Because I can't show yet the artwork I'm working on right now, I thought I would at least emerge from seeming reclusivity and show you my garden, the way it looks today, May 19, 2013. I made this garden and so it is part of my body of work, wouldn't you agree?
I'm slogging, slogging away in the studio trying to make paintings for my fall show. This process has uncovered a major fault line in my psyche: I hate painting deadlines, especially those involving multiple pieces! I love writing deadlines, though, but this helps me not at all in the current situation. As I've said before, I'm a slow painter. The process is what it is, no matter how I might (and do) wish otherwise. Still. There we are. Out of 15 or so pieces scattered throughout the studio at the moment, I've only liked, and considered finished, 3 thus far. Yikes.
If you have any words of wisdom to share from your own painting process, please send them my way!
Soon, though, I will be able to show some recent illustrations once they've been published.
No time for sketching until I get my big work done. In between bouts of utter desolation in the studio, I go outside and pick weeds and just take in the colors, textures, and fragrances there. If I have any operative sanity left, I have the garden to thank for it.
Happy green season, my northern hemisphere friends!
I love your garden! I too take breaks from artwork weeding, as well as cleaning the house - my least inspiring break. This year we put in a vegetable garden, so I am so looking forward to eating some fresh GMO free veggies too! Thanks for sharing this.
Posted by: Linda Laforge | July 17, 2013 at 11:41 AM
Thank you for your thoughtful response, Dana. I'm so glad you like and understand the garden.
I'm doing much better with the deadline now, thank heavens. As far as numbers of paintings go, I will just have what I have when the music stops in late August. I'm reminded that, for me, it truly IS the process that matters and I'm enjoying the process again. Whew.
Posted by: Laura | June 29, 2013 at 07:20 AM
your garden is just beautiful. As a child of the south, who no longer lives there, just seeing the boxwood is wonderful. There are people who love the smell of box and people who hate it, for me it is one of the smells of summer. Lilac in a cool living room, boxwood in a hot yard both evoke summer in virginia for me. Your restrained use of color just makes the peonies all the more wonderful against the hundreds if shades of green. Yes, I consider this part of your creative endeavor, how could it not be.
so sorry you're having trouble with the deadline. I am the very opposite, a deadline gives me energy and oomph. I do my best work under the gun...but I always make sure the deadline allows plenty of time for mistakes. Like the one I made last night on a piece I had hoped to use for a show in November. I'm almost sure it's going to end up "over worked". No magic thoughts from this corner; if only we could really figure out what makes us do what we do and not do other things. Just this week I read a piece (in Robert Genn's post) about how summer is such a difficult time for some to produce whereas for me, it's winter. I can't paint in winter to save my life. Good luck, I imagine your pieces are far better than you think. maybe you should have an outside critique?
Posted by: dana | June 26, 2013 at 09:59 AM