The beginning of September brought about a new schedule and a new sense of being able to make the time to paint. Not a lot. I work part time, 3 days a week and every day online for about 2 hours. But I love to paint and I want to make a living at it and I should be able to find an hour a week. Hopefully that would grow to 2 or 3 or 40 or something like that.
Well, it’s been about 6 or 7 weeks since I tried to dedicate an hour or two every Sunday to painting and blogging, but it has not really worked out for me. I am disappointed in myself. I have a large half finished painting leaning up against a wall in the hallway. I have two problems that are stopping me from continuing on it.
1. Time and Space. I need to spread it out on the floor. I need time to do the work. I am not painting an 8×10 in watercolors. I am re-weaving a larger 44×54 inch canvas. I need room to measure and cut the mesh and room to unstaple, pull apart and weave back the strips. It takes time and room. I have that room, in the middle of my living room floor. But I have a two year old rolling around on his three wheeler back and forth and always under my feet trying to get me to play with him. As soon as I start something, he is always right there wanting to know what I am doing and trying to get me to pay attention to him. On occasion, I can get J to the him out, but J is just as difficult. The least little thing, like not getting the shoes on fast enough will make him change his mind. I also had a lot of plans this fall. Seeing some friends I had not seen, pumpkin picking, apple picking. I have no plans this Sunday. I believe J and J need to go on a quad ride for a few hours. Maybe if I ask nicely.
2. The bigger problem I have is that I am stuck. I know what I want it to look like in the end, but I am only weaving half the canvas, and I am afraid of how it will come out. Where does the mesh end? Do I glue it? Do I varnish it? Do I run it all the way across under the canvas? I really don’t know how to deal with the technical part of it. I am afraid it will not turn out the way I want to. That’s really my big block. It not turning out the way I want it to. But I do need to move forward. With my blocks, I am always scared that it will turn out bad, then I don’t even try.
Just writing this article makes me want to get past that hump this week. We have nothing going on Sunday, so I may send them out and just try it and see what happens. I will post an up day Sunday after I give it a shot. Happy accidents may happen.
PS: After I finished this post and published it, I decided to puts around and looks for websites about artist block. I found some good ideas. The one that struck me was always having your supplies ready. That has been my big problem all along. the hour drive to DUMBO. the getting out and putting away supplies at home and having to work in a limited space. But I did get out my colored pencils and a notebook. If I can brush my teeth every day, I can take out a notebook and some pencils. I may not be able to spread out and do the big difficult stuff every day, but I can at least draw. I feel a new sense of hope that I was lacking. The big piece has been weighing me down in my mind. But I can move on and get it done. Wish me luck.
