NEW DIRECTIONS
For the last while I’ve been exploring new ideas, mediums and basically a whole new perspective. This has thrown me heavily towards the idea of working abstractly and I wanted to share a few of my thoughts.
This new path I’ve been on has benefited me in so many ways. Mostly (and I can’t really explain why, but) painting a landscape was stressful for me. Whether it was because that I had a preconceived idea in my head about what it was supposed to look like when it was done, I don’t know… but it just wasn’t relaxing and peaceful anymore. And half the time I wouldn’t even start because I didn’t want to deal with the internal drama. With embracing the idea of “feeling” more than “seeing” that was stress was totally gone. The act of painting was introspective and peaceful again. Sure, there’s still design/composition aspects to make a pleasing painting even when painting intuitively… it’s not just throwing paint down and calling it a day. But there’s more storytelling for me in this new work and less worry about it looking a certain way (“gosh, I hope people can tell that’s a tree” or “shoot, why doesn’t that look like it did in my head?”). It’s more allowing the paint and my storytelling to work together and become just what it’s supposed to be. I can already tell my work’s becoming more personal and more story-based… even if I’m the only one who sees it. I’m still inspired by the same things… skies, nature, home… it’s just manifesting differently.
Another thing I’m excited about… I’ve been wanting to paint big for a while now but I wasn’t interested in producing large landscapes. I dream of stretching my own canvases and painting big statement pieces and I’m so excited to get to that point soon.
In real life I’m a very minimal and simple person… from a simple life on a farm to my home and wardrobe… it’s simple and subdued. I feel that it’s easier for me to explore muted and monochromatic themes and colours when I work abstractly. There’s always seemed to be a little disconnect from what I was painting to the rest of my life before and I’m feeling like that’s starting to correct itself.
Some days it feels like I’m starting over again. New style, new mediums (switching from acrylics to oils), new sizes. Seriously, what in the world am I thinking? I can’t deny that it feels very me though and I have an obligation to follow that and see where it goes. I’m worried that it won’t be appreciated (social media is evil in that way… that with a click of a button you get reminded just how appreciated something was - or wasn’t) but it just feels like that’s what I’m supposed to be doing right now.
Will there be prints? Who knows. I’m leaning towards an endgame there some time this year and focusing just on originals in the future. Will I go back to landscapes? Maybe. Maybe they’ll blend with my current path and be hybrids of some sort. But this is what it is right now and I’m super pumped to continue exploring and learning.
Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be anyway?
xo Marcy