Sky Blue Barn, 2007, Oil on Panel, 12x16After a run of great sales about a week ago, I hit the ground with a good thud. First by the news of slow sales, um I mean no sales, at an event in a different market (I am being deliberately vague here with the details) and then by a more serious problem-painter's block!
The galleries that sold all of those paintings want more, of course and I felt paralyzed when I went into the studio to start new ones. I was really feeling the pressure to make more paintings that would be just as nice and appealing as the ones that had sold. And once you start thinking like that you really get crazy.
I should have taken a few days off, but since I really had to get some new work out there I didn't. I thought everything would come back any minute. I was distracted last week by my busy chauffeuring schedule, but then I also neglected to take advantage of the time I did have available to get some work done. I wasted time each day, half-heartedly putting some paint down, kinda cleaning up, but not really and sort of doing some other things, like gardening and but mostly I wandered around the house trying to get my groove back.
Yesterday I was finally so irritated with myself that I just jumped in. I had some large panels prepared and I decided to put my hands into the paint and have faith that the images would come to me. And they did. I completed three 24x36 underpaintings and one 30x40. Along with the others that I have in progress (waiting patiently to be finished) this should tide everyone over for the time being.
After going through this any number of times in the last few years, you'd think I'd know by now how to handle these situations, but instead it's like a clean slate every time a block shows up. I find myself feeling convinced that this is it-I won't be able to paint ever again.
Maybe I should get a personal painting coach. Heh.
7 comments:
Don't waste your money on a coach.
You've got us.
It is so hard sometimes to see the bad times as simply part of a cycle.
Coach? Hardly! I was meaning to tell you that the painting you posted under "Summer vacation, not" was electrifying to me. It's been a long time since I was moved to even think about owning a piece of art.
Steven, Ok, but will I get motivational speeches, pep talks and little rah, rah cheers:)?
And you're right it is very hard to see it when you're right inside the bad times. Later it becomes obvious.
Deb, Thanks! That piece sure has gotten some interest. Another person emailed me and wondered about it. It will be included in the show at Salt Meadow Gallery, and is still up for grabs as far as I know.
yeh..faith and jumping in usually do the trick, and the result of the unexpected is usually surprisingly fresh....You sound like a true artist warrior...in the end the battle is won.
May be I should hire you as a coach.
Once again I like the color and the feeling, it is not easy to put off a painting with a single barn..
peace
Oops...I mean pull off instead of put off
Drips of Paint, I'd be great at coaching another artist! It's just my own issues that I can't see right away:)
And thanks for the compliment abaout the barn.
Hi Tracy,
maybe it was something in the air, the water, or the phase of the moon. Who knows? I was blocked last week and I can relate to the aimless wandering in the studio. Painting attempts were stiff, uninspired and frustrating.
The latter half of this week is kicking in. I'm sorry it's the weekend, cuz I'm on a roll!
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