Painting Again

WHAT I DID:
This week I've been working on sketching and painting. It seems to have helped me get somewhat out of the rut I've been in. I've been developing two different paintings, one (a detail shot below) is of a forest pathway. The other is a more illustrative and narrative piece (also shown below).

Detail of the pathway painting, in progress.

Usually my process is to sketch out the drawing lightly in pen first, getting the main element's outlines down. Then I ink the drawing with felt tip pens, usually adding some detail elements as well. Finally I watercolor the drawing, which is the part that takes the most time. Even though my paintings are only the size of a sheet of paper (or smaller) they tend to take a long time because I am not a speedy painter and am also rather a detailed perfectionist.

This particular painting was born out of the lyrics to a few songs from the artist Andrew Peterson's album Light for Lost Boys, as well as concepts of the new earth from the Bible, and C. S. Lewis's Last Battle.

Inked and waiting to be painted. 

Beginning to watercolor the scene. 

I've also begun to do some plein air sketching/painting to combat my frustration with not feeling like I am a proficient enough painter. Here's hoping practice makes better.

Some sketches of people unfortunate enough to sit around me. 

WHAT I ACCOMPLISHED: 

I believe I am coming out of the slough of uncreativity. It's been wonderful to be creating again, to be painting and even writing. Thursday coming home from lecture there was something in the quality of the sky that set me writing, the first time I've felt inspired to do so in a few months. I'm thankful that I have begun again to want to create, and that I have some more concrete work to build on. 

ONWARD:

The road forward looks like getting down to some serious painting so that I can have somethings to show for the large group critiques. I am planning on finishing both paintings and hopefully doing a few more, as well as having some edited writing to share too. 

This Grey Mist

A quick sketch of myself in my current state of uncreativity
(set against the backdrop of Van Gogh's painting). 

This is going to admittedly be a dreadfully short post this week. I am struggling to shove aside a few months of creative block. I am having a hard time making, writing, or creating things. Unfortunately this creative block has come during my last year, and during IP. This week I seemed to have an even harder time trying to create something towards my IP. So..

I WHAT I DID/WHAT I ACCOMPLISHED:
I attempted several sketches, and tried to create around this concept of letters. I listened to Julie Shapiro's audio piece, "Yours Truly." I also started working on doing several layouts in InDesign that were not really related to anything, I just felt I had to start working on something visual and get in the process of making. I also set out a tentative budget and timeline, both of which are probably laughable since I really don't know what I am going to make or do, outside of a desire to make a book. I estimated about 100 dollars for paper, printing and binding. Totally arbitrary as it will vary depending on how I decide to go about the said tasks, and how much I end up making.


 WHAT I HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH:
On this long break I want to finally shake off this creative block. I would like to settle in one concrete direction for my IP project and move into a productive work mode. I am not quite sure how to accomplish this....

I remember hearing a lecture once from an author. She talked about how the concept of "genius" originated as the idea of something outside of ourselves giving us an idea, rather than the current concept of genius being a quality of a person. While I don't believe I am a genius or create genius work, just a creative individual, I can liken my work to this concept that she talked about. I feel at this moment like I am just waiting for something to spark, for an inspiration to be given. So while I wait, I need to just shoulder down and push out some work.

The Post and The Poem

Two of my grandparent's letters, side by side. 

WHAT I DID:
   This week I worked on developing several concepts and subject matter for my book. I pursued two directions; one direction was to use my poetry and prose paired with illustrations to create a form of a book. I compiled a few pages of my writing based around the season of autumn, as well as a few other bits of poetry from other's work I admire. I spent some time experimenting with rough mock-ups, looking at size and layout. The second direction was to explore my fascination around letter-writing. As mentioned in my last post, one of the reasons I became fascinated by letters is because I inherited my grandparents love letters. Consequently, this week found me opening these up and starting to read some of them for the first time. This week I also did quite a bit of research around letter writing. I looked at some historical examples, and historical ways the mail was delivered. I also found a few small contemporary groups that are seeking to revitalize the art of letter writing, and looked at some more technical approaches to the art from (for so it has become).


WHAT I ACCOMPlISHED:
   I've decided to traverse in the fields of letter writing. I find, amidst all I've done so far, an interesting conversation here that I want to have. There are so many different avenues, and I feel that looking more in-depth at letters will allow me enough room to explore and perhaps discover something really interesting, and will give me room to breath and create.


ONWARD:
    As previously mentioned, I would like to continue in the direction of letter writing. This means some more in-depth research into this form. I also want to use this time to flush out what interests me most about letter writing. Why am I drawn to it? I want to explore not only more about the history, but perhaps as well, more behind the notion of letter writing. I want to look at things that letters create: a sense of travel, relationships, personal history, a caricature of the soul. Jim and Camilla gave me some really interesting things to think on and pursue as a result of our Thursday meeting. I think it would be interesting also to begin either a real or imaginative communication through letters so that I can begin to do some more physical creating, and get more engrossed with the act of letter writing.