I’ve been quarantined before the pandemic so i am getting used to it. I miss going to places with my family. I have worked on some sketches but that is about it. It’s hard to paint knowing that there is little or no chance anyone will see it in the gallery. In school, we pondered the idea of creating art in a void. A younger me would have fought for the notion of creating art no matter what. An older, weaker me is more realistic. The one thing for certain is i do need to create no matter what. The media i may choose may be different from painting but still fulfills my need for self-expression. How is everyone else doing during this time?
Sketching
Due to my illness I do not always have energy to paint. In addition, I have been running low on supplies such as gloves. I like to wear gloves when I paint so there is less hand-washing. Instead of painting, I have been working more in my sketchbook. I have seen some great examples of sketchbooks online and through online courses and it has inspired me to work more in my sketchbook again. The sketchbook was always the starting place for my art and it has been helpful to return. It is keeping my drawing skills sharp and I may develop some of these sketches into paintings eventually.
Every Sunday, I try to do a new sketchbook drawing with markers, pens and gouache paint. I don’t do a preliminary drawing, but instead start in the drawing with a light marker and build with darker marker values in subsequent passes. Generally, I work for an hour or two to complete each sketch then I am too tired to do anything else. I plan to start to share these sketches on this website so stay tuned!
Corona Virus
So, just like that the world has changed. I have been sick and hospitalized again. While in the hospitals the nurses related to me how scared they were of the virus and that they were running low on supplies. Scary times for us all.
I haven’t felt well for a while. As my condition worsened there was a feeling of hopelessness when it came to creating things. I felt as if everything was to hard and impossible for me.
Now, I am out of the hospital and recovering. I am not a 100% but not at my worst either. I am viewing things differently as if there is potential for me to start and/or complete projects.
Right now I think many of us artists are struggling with the idea of creating art in a void. That is creating work that no-one sees. We can of course, put it online; on our websites, twitter or instagram. But not all of us have perfected an online marketplace yet. I have work in a gallery that receives little to no visitors at this point.
It is a new paradigm. Where we still need to express ourselves and inspire, move or disgust one another. That is why art is important. At this point the best way for me to process everything going on and still feel creative is to work in my sketchbook. Perhaps in a few weeks, I will share some of my sketchbook work.
Abstract Painting
This is one of the few abstract paintings that I have on display at the gallery.
