In An Art Slump

Week 7 of staying at home & I am unmotivated

Butter Sky, a tree class painting.

A few weeks before the stay at home order, I noticed that I was not producing good art. And in spite of my best efforts, making art in quarantine has not led to improvement. This has definitely got me in a funk and I know that I am not alone in that.

Here's the thing, I am taking three online classes and each class has homework. I am fairly art busy in the day and in the afternoons with homework. I am painting and attempting to learn. Its the days when I paint for myself on my own that I struggle and end up with wiped out paintings. Seriously I just want one good painting, this is a bit frustrating!

As an analytical person, the hard thing is the art slump doesn't make sense, why suddenly can I not paint a portrait or a still life? Why is the struggle so hard when I have been painting for years?

This week I am going to make a plan of what to paint with hopes that something will turn out okay. I have done this before and feel that I must do this again. On non-class days I have to get into the studio to paint - which I am doing its just that the paintings are not successful. I have listened to art teacher advice and tried painting a black and white study from life. And then painting a color painting from that. My black and white painting was way better than the color painting. I tried painting still life, as that is 'from life' and that was unsatisfying as well... this is not working out for me...

Perhaps this should just be a time for learning for me. I am taking many classes and have much thinking to do (thanks Anatomy)--so maybe I should just use this time for learning? I get it but I am going crazy not having anything to post to my website as to what I have been doing these last 7 weeks. I've been painting and been busy and have no results to show for it!

So what else I can I do about this motivation issue? I am reaching out to other artists for advice. Today I plan to sit on the back deck in the sun to read in order to feel more positive. I am so very glad to see the sun today! And I've been thinking about what I should read.

My reading list: The War of Art, Foster Caddell's Keys to Successful Landscape Painting, Fill Your Paintings with Light and Color  by MacPherson.

What else are your thoughts for staying motivated? What are your suggestions for art reading materials? Please end me a note or post a comment!