OK. I am waiting for inspiration.

Waiting for Inspiration
8 x 10" Gouache
(Click to enlarge)

Last night I came home, threw on my pjs and cuddly soft robe, grabbed my gouache, brushes and paper and plopped into my favorite chair. I don't usually paint sitting in front of the tv, with no good lighting, but I decided since I don't do needlepoint or knit like some do to be "productive", I would sketch with paint. And so I did. And this was my view. My feet. Occasionally Cleo would jump in there, drape herself across my legs trying to block my view, but with enough nudging and wiggling and bouncing my knees she eventually moves. Later, on another painting, it became a game for her to bat at the brush, so that's when I decided to put it away and go to bed.

Have you ever waited around for inspiration to hit? Then one day realized hours, days, months, years have past?

We recently visited Norman Rockwell's museum in Stockbridge, MA. (whoa, I just now realized I have been abbreviating Maine lately as MA... and not ME... argh...) Anyway, down in Massachusetts. It had been several years since we were there last, and things were moved around a bit and some things changed... but there still was a LOT to look at. His work amazes me. He was not considered a "real" artist in his time, but his following has been (and still is if the crazy amount of people visiting the museum was any indication!) tremendous. Kinda like Thomas Kincade, he has a lot of followers though I and a few others I know don't consider him a real artist, but instead a great marketing person. I'm not saying his stuff is not pretty, but it all looks alike and to me is tedious to look at. In fact it bugs me to look at it. Maybe this is how it was for Norman Rockwell in his day. Maybe someday I shall appreciate Thomas Kincade.

This is what Wikipedia has to say about Rockwell: "dismissed by serious art critics in his lifetime. Many of his works appear overly sweet in modern critics' eyes, especially the Saturday Evening Post covers, which tend toward idealistic or sentimentalized portrayals of American life - this has led to the often-deprecatory adjective "Rockwellesque." Consequently, Rockwell is not considered a "serious painter" by some contemporary artists, who often regard his work as bourgeois and kitsch." Yep, like Kincade of today.

Anyway, I walked through the museum in amazement, looking at every brush stroke, ever detail, every nuance. It half inspired me to strive to do better as an artist and return to the detail I once did in my work... and yet it half discouraged me by my realizing how much of an artist I really am not and can never seem to achieve.

(Click to enlarge)

(If you've ever seen his work in person, you know that each of Rockwell's paintings are HUGE. Most are over 3' tall ... and then reduced to the size of a magazine cover. Also, it appears he had no trouble with inspiration. In his career he produced over 4000 paintings. That really IS inspiritus - Spirit breathed - INSPIRED.)

So here I sit. I've painted a few other paintings since my last posting, but have not posted them. Maybe I will soon. Right now I will sit, decide what I want to do, and await inspiration.