Finally, I was able to steal a little time and go back, literally, to the drawing board. This one had languished, not quite done, throughout the retail holiday season that makes up my day job, and the period of rest & recovery that makes up the early part of my new year. This piece turned out to be one of those where I'd reached a sticking point anyway, unsure how to complete it; and when I came back to it months later, it took only one short session to resolve the difficulties. That happens to me often. Guess I should embrace it as part of my process.
The break gave me some time to think about art & where it is for me, what subjects get me going. A few years ago, I returned to drawing after a break of some years, spurred by a gallery owner who'd seen some of my older drawings. She'd seen self-portraits, which I'd never intended to show, and requested that I do some still life pieces in a similar style. I did a few small ones, and liked them. Even sold a couple. I still like them, but as I mentioned in a previous post, I needed a big change to be able to come up with a direction that has more resonance for me. That's when I went back to the subject matter that I find most compelling: events and people and images from my own past. This is what I know, what fascinates me, the only subject matter that - well - matters to me. When I try to cast about for other subject matter I get bored easily; try to force it; don't feel attached or energized. I hope the new work will strike a more universal chord with viewers by virtue of my passion in making it, but I don't have any particular expectations. This is work I do because I must, because my feelings about it are so strong. If the focus on my own life seems self-centered or egotistical, so be it. I'm my subject and I'm sticking to it.
