This week has been difficult in terms of motivation. There have been many attempts, re-attempts, and wipe-backs of canvases, as I have felt myself slowly disconnecting from the original concept. I was forcing myself to complete work and wasn’t getting anywhere.
Experiencing a creative block like this requires you to stop, step away from the easel, and rethink. In doing so, I decided to shift the original design of my Polyptych. I am still going to incorporate both paintings of me as ‘the nude subject’ and ‘the keen drawer’. However, I have settled on capturing myself as the main artist/the viewer in the way I presented at NERAM, instead of simply copying Dundas’s work with my face on it. I feel that this has more substance and personality then my original plan.
This new direction led to this week’s portrait. I really enjoyed working on this painting, and I feel I captured the essence of Dundas’s stare and snooty artist pose. I have one more work to go, and from the images below you can see it starting to take shape. Stay tuned for the finale next week!
– Erika Sorby @esorbyartist
NERAM’s Residency at Home is supported by Arts North West through their Micro Grant Program
