I've been rather lapse in getting to any social media in the past several months. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and even this blog have been difficult for me to want to reach out and post anything. I have been painting - that I still love - but I'm reluctant to even post finished art to my website.
Sometimes the most obvious can be the most difficult to actually see. The old saying of "its plain as the nose on your face" is not always obvious. From my perspective - I was blaming my detached attitude on the crisis we seem to be in and watching the world around us react to horrifying situations and frightening attitudes.
However - while that may be partly true - the reality finally dawned on me. I came out from anonymity - I peaked out from under the table earlier this year - and actually connected my Instagram Art account - to my real Facebook page. I was anonymous on my IG art account with the exception of a couple of trusted friends - I could post my efforts and look forward to the helpful comments from people who also loved art but didn't know me. Now - with the two accounts linked - family, friends, old acquaintances and people I barely know can see all my efforts - good and bad and pass judgement. Its an uncomfortable feeling for me - I find it difficult to put myself out there...and it is now making me second guess everything I am working on. I like being an incognito artist ... one who isn't worried too much about perfection.... the same doesn't hold true if people know its me.
My perspective of why I was becoming a social media nomad was incorrect...just like the perspective of this painting (the middle image) which I thought I had finished many months ago. I have been looking at it on and off for some time and something bugged me about it. I couldn't put my finger on it...until eureka...one day..it was as plain as the nose on my face! I had drawn the boats incorrectly - the size and perspective was off. Going back and redrawing them (photo on the left) - makes the whole painting feel more in perspective. Now I can continue on and finish it for a second time.
A teachable skill can help me correct my lack of perspective in the composition of a painting. Is there something for artists who lack the perspective and attitude to not give a damn and show themselves just as they are?
(These are various stages of development - I finally got around to redrawing the boats as my perspective was way off initially. I started last spring with this painting - let it sit for 6 months and then came back to it. I added my most recent update from December 2020 but I still don't think its finished....will let it sit and fester and come back to it again.)
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