The fog begins to lift…..

Hello my dears! I hope this new week finds you well and rested after the weekend. I have had a wee while of not posting but it has been a lovely to spend some time with Mark whilst he has been on holiday. I am not at the stage yet where I can take time off in the usual way for holidays so it has been a mixture of working on the latest costume commission (leather Grecian armour), visiting with friends and Mark’s family and catching up on paperwork.

On Friday, we had a wonderful day in Derbyshire. Originally, the trip was to purchase the leather and materials needed for the costume only to discover the shop had closed for the day. With an hour’s drive each way, we of course had to make the most of the opportunity for a gorgeous lunch and a walk through some of the beautiful villages. Excuse the terrible mobile phone photographs! We always forget to take a camera whenever we are out and about.

However, here I have a confession to make. You may or may not have noticed that there has been a distinct lack of new art appearing both here and in my etsy shop and of course there has been a reason for this – the old haunt of paralysis in the form of artist’s block. An unwelcome visitor who appears for me all too frequently! I have avoided talking about it as thinking and moaning endlessly bores even me. The never-ending frustration makes me want to scream!! I am sure it is in part due to behind the scenes stresses and strains. I feel my artwork is intensely personal and oftentimes it is excruciatingly difficult to express on paper or canvas – so much so that it just swirls around inside and I cannot get it out!!! But I had the most wonderful breakthrough during a day of sketching in my loft space on Saturday – lots of writing, doodling, experimenting with new techniques and revisiting some old ones. Oh how I love my loft space!!! It is just a joy to work in. I feel cut off from the world – with no door and only a opening in the floor it is easy to get caught up in my work and forget that I am in my own home – I am not tempted by the usual distractions of dishes or computer etc. It feels like a magical place to get lost in my own thoughts and dreams. Mark often jokes that in order to get me to work he will have to take away the ladders and leave me up there for the day but in reality once I escape to that room I don't want to come back down.

So today will involve a drive back to the leather store and then I am hoping I can get down to the studio for the next couple of days to get back to working on some new paintings and mixed media work. Thank goodness I have had a fair bit of costume work to keep me going and also I have been able to get some bags made (look out for more appearing in my shop soon) but now it is time to get lost in paint and canvas and paper and images and words. My sketchbook now contains as much writing as it does images. I have never studied poetry or creative writing but I adore just letting my thoughts wander – words and sentences just appear – not making any kind of sense. Nevertheless, from these words, images form, characters and places, impressions and worlds appear and I feel utterly charmed and enchanted by the stories and ideas.

Please bear with me.... I know my posts are a bit repetitive at the moment - stresses and strains, artistic block, blah blah blah (hence one of the reason's for me not posting atall last week!) but I am waiting on a few bits of news and working on lots of new ideas which I have not been ready to write about so hopefully I will have lots to write about soon!!

So another drive into the country it is for me and then a bit of costume work this afternoon. Have a wonderful day whatever you may be doing! xxx

Comments

[Craftymoose]

I have just the exact opposite going on at the moment! I have so many ideas in my head, and no time to get them all out.

My workspace was cluttered with five started projects and no room for more. I started chipping away at them to make room to start new ones!

The photos are lovely...the one with the bridge could easily be in the town where I grew up!

Can't wait to see the leather armour!

[Cathy]

Such an interesting post, as I am fascinated by creative processes and how other people work through their ideas etc... I feel creativity does work in cycles and all artists need their quiet times, and times to let ideas germinate. Stress can help or hinder, depends on the person. Your loft sounds like the right place to be, and I can imagine it will be a cosy den in the winter months. Hope you have a good week. Cathy