So I've been thinking about John Blockley's trees (and mountains and skies too of course). I love their simplicity and energy. I decided to try and copy them. And of course, after 4 small pages of attempts, I came to the conclusion that it's not me. Of course. It's John Blockley. And much as I admire his style, I am not him.
I've got a lot of thoughts about authenticity in my head at the moment. For a large part of my life, I have tried to imitate other artists, as a way to learn and improve. Well, not that large a part of my life, since I have only been fully immersed in art since 2015. Or is it 2016? I was doing lots of doodling and learning before that. My blog dates back to 2006 and shows some evidence of that. It goes back further, but quite sporadically.
During the pandemic, I worked hard at developing my own style and approach. Which led to my exhibition last November. But since then, I have been swirling in doubt and questioning what I want to do next. I haven't stopped drawing and sketching and painting. But my heart is not quite in it. At least not as consistently as it was in the last few years. Intellectually, I know what I need to do. But I'm procrastinating. And exploring. My philosophy is that it's never a waste of time, every mark made on paper, every brushstroke. I just need to be more patient with myself!
So I picked up a photo I took in Beara last month, and I drew like I draw. And I love it.
Later, I did one from imagination, and I learned something else I knew already. I don't enjoy drawing or painting from imagination. My art is always rooted in reality.
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