So I have been busy making “pretty” ink drawings of the many dried flowers I have. But I was frustrated with my ability to have them morph into something more than just pretty dried flower drawings. And every time I tried to bring in the dolls or scissors or any of my go-to vocabulary I use to express my feelings of concern about humanity and climate. I knew I needed help to figure out where I was going and what I needed to do to no longer feel stuck.
Yesterday I drove into Boston in the yucky slushy snow to see Joel in his studio for a 15 minute critique. It is so funny as soon as I walk into that building on Wareham street the musty smell makes me feel all warm and fuzzy and excited. Seeing Joel, was just what the doctor ordered. For some reason I threw in a charcoal drawing I did of the sewing box last spring and Joel hung it up alongside the flower pictures. We talked about how the flowers were all very frontal and there was not much depth in them. And I talked about how I wanted to create an image where the viewer was led into the darkness and tangles rather than the tangles being all up front. We talked about picture planes, size, color and where I was succeeding in creating that dark tangled mess in the back and where I was not. It was incredibly useful and I left eager to dig up my drawing board (Joel suggested I use a drawing board so I can work bigger) and my large pad and charcoal (using charcoal first just to see what happens). I have my work cut out for me but so far I am beyond excited to have charcoal smudges on my face and be working today….(I am off the hook for babysitting today due to illness in my daughter’s house).