ARTIST BLOCK

I've been home for almost 2 weeks and still not into the swing of things, certainly not in the studio. I'm busy with other things like gardening and spring cleaning, but do have time to spend in the studio. However, the most I manage to do are a few little "postcards" and a very bad start of a larger piece from a photo. Oh yes, and lots of looking for things, sorting through my stuff, rearranging the room. The muse just isn't around. Very little I've ever done seems very good to me and there's nothing I want to paint. It's a perennial thing that happens about this time of year, especially after I've just come back from a trip..

I just read Robert Genn's latest letter which is on artist blocks. He says one should identify ones species of artist block, listing the main ones:

".... fear of failure after previous success, fear of success due to a sense of unworthiness, lack of potential venue, jaded attitude, crisis of confidence, evidence of persistent poor quality, lackadaisical motivation and common everyday shortage of ideas."

I seem to suffer from most of these at some time or other ... right now it's probably just lackadaisical motivation... and I just don't have the will to overcome this inertia. He advises one to get out the paint first thing in the morning and go to work. Maybe I'll try that tomorrow. But first, I've got to sort out another drawer.

I guess I'd better put a couple of my poor efforts from the last couple of weeks:

gouache on arches 140 gessoed with black 5x5"

This was looking out the window..... hardly any color in the willow when I first painted it, then yesterday I splattered on the new leaves..... should have left it alone.


ink on Yupo 4x6"

I did this after going through my paper and finding some Yupo paper, and trying out some non-waterproof ink in my pen.