Sadko by Illya Repin
One of the paintings I found on my synchronistic trail today
I had begun to feel like I was just prevaricating but I kept telling myself all week that, whilst I desultorily sketched a few ideas, searched magazines and the net for image-clues and wrote little notes to myself about the meaning of these sections of the book, my subconscious was working hard on coalescing the ideas for the next two paintings.
I was helped from falling into depression about my seeming lack of progress by my delving into the Artist’s Way and finding the following:
“Creativity – like human life itself – begins in darkness…bright ideas are preceded by a gestation period that is interior, murky, and completely necessary….Mulling on the page is an artless art form…It is the way that ideas slowly take shape and form until they are ready to help us see the light…All too often when we say we want to be creative, we mean that we want to be able to be productive. Now, to be creative is to be productive – but by co-operating with the creative process, not forcing it.“
Despite this, yesterday I still felt that I really didn’t have a clue how to proceed but I made the decision to begin working in earnest today regardless.
Last night I dreamt that this ‘not knowing’ was the heart of the adventure of the series and today as I began to scan the images that I felt might be useful, I stumbled across a synchronistic trail that lead me deeper into the mystery of the themes. Its all becoming clearer in a convoluted sort of way!
Robyn said
I get so panicky during this phase even though I know its my moodling/germinating time and I should be enjoying it. …..and cooperating with the creative process. We need to remind each other constantly!
WildCherries said
It feels like a kind of blackness to me, Robyn (hence the title) but because I cycle through it so often its becoming less scarey if no less frustrating. I can enjoy it if it only lasts a week or so but when it goes on for months then its just downright depressing! Its good to keep some sort of record of the phases to look back at and say, oh yeah, been here before…and as you say, remind each other that its normal:-)
The primal fluid of growth and continuance « WILD CHERRIES: Mixed Media Artworks of a Bilingual Life said
[...] am) and plucking the moon-wisdom from the bottom of the sea. My synchronistic path via the work of Viktor Vasnetso soon had me finding fish-woman’s equal and opposite (the yang to her yin, the dark to her [...]
kennethhunter said
whew, my goodness Sadko is an amazing piece. Its so hard finding good art like this.
WildCherries said
Isn’t it just? I came across Viktor Vasnetso’s work by chance, seeing a small reproduction of another of his paintings in a magazine. When I Wiki’ed and Googled him, I was amazed at all of the paintings I found of his. I’d love to see them in real life!
Kris Groberg said
But it’s a painting by Il’ia Repin–it’s not by either Viktor or Apollonarii Vasnetsov.
It’s an image of Sadko’s underwater kingdom, from the bylina about Sadko, available in several versions.
WildCherries said
You are quite right, Kris! I don’t know how I came by that misinformation, it was on a website somewhere. I will amend the post immediately and just to make up for my blunder, here is a link to a portrait of Vasnetsov by Illya Repin!