d’Arte Board

Before we chat, let’s get this out of the way. This week’s theme song is by A Tribe Called Quest, off the Low End Theory:

(Ron Carter on Bass, don’t ya know.)

Okay: Recently, I’ve been having art issues. Nothing too severe or anything I haven’t been through before, but art issues nonetheless. I also know some of the other artists here have had their own, different issues to one degree or other, though I haven’t spoken with them about it in depth.

And this is the issue- this blog exacerbates things. While everybody has their normal cycles of motivation (The way that Bobby Brown is just an impolite Michael), here we’re pressed to stick something up here once a week. Obviously, we’ve each struggled with that from time to time, and I think it’s important that we each accept that struggle when it comes up, lest this becomes a chore we begin to dread. This I can deal with.

But the blog exacerbates things in other ways too.

(This week, instead of a finished piece, I’m taking you on a tour of one as yet failed painting)

I’m used to working over the long term with art. I may finish fewer than 20 fully realized pieces in a year. My processes are both long as often indeterminate. I may start things with no purpose to them, just to do something. These then sit unfinished until they are rediscovered later and either finished, put to use in some new project or stored away again.

But I need something to post here every week. Yes I have archives, but they are still finite. Unless I start creating more than a piece a week at sometime I’m going to hit a wall or find some other way to maintain. As it is, I’ve been largely focused on a lot of smaller projects than longer ones all year. It feels like I’ve just spent 8 hours listening to 2 minute pop songs over and over again. My attention span has been shot by the side of the road and is slowly bleeding out.

(Masking 1)

Much more of this whine fest after the jump Read more »