Getting Unstuck

I have been stuck for the last week or so. I had several paintings on the go but none were moving forward. When that happens, it's tempting to close the studio door and forget them, but I’ve learned that’s never the answer.How I got hereThings were going well two weeks ago. I had finished a painting and made strong moves on some in-progress boards.Then I went on a 3-day painting course with acclaimed British landscape artist David Tress – one of my all-time favourite painters. He has a truly unique voice and he has developed a wonderful style that combines representational painting with exciting abstract elements. He truly conveys a sense of the power and majesty of the British countryside.I love his work – but it turned out I didn’t love his course.The 3-month online course I just finished was all about helping each artist to find their own unique creative path.  The David Tress course was simply about how one artist likes to work. David has an extremely unique style – he paints vigorously with acrylics onto paper and, as he works, he collages on ripped-up sections of torn paper, so that many of his paintings are built up in layers and burst from the edges of the rectangle. This style has emerged from his fascination with archaeology and the way that the landscape is made up of layers and layers of history. During the course, he was keen that we try his approach – this meant going out into the countryside to sketch, and then coming back to paint and collage using his recommended colour palette.I was felt immediate resistance because I’ve only recently been able to move away from representational painting. I have learned that I feel stifled when I start with an initial intention. I am not happy when I am trying to translate a scene onto paper – I am happiest when I paint intuitively and let the picture develop as I work. This discovery has set me free but now I was being asked to revert back to old ways – choose a subject, edit the view to make a strong composition, and then paint that edited version of the subject using realistic colours. It felt as though I had voluntarily donned a straightjacket.Nevertheless, I tried. And David proved to be a good teacher – everyone created exciting, interesting versions of his style and each was different. I enjoyed seeing how, even when encouraged to mimic one person, we couldn’t help but be unique. And I came away with a painting that I quite like – 4 months ago, I would have been delighted with it.But it’s not me. It’s not what I want to be doing. I know that now.So, I’ve spent the last few days struggling to find my way back to my own emerging voice. I kept feeling an internal push to resolve the paintings – to make them ‘about’ something, which is a direct result of the 3 days I spent with David. But that push was coming way too soon and everything I touched lost its way.Even more stuck!When I decided to write this blog post, I went round and round in circles with how to structure it. Turns out, I was stuck even with writing about my stuckness!The SpiralBeing stuck is the worst thing that can happen for an artist. It’s not just that you're not making progress towards your goals – it’s the self-doubt that starts to kick in. That evil little voice in our head that starts whispering and niggling ... convincing you that this isn’t temporary blip – it’s actually the way things are supposed to be because who the hell are you to think you can do this? What makes you think you have anything worthwhile to say? Or the skill to say it? And the more the voice talks the louder and more insistent it becomes.Have you seen all the wonderful art out there? And yes, people may have bought your paintings in the past but they probably regretted it and even if they didn’t, they won’t like what you’re doing now. Remember what your mum/friend/neighbour said? Remember how they asked why you don’t do more of those nice ink drawings they used to like? Maybe you should actually try painting like David Tress… he’s brilliant and that one you did got over 200 likes on Instagram and more profile follows than any image you’ve ever posted. Oh God! Of course! They liked that but not my real work! No-one will ever like the work I want to make! I don’t even know if I like it! Why aren’t I as good as Alice Sheridan or Lewis Noble or Karen Stamper or Lesley Birch or [insert a hundred other names]. Why am I even bothering? Isn’t all this just a big waste of time and money?If you’re not an artist, that probably all sounds insane. If you are, you know exactly where I’m coming from.Getting UnstuckGetting unstuck turns out to be way easier than I thought. As I stood looking at 4 of my “bogged-down” paintings, I remembered something David Tress said during the course.“If you find yourself fiddling around,” he said, “just go in and do something bold. Take a risk! You will always liven things up.”So, that’s what I did. The only guiding principles for any move I made were (a) it had to be risky and (b) it had to add something different.I started with two 12”x 12” pieces.I dropped  acrylic ink onto them. I added some bold brush strokes into the sky area on the bottom one. Then I used oil pastel to draw lines in that amazing blue. I actually think that one of them has started to find its way, although there's more to do.  On these larger two (24" x 24") I added acrylic ink to make drips, rubbed glazes over them and used masking tape to add some straight lines. After glazing over most of this one, I turned it upside down and pressed bubble wrap into paint to make a pattern.They’re nowhere close to resolution, which makes it a little bit nerve-wracking to show them, but they have come alive for me a little bit. They have moved forward at last.David Tress is right - risk IS better than safe. And it turns out that the way to stop that annoying voice from yammering is to just go and do something.If you'd like to be notified when I post, just drop your email address in the white box in the left hand sidebar. And for more news, discount offers, and sneak peeks inside my studio, be sure to sign up for my monthly newsletter HERE. (I never spam and I never share your email address with anyone else).