theme from the bottom

I've been having a very difficult time finishing paintings lately. It's not out of laziness or lack of time even, it's simply some creative struggle I'm experiencing at the moment. I am absolutely bubbling over with endless ideas and inspiration, and have so many projects in the works, yet I feel this "dead end" feeling and can't find that culminating sense of satisfaction that a piece is done. Ugh. Perhaps I need to find more balance between my laundry list of ideas and my crazy need to attack them all at once? Probably.


At any rate, I had planned so much for this painting inspired by Phish's Theme from the bottom (click here for more about this painting/song). As with most of Phish's music, the song is jam packed with a lot of confusing lyrics and is ripe with crazy visuals for me. I had imagined a great deal of that being expressed in my painting, but with SO many ideas I decided to just let loose on the canvas and try not to think or plan. I felt the need to simplify the complication found in the song. Perhaps it was the slight insanity of listening to the song repeatedly while painting that caused me to find myself sinking in this rainbow of blues, falling to the dark depths of the ocean. But, once I was down there on the black bottom, I couldn't help but look up toward the light of the surface. And wouldn't you know…...that's basically the theme of the song—this intertwined mirror between the bottom and the top (take that literally or figuratively).

Another project I started is hand painting these wooden letters I picked up at the art store a few weeks ago (I've only completed one pink one so far). I seem to be surrounded by children these days, which has inspired me to begin creating children's art. It started with a painting that I agreed to paint for my new little niece's nursery (you can see that painting here). I ended up really enjoying the childlike style that I began to discover in that piece. We'll see where that takes me. I certainly didn't anticipate diving into this much painting when I took a course for fun a couple of months ago….life is funny that way.  


To be honest, when it comes to painting (or really any of my many forms of art) I'm never really sure why I'm doing something or where it's taking me. It often feels silly to be following these impulses, but as an artist I try to simply listen to the creative voice whispering to me and trust my path.