I’ve been reflecting on the significance of my focus on white yesterday. White has so many meanings – there is of course the religious or spiritual meaning, the pure, clean and simple meaning, and for the artist the meaning of blank or empty as in the empty blank white sheet of paper or canvas that confronts us –
I love a clean new white sketchbook but it can also create a sense of panic too! Where to start, what to do, suppose I make the wrong mark – and so it goes on until a creative block stifles any further work! I have been wanting to get back to some drawing and have been avoiding it – it is much easier for me to take photographs but I look and see differently when I draw……
so today I found a simple white sketchbook that I’d made a few months ago – just 8 folded pages bound with a simple bookbinding technique – these are quick and easy to make – I have resolved to fill it this week with working drawings of trees from the printmaking class
The drawings are not finished – I will continue working into these first two. On my walk to day I left my camera behind and took a small notebook with me – I did a few tree rubbings and may use these in my drawing tomorrow. I’d love to hear any thoughts on creative blocks, blank white pages and drawing!
I hope you are all having a creative week!
3 comments:
I love the color white. Bone white, creamy white, snow white, paper white, all of them. I like your tree drawings and rubbings too. Are you home now or still wandering the world?
I wonder if, when confronted by a blank white page, we are filled with expectation - and set ourselves the expectation of having to draw something wonderful and so we don't for the pressure....When I am stuck, I sometimes tell myself to make one mark and see where that takes me. I love white paper - as you know from my work - clean and fresh and full of hope!
I don't think you are describing a REAL BLOCK but rather some resistance to starting and a little bit of lack of direction. I think you are handling the resistance as well as finding some directions. It's a process and way to early to name it BIG. I often give myself directions and find it's not really where I want to go and with resistance... I usually set the time and place and materials and keep it like an appointment...sometimes I just sit there and sometimes I begin and sometimes I just write and sometimes I just sort and ponder...no matter just showing up is respectful and wonderful to the artist of me. Any help? We are all so different.
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