Since the last post about art block, I tried to create boredom in my schedule. And it worked! I ended up going to a life drawing group with a friend, and I realized I want to go beyond the line work that I've grown so accustomed to with drawing. I bought a bunch of tiny little canvases, and I painted a dragon fruit on one of them in acrylic paint. I actually was not familiar with dragon fruit, until I asked colleagues what their favorite fruits were, and which fruits they thought were prettiest. I felt pretty refreshed focusing on colors and gradients for this little project. The mini canvases were also very approachable after having not touched acrylic paint in over two years.
I also signed up for a sculpture workshop, which I have always wanted to try, in which I carved a dolphin (read: mermaid) fin sticking out of foamy water at the end of a dive. The sculpture was made of alabaster that I carved using chisels while the stone rested on sandbags and a sheet of foam to absorb the impact from the chiseling. There was something really magical about starting with a chunk and just visualizing a scene and then bringing it to life with touch and sight. I think pottery and sculpture have that in common, although sculpture does seem to allow more control of the shape without the focus on symmetry. At the end of the day, I think my initial art block was related to trying to do the same type of artwork that I have been doing for a while, when I was ready for new experiences!
In chemistry, there is something called activation energy, in which a certain amount of energy is required to begin a chemical reaction. Sometimes, when the activation energy is high, the probability of the reaction occurring is low, and a catalyst may be required to facilitate the reaction occurring to create something new. Recently, I have felt a high level of activation energy required to create new works of art; or in plain terms, I am losing my habit and have art block. I am feeling low on ink, and I have been looking at drawings friends are making, as I live vicariously through their creativity. One of my catalysts is to empty my schedule and to create space to get bored so that my fingers start stirring so much I cannot help but start drawing something new. But also, I think it's time to join a new art activity group.