Darker Artwork

A number of years ago I went through a period of drawing much darker drawings and the same with the paintings I was doing.  

There was lots going on in the background which caused this, or that made my emotions react in this way, but these are some of the things I produced.

I think that when my emotions are going a bit wild in a good or bad way, then I do my best work, and when im flat in any way, whether just moseying along, or flat through exhaustion or emotional overload, I can't create anything really, and what I do looks forced

Slow period   

Im in a bit of a slow period in terms of painting. Ive been fiddling with abstract things, but can't really concentrate so not posting a lot. Im also a bit becalmed with my website build and Etsy, but hang about, Ill get them all working again soon

that was why Ive been distracted as well.  

 Inspiration

Its always good to have somewhere or something that gives you inspiration, especially when you really really don't have any.

How do you turn that dry patch, where you can't write anything, or you aren't able to even start putting paint onto a canvas or piece of paper, because to be honest you don't even know what colour paint its going to be, let alone what the thing you are going to paint is.

For me, Its an emotional thing. I have to feel something, some emotional feeling that kicks my internal tyres and I run with that.  I don't really know where its going to go, unless Im using some sort of stock picture as a basis for the painting.  

The last few paintings I have done have just been from colours in my mind.

But the other really good inspiration for me is the water, either the sea or local rivers.  Its the wildness and untamed nature of the sea I love. Respect it or don't, but you'll only survive it if you do.

Something like this from a paddle on the Deben in 2014.

which I turned into this, in acrylic paints.

Its not perfect and is around 10 years old now, so I hope Ive become a better artist, but the ethereal nature of the evening sort of comes out in the painting.

 What is Inspiration

What gives you inspiration to draw, paint, make music ?  

Is it the light of the sun reflecting off the water ?

is it that the glistening of the light dazzles you when you are walking, or floating on the water ?  

Is it that it brings out something inside you that is already there or does it create something inside you that wasn't there in the first place ?  

I don't know the answer to be honest. All I know is that sometimes that happens and sometimes it doesn't.

For example, this photo inspired me to paint this. It wasn't the best interpretation of it but I liked how the water shone out.  Ive taken a long time trying to replicate it though.

For me, the real way I paint is emotion. If I don't feel something there is no point trying to paint or do anything creative.  It will be dull and empty (and likely some of what I have on Instagram is just that).  

The flip side is that the emotion can go anywhere and nowhere, I just have to wait to see how its going to end.

these are both based on the same photo, that I can't put my finger on, but was along the Deben near the cut.  The Pencil drawing was soon after I kayaked there and the painting was more emotionally driven as a painting.

Without sounding arty or anything, that's the sort of thing that drives my dabbling with paint.

Last night, I tried to paint, but my head and heart wasn't in it at all and it ended up a canvas and sheet of paper being wasted and ruined.

I should know not to bother by now...