I have been very strict with myself recently. I have not let myself digress from a big
project which must be ready by the end of the month for photographing.
The project is comprised of three disparate parts which I
have been working on irregularly over the past year and a half. I have spent so much time thinking about the
project and collecting materials that I thought I was much further on than I
actually was. Add to this a measure of procrastination
and boredom (because I had over thought it all) I was feeling over the whole
thing! The project seemed to take
forever to come close to finishing.
Drag on execrably in fact!
Anyway, the long and the short is that I decided to give myself
a play day and do anything I wanted to – have a play 😊. And I did. I made some very simple doll forms (cat
shapes) and stuffed them and painted them with gesso. All so I could play with a bit of paint on
cloth. And I started to paint.
It was fun to do and took my attention away from 'The Project'.
What I discovered was that whilst I was working on the cat
forms I solved problems I was having in the design of an astronaut doll body
which is to accompany one of the parts of the series of works.
As the cat forms had to dry I had time to start the astronaut. And I was happy to do so . At this time all I had was an ear less head
with no neck or body.
The day flew.
In the time I stuffed and painted the cats I worked out how to progress with the astronaut. Here is a photo of him in his skin so to speak.
His head is
sculpted from polymer clay. His gloves
from Makins clay. I have added some aluminum
wire (which is baked into his shoulders) which allow me to pose his arms. I
will paint is boots and gloves and I have some lovely aluminum foil snaffled
from leftovers of a recently installed ducted heating system which will make
his suit. He will float in the air in
front of a mixed fabric and felt “spacescape”.
And I worked out I could make a papier
mache helmet and to stop fussing about a glass visor.
Conclusion: Play
gives you time to creatively solve problems.
Resolution: Let
myself play at least once a fortnight so I can step away from bigger projects
which go to make a body of work.
What do you do to keep yourself happy and on track with your projects? I'd love to hear.
