February has been full of rain and snow, but at least we have the first signs of Spring! Phew!!

Last month, I was on the point of finishing a little group of work, but they were languishing without titles, so I thought I would start with a little slideshow of the paintings, with their titles and other details. They are all now available by using the contact button or emailing me….check my portfolio page for more details.

I think they’re all quite mysterious and ethereal, with a calmness you get from cool still winter days. Each one comes from very local places, where I’ve been walking as we’re in the middle of Lockdown 3.

I’ve had loads of lovely feedback and some queries from the Newsletter and my Instagram feed, and I thought that I would try to pick out one or two of these each time to talk about…I’m thinking these will be a range of tips and techniques, and answers to questions I think might be of wider interest.

This month I wanted to talk about maintaining a healthy creative practice. Judging by recent conversations on Instagram, this is something people have been pondering. It’s been such a difficult time for everyone, and lots of people who are normally happily creative, just haven’t been able to work as they normally would. What most of you won’t know is that I’ve spent many years teaching and then coaching developing artists, so it’s an issue I am really, really familiar with!

Like everyone, I’ve struggled at times over the last 12 months, but I have developed some simple strategies that help me get over any feelings of creative block and sense of overwhelm. so, in no particular order, and in the full knowledge that this is absolutely not any sort of miracle cure, here they are:

• Firstly it helps to understand that a healthy creative practice in whatever field, whether it’s painting, writing, music etc… is something that has a natural cycle, which goes something like this: excited about an idea and full of energy> developing and exploring the idea> planning work> making work> sharing, advertising, selling etc> energy slump> what shall I do next????> Help!!! I have no ideas!!> Ok I’ve thought of something-phew!…and so the whole thing starts again….and that’s the point, it does start again after a slump, you just have to trust that it will, and allow yourself some time..

• if you’ve been working hard, it’s obvious but do take a break as being creative takes real and sustained energy. If you’re stuck on a particular piece, and really can’t find a way through, either prop it up somewhere so you’ll be just vaguely aware of it whilst doing other things…sometimes the answer will grab you unawares!/ or if that doesn’t do the trick put it away completely, forget about it, and get it out after a week or so, by which point you’ll see it afresh, and it’s amazing how many solutions just jump out at you.

• The thing I’ve found is that, the ideas and creative confidence don’t start to flow until you’re working, and the problem is that you don’t feel like working when you’re in that creative slump! It’s a real quandary and can be a bit of a vicious cycle. So for me there’s no point starting a piece of actual work, a painting or whatever; that’s just too much pressure. Instead the best thing is to set yourself some easy no pressure things to do e.g trying out some new materials, testing them and finding out how they work and what their limitations are / trying out colour mixes and making swatches / cleaning out old paint pots, renovating brushes (this is great when you really have no creative impulse at all!!) / gesso-ing new canvases or boards / even cleaning and tidying the studio. Usually if I immerse myself in one of the above, perhaps with a good podcast or some music, eventually I start playing with my materials, looking through sketchbooks, and ideas will begin to flow.

  Hope that helps!! (Image below: testing dry pigment with different binders-I find being very methodical like this really helps with creative block, plus I feel virtuously like I’m doing something properly purposeful and useful!!)

New Work:

This month I’ve been experimenting with a new support, well new to me anyway. Cradled panels, which are basically a wooden panel with a frame around the reverse which stabilises and strengthens the panel, and makes it easy to frame or even hang as it is, using mirror plates or similar. The advantage of these panels is that they can be prepared with layers of gesso, as you would for canvas, but they are much stronger and more stable….anyway I’ve been enjoying the feel of them. They are also excellent for longevity, and conservation purposes!

I’m still very interested in watery winter landscapes, and I’ve been developing some more work around the theme of Water* Light* Reflections in the Landscape….in winter, watery conditions and low light produce some amazing ethereal and mysterious effects, and I’ve been try to capture something of this in this month’s work…

The first of these finished pieces is White Shadows, shown above.

The second one, below is The Reeds and the Water…

Both are multi layered acrylics on 46cm square cradled panels- for further details of both paintings, please see my portfolio page.

The final piece for this month happened because we walked past a lake very early one morning in the snow…the landscape all around was unified by the whiteness of the lying snow, and in contrast the lake itself was inky black; deep and still. I had to paint it! Strangely the painting isn’t black at all, but very dark blue-black. It may not be obvious, but there are also many glazes of deep green, grey and pale umber.

I think that’s all from me for now, so until next month,

Keep in touch and take good care,

Jo x

*All text and images copyright Jo York 2021