Fallow: –adj. 1. (of land) left unseeded after being ploughed and harrowed to regain fertility for a crop. 2. (of an idea, state of mind, etc) undeveloped or inactive, but potentially useful.
It has been a year since I've posted to this blog.
As an artist, there are times where a great deal of output happens, the work just flows and the energy is high. This past year has not been one of those times. It has been a year to lie fallow.
I attribute much of this to the passing of my Dad. He battled from June of last year, his 80th birthday, until he passed away in November. It was a hard time for him, my Mom and our family. Spending time with him and time spent in and out of the hospital weighed on everyone. He was certainly a great Dad and his influence on my life is beyond anything I could begin to write here. It was not a time to put a paintbrush to canvas. And in the months following his death the urge to paint still did not happen.
I was not without creative efforts. My daily graphic design work continued to stimulate creative energies and my iPhone Instagram photo passion has blossomed during this year. For some reason painting stopped until this summer.
One of my favorite artists, Chuck Close, has a quote I always liked. He said, "Inspiration is for amateurs–the rest of us just show up and get to work."
I like that and believe it for the most part, and a looming deadline on a commission I committed to 18 months ago pushed me to "show up".
I do believe that the year to lie fallow has been a time to regain fertility to paint again. The commission is complete and ready to install and I'll be writing about it in a few upcoming posts. It feels good to be in the studio painting again, smelling the paint and mixing the colors. There is value in a time to reflect, observe and think. Life moves quickly and there is value in quiet moments.
A time to lie fallow.
