What Seemed like a Threat Turned into a Gift

See how an unwanted critique led me to an exciting new creative period, and get 20% off all three of my new prints when you order within the next 2 days.

At the end of January I decided to rethink the direction of my work. What prompted this was an unexpected critique by a gallery visitor that helped get my brain working in a bit of a different way. As an artist it can be challenging to decipher between a constructive point of view and a difference in taste, and in my experience critiques can really test my belief in myself. I think the way to ultimately decide if a new perspective is valuable is to let the sting of the critique settle and then see what remains. At first, when this woman walked away, I felt proud for listening and not getting swept up in her opinion. Then I began to feel threatened and a tear streamed down my cheek. But within minutes I could feel the buzz of inspiration flowing through my body and the excitement of new possibilities for my work.

I started to visit more exhibitions, taking pieces of inspiration from nearly every artist’s work that I saw. Meanwhile I was meditating like crazy and ideas were popping up before I could get to the previous ones. When I finally had the chance to sit down to concretise my new vision, I’d moved beyond some early ideas and on to others, and what you see here is what came out on the particular day that I sat down to draw. I planned six works in one sitting, and made three completed drawings before I began to carve. My hope is that each piece speaks to the next, that colours in different prints interact to make each stronger, and that I can begin to view my work as a series rather than looking at only one print at a time. In my work up to this point, figure and pattern have complimented each other but were conceived of independently. I would begin with a figure and spend several hours brainstorming a pattern to go with it. In my new work, forms and bodies communicate with one another, creating an abstracting of the figure while the shapes and colours that mimic the nude form a sort of etheric body. I have so much more to say about these ideas, but I’ll save that for another time. I’d love to hear what you think.

To celebrate this new series I’m offering a 20% discount on all three of the new works. Simply enter code 1456 at checkout. This offer expires on Friday.

Much Love,

Ellen