My intention, when starting this blog several months ago, was to often post my new paintings.  I haven't painted all year!  I have my next art exhibition in March, & not one painting completed for it.  :-(  I have Artists Block. 

I've had Artists Block before, for years, but last year I painted with someone who I invited to exhibit with me in December 2005.  We met most weeks, on Tuesdays, alternating homes.  Too much of our time was spent preparing & eating food, I thought, morning tea & lunch, but at least we could show each other what we had worked on while apart, & make some progress together.  AFter all, we had a goal to work towards:  to have at least 10 paintings each finished & framed ready for our exhibition last December.

I usually only drew when I was with her, I felt too inhibited to paint in her presence, while she was the opposite:  preferred not to draw in my presence.  Also, it was too much 'mucking around' for me to bring & organise & clean up after painting, I thought - plus I have much more experience, & confidence, drawing than painting.

I praised her paintings whenever she showed them to me, but she was only enthusiastic about one of mine, this one.  :-(  I'll let you into a secret:  that's quicker & easier to paint than the other styles shown in my online gallery! 

I suspect she thought, & thinks, that she is a better artist than I am.  Although I enjoy the bright colours & cute things she paints, she could do with some texture in her backgrounds, & some more light & shade.  That's my opinion - they're too 'flat', too 2 dimensional.

Anyhow, one day in the lead up to our exhibition, I was upset because the venue had double booked our next planned joint exhibition date, without so much as an apology, & she was 'passive aggressively' saying to me over the 'phone that it didn't matter, & I (suffering from PMT at the time too) snapped at her that it bl***y well did matter to me!  Well, it seems that's all it takes with her:  she hasn't turned up to paint with me at all this year, & hasn't 'phoned me to let me know why, either!

So, in short, that's a contributing factor, to my Artists Block. 

I do have lots of ideas to try, but am afraid I'll produce something not up to par.  Perhaps I'm buying into her opinion, that my art isn't good enough?

Remember I was talking about perfumes which I currently like to wear?  Another one is J.Lo's Live, & it comes in a pretty bottle.  "Live for the moment! Here, now, forever."  "an energetic fruity-floral fragrance with a top note of sparkling Sicilian lemon, ..."  I like Gucci's Envy Me more, but it's also more expensive.  I almost know I'll be receiving one of them tomorrow (the 11th) for my birthday.