Thursday, January 24, 2013

Scattered


Awakening
Original oil painting  16x20"
by Susan Roux

I've been absent from my blog for so long, it almost feels foreign to me now. I'll have to try to reacquaint myself. For those of you who are loyal followers, I do apologize for not stopping by to say hi once in a while.

I may not have been blogging, but don't worry, I have been busy painting. Painting and experimenting. My subjects have been all over the place. Unlike working in a series, I'm bouncing from on thing to another without any apparent relationship to the previous. I can't explain why. Perhaps I'm searching for something internally and I don't even know what it is! Boy that has a whole level of whacky written all over it.

Scattered.

It's been me. My thoughts, my art, my journey. It's as though the new year held so many possibilities with an enormous amount of time to achieve it that I've become giddy with freedom and lost in terms of a specific goal. I try to put the logic of it all aside, get the analytical me to stop analyzing everything and just go paint. But honestly I can't seem to stop the analyzing part. Must we always know the "why"? Shouldn't it be possible to just "do"? Good luck trying to tell my brain that.

I was looking at some wonderful old art on the internet that just captured my heart. It was so beautiful in light and use of color. You could dream away in it. It just took my breath away...

Of course the analyzing me couldn't just enjoy that experience. It began to analyze why it was so breathtaking. Color associations came into view. There was simplicity in it. It seemed easily understood. I asked myself why I wasn't painting like that? I have the knowledge to understand everything that makes these works so amazing. Why aren't I just implementing all this into my own work? This is when I became scattered.

Perhaps it's much like a block. The awareness of a concept, without complete clarity on how to execute it. The odd thing is, I don't feel blocked at all. I feel something is awakening in me. I don't even know what it is to put it into words. But certainly something is gnawing at me from inside. As I write about my journey, trying to explain it to you, it seems clear that my answer lies in going back to view old beautiful art. What made it so powerful yet dreamy all at the same time? It's how I'd like my art to be. Grab you and put you into a dream.

Wow, I've never been so resolute with a definition of what I'm working towards. Is this what artist's statements are made of?

Here are some of my scattered paintings:

Orange on White
Original oil painting  20x16"

Orange on White, detail

Victorian Porch
Original oil painting  18x24"

Oceanside Rose Cottage
Original oil painting  18x24"

Sun Dappled Garden
Original oil painting  20x16"

Just as the sun is firing up, percolating, getting ready to explode out in my top painting, Awakening, I feel something is bubbling inside me just waiting to burst out. I can't wait to see what it will be...




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11 comments:

  1. landscapes are beautiful and the colors of the flowers ... but what I like most is the fabric. That beautiful folds and shadows.

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  2. I'll say you've been busy! I really like your sun dappled garden. Did you do that plein air this week?

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  3. Welcome back to blogging, Susan. You have been missed. I am excited for you as you explain what has been happening to you this first month of the new year. It seems like you may be on the verge of a breakthrough - and what could be more powerful than that? In the works you have posted from this"scattered" month I see a new and more daring luminosity. Paint on, Susan - its all good!

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  4. I was starting to wonder where you were. I know what you're talking about and wonder if something just pops out from us spontaneously or if we make it happen.??? Lovely work as always. Stay warm!

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  5. Neat to read your thoughts and I thank you for sharing them. It will be exciting to see what happens. I think the paintings you show her are truly lovely

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  6. You have indeed been very very busy my dear friend. Yes I had noticed your blog was missing glad to see you back.

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  7. I have indeed missed your blog and so glad to see you back. You have been very busy and painting such marvellous work.

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  9. These are all such beautiful paintings, Susan. I especially love Sun Dappled Garden. All the amazing details take me all over the canvas. I submitted my name to make sure I get your latest paintings ...and for some reason it doesn't want to work for me...so I put you on "my favorites"..so I don't miss anymore of your work.

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  10. I sometimes think I don't do enough of those "scattered" type paintings. Love your explorations!

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  11. Très belle peinture Salutation Jacques

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