This painting went through several phases while I worked out what I wanted it to be or what it needed. It even had one of my photo images in it. I tried to remove it to adjust its placement and then it ripped. And then I ended up painting over the ripped parts, but leaving the ripped parts showing. Then I ended up covering that part all in black. And then it sat for a while, or rather hung on the wall.
All the while, I kept developing the bottom part that started out as an eco dyed cloth that I had attached to the panel when I first started the painting. And I grew to love the organic feel and movement. So many layers of exploration, but still trying not to cover up the original prints I had made with plants. Building up layers, scaping back. I loved this part so much that it almost paralyzed me from attempting to finish the piece.
Sometimes paintings develop quickly, other times they stall, take detours, meander. Patience and trust.
“The creative process is a process of surrender, not control.” – Julia Cameron
When I finished the painting I showed it to my husband and he suggested I call it “Irv”. If you are watching the show Severance, then you’ll get it. I have been feeling like I have been going down my own dark hallways lately. In fact, I went through a few weeks when I would enter my studio and just kind of obliterate my paintings. Or rather, just obliterate any recognizable imagery. Either paint it all white. Or paint it all black. This painting is a product of that time.
While I felt stymied in the studio, it also was a little exciting to be nihilistic about it all. Fit my mood at the time. So much going on in the outside world right now, that it is bound to seep through my work. Making art is how I process the world. So that tracks.