kind of block and how you got through it.
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